BÜTGENBACH - You can start today’s stage again under the railway viaduct – where we left it yesterday – and immediately follow the white-red hiking signs again. This path first continues downwards into the valley toward the Warche but soon turns right off the street. Via a narrow path, you then climb steeply up to the dam of the Bütgenbach reservoir.
If you come from the town center, it is better to start in front of the church. Walk left past the church until you meet Burgstraße. Upon reaching Burgstraße, turn left. Burgstraße then leads in a large arc to the reservoir and soon you reach the dam, which we must cross. Here at the dam, we see again the white-red hiking signs of GR56.
Immediately after crossing the dam, the GR56 (after about 25 meters) leaves the street "An der Ley" again. Here we turn right onto the shore path. The hiking trail is also marked with "Around the Lake" signposts; you cannot get lost here. We now hike about 4 km on the nearly level shoreline path along the lake. On the opposite shore, you see the Worriken sports and leisure center.
Where the lake slowly narrows again, turning into a stream, we reach a fork. If we were to continue straight on following the white-red signs, we would arrive after about 700 meters at the village of Wirtzfeld and from there continue to Krinkelt. In Krinkelt, you meet again the main loop of GR 56.
5.6 Km START OF THE CONNECTION TO KRINKELT
We do not go toward Wirtzfeld but turn right and cross the Holzwarche. The Holzwarche is one of the two tributaries of the reservoir. Now we follow – partly over a wide wooden footbridge – the shore of the Holzwarche. The stream quickly widens again into a lake. We now circle a peninsula on our hiking trail until we reach the place where the Warche reaches the lake from the other side. Our path continues south along the lake until we reach the road. We cross the Warche bridge and at the end of the bridge turn immediately left into the lane (do not take the paved path).
On our left in the valley, the Warche meanders through a wide valley under nature protection. On our right, almost parallel to our path, we see again the old railway embankment, now the RAVeL runs on it. We come to a railway underpass, which we pass through, and curve onto the railway line on the other side. The lane leaves the railway line and after a short distance leads to a narrow paved road. Here we turn left, walk slightly uphill to the next intersection with a Marian chapel. Again, we turn left into the little-traveled "Alte Aachener Straße". After walking over a hilltop, we reach the first houses of Büllingen. It gently descends toward the town center – on our left, we see the football fields of Büllingen. At the lower end of the street (where Saint George fights the dragon), we turn left into Klöppelsgasse but leave it again after about 100 meters to the right. We continue uphill and come to the church of Büllingen.
4.4 Km BÜLLINGEN/BULLANGE
In Büllingen there are hotels, restaurants, cafés, and shopping facilities. Shortly after passing the parish church of Büllingen, we reach the main road (N632) Trierer Straße. Opposite, the "Geissberg" slopes downward. At the next fork, we keep our direction and hike over "Am Kammerborn" street. Still maintaining the same direction, we go up "Am Hügel" street. Here too, where "Am Hügel" bends right, we continue straight. The narrow street is called "Zur Bannmühle" and leads us over a railway bridge out of Büllingen. We are now on the way to Honsfeld.
On our left in a wide valley floor, the young Warche winds. In spring, wild daffodils bloom here, and in summer you can see the creamy-white spikes of "Mädesüß", which emit a slightly sweet scent.
The GR hiking trail runs first parallel to the RAVeL, then shortly before Honsfeld curves back to the old railway embankment. Here we turn left and now walk a stretch over the RAVeL. Ahead, we see a high stone bridge spanning the bike and hiking trail. On the right of the RAVeL, a sign "Honsfeld" reminds us that once the train stopped here. A few meters behind the sign, we must leave the RAVeL again to the left over a narrow path. We walk the path running parallel to the RAVeL slightly uphill. On reaching the high stone bridge, the path leads over this old railway bridge into the village of Honsfeld. Behind the village inn (Cafe Magney), we turn left, pass the school, and continue to the next intersection.
4.2 Km HONSFELD
We continue to follow the white-red hiking signs of GR 56 – Warche variant.
Since the Amel variant ends here, we will now follow the Warche variant. Therefore, we turn right and continue toward Holzheim, Hünningen, and Buchholz. At the next fork, we turn left again (straight goes to Holzheim). At the following fork, we continue straight toward Hünningen and soon pass under the old railway line (RAVeL) again. After about 400 meters, we leave the street leading to Hünningen and turn right into a lane. We ignore side paths and continue straight.
First, it goes slightly uphill, then slightly downhill again. Near a holiday farm, we reach the edge of the forest. We take the path to the right, leading south. Recently, woodcutters have been working here. On the right of our path, the railway embankment is visible again. We keep walking straight until we reach a paved forest road at the end. Here we reach the main path of GR 56 at junction 68.
If you were to turn right and pass under the underpass, you would reach the small hamlet Buchholz after 100 meters.
3.1 Km BUCHHOLZ
But first we follow the direction from junction 69 and then junction 77, where Hotel Schröder is located.
2.4 Km LOSHEIMERGRABEN End of stage in Losheimergraben.
