-Information board text-
History of the Martinspfad
The initiator of this path in 1929 was a citizen of Niederheimbach:
Martin Hartmann
Martin Hartmann, father of Margarethe Hartmann and grandfather of Ingrid Trüby née Hartmann
According to the statements of some of our older citizens, the "Martinspfad" was created entirely by his idea, his actions and his creativity.
It was only later that local citizens were willing to help.
The builder of this path was also part of the staff of the Märchenhaine, where he worked as a tour guide.
Martin Hartmann was nicknamed "Transport Minister" for his numerous services to the tourist association and to the general public.
The "Martinspfad" runs roughly in the middle of the mountain slope above Sooneck Castle and the "Siebenburgenblick Tower" and connected Niederheimbach with the Trechtingshäuser forest.
Today it is interrupted by the further expansion of the quarry. That was time and reason enough for the Niederheimbach pensioners' association to tackle this "obstacle" and find a solution.
The men found rocky, uneven and stony terrain.
But a more walkable route was found and worked on. Step by step up to the tower. It should be a walkable path for the many hikers, holidaymakers and visitors to our wonderful Rhineland landscape, in the middle of the Middle Rhine World Heritage Site. The pensioners' association hopes that it will meet these requirements.
In 2023, this information was reconstructed by the Niederheimbach Tourist Association.
Today, important hiking trails run along the Martinspfad, such as the Rhine Castle Trail and, since 2023, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage Trail