Water Quintet Hiking Trail

Water shapes the region: Six large reservoirs serve partly for water regulation and partly for drinking water supply at the upper reaches of the Wupper. Five of them are located entirely within the territory of the cities Radevormwald, Hückeswagen, and Wipperfürth, as well as the municipality of Marienheide. Surrounding them is a 108-kilometer long long-distance hiking trail in seven stages, offering deep insights into a landscape that is as charming as it is rich in history.

Stage 1: Radevormwald - Wasserfuhr

Start: Parking lot at the town hall in Radevormwald (Hohenfuhrstraße 13, 42477 Radevormwald)
Destination: Wasserfuhr near Wipperfürth
Length: 14.1 km
Duration: approx. 4.5 hours
From Radevormwald, the city on the heights, the first stage initially leads down to the shore of the Bevertalsperre, whose oldest part was built in the 1980s for water regulation. Passing through Egen as the most remote outpost of Wipperfürth's seven church villages, the trail descends into the Neye Valley, where a reservoir was built between 1907 and 1909 to supply the city of Remscheid with drinking water. Through an underground tunnel, it also receives water from the Schevelinger Reservoir, which the hiker reaches next, before ascending one last time over a ridge to Wasserfuhr in the Honnige Valley.

Stage 2: Wasserfuhr - Brucher Talsperre

Start: Wasserfuhr near Wipperfürth
Destination: Brucher Talsperre near Marienheide
Length: 13.8 km
Duration: approx. 4.5 hours
The second stage from Wasserfuhr leads up to the Kerspe Reservoir, mostly located in the Märkischer Kreis and supplying Wuppertal with drinking water, among others. The following village of Rönsahl was formerly known as the "Village of Millionaires," where some residents had achieved considerable wealth through the production of black powder. One of the first powder mills was located in the Lingese Valley, which has also been dammed since 1899. Passing through its wall, Moosberg, and Griemeringhausen, the trail leads to the young Wupper River, which is still called "Wipper" from its source in Marienheide-Börlinghausen to its confluence with the Kerspe at Ohl. The Brucher Reservoir at the end of the stage is a popular water sports and camping paradise.

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