Westerwald
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View of the northern Westerwald from the Otto Tower at Herkersdorf/Kirchen |
The
Westerwald is a
mountain chain in
Germany. It is located on the junction of the states (
Bundesländer) of
Rhineland-Palatinate,
North Rhine-Westphalia and
Hesse.
The mountains are bounded by four river
valleys: the
Rhine in the west, the
Sieg in the north, the
Dill in the east, and the
Lahn in the south.
The highest peak is the Fuchskauten at 656 meters. 40 percent of the Westerwald's approximately 1000 km² are wooded. Tourist attractions include the Dornburg (394 metres) and
Limburg an der Lahn, a city with a medieval centre.
The Westerwald is known for its distinctive salt-glazed grey
pottery with cobalt blue decoration, and its
basalt mines. The latter industry is centred round
Höhr-Grenzhausen.
In the mid
16th century, potters from
Raeren in Belgium migrated into the Westerwald, bringing with them some of their moulds. This type of pottery was taken to the New World and was found in the early
Chesapeake settlements.
Today one finds highly crafted moulded vases and mugs but also a range of handcrafted utility ware, with hand painted swirling floral motifs.
The
Westerwaldkreis is a district (Landkreis) of the
Rhineland-Palatinate, with
Montabaur as its capital.
