Hiking trails are the best way to explore this region. The Westerwaldsteig is 235 kilometers (146 miles) long and is one of Germany's most attractive hiking trails. It runs through the Westerwald Lake Plateau to Birkenhof Distillery, where you can watch schnapps being made - and sample it, of course!

Hachenburg, with its Baroque castle on a volcanic rock outcrop, is easily visible from a distance. The castle was once home to the Counts of Sayn. The town's half-timbered buildings are typical of the region.

In the countryside around Hasselbach, about five kilometers away, sculptor Erwin Wortelkamp has created "Im Tal," a landscape garden and sculpture park, together with 40 artists and landscape architects. The artworks are integrated into the natural surroundings, linking them closely to the Westerwald.