Siebengebirge - Geo Hike: Leyberg

The view from Leyberg over the Rhine Valley, the northern and eastern Siebengebirge, is one of the most spectacular in the Siebengebirge. The ascent is made on the last 80 meters via more or less natural rock stairs - remnants of a basalt quarrying history. Today, only a trail can be seen on Leyberg, running straight through the forest on the northern mountainside and clearly visible on maps or aerial photos. This trail is a relic from the time when the rock from the quarries was brought down the valley using braking tracks. Braking tracks had two parallel rail tracks on which wagons rolled. The wagons were connected by a steel cable in a way that the full wagons descending the valley would pull back up the already emptied ones due to their weight. To balance the significant weight difference between full and empty wagons, a braking device was used. This device mechanically regulated the speed of the cable by running it over several rollers. The braking device was entirely constructed of iron and built into the ground, into so-called braking cellars.