The region of southern Westerwald is in its truest sense, a rich land, and so particularly suitable for the establishment of a themed walking trail. "White Gold", as the clay is also called, has had a lasting influence on the landscape, the economy and the people. For this reason, a tour at GOERG & Schneider, one of Westerwald's leading companies in the extraction and processing of clay ceramic raw materials, took place on Friday 24 May under the motto "From Pit to Kiln". This was followed by a guided tour on the "red" Theme Trail.
First, the Managing Director, Martina Goerg, showed the 12 participants by means of a “clay suitcase” how important clay from the Westerwald region is for the production of objects that are an integral part of everyday life. Without clay there would be no tiles, roof tiles, tableware and sanitary objects such as toilets or washbasins.
During the subsequent guided tour, the production facilities of the kiln hall, clay storage boxes and ceramic bodies were visited.
Gerhard Thomé then took the group on a shortened walk of about 7 km along the Clay (Red Route) Theme Trail. Highlights along the route were one closed and three active clay pits, several clay settling basins, two former mills, the site of a former mill, recultivation areas, a fish pond (former clay pits), a photovoltaic system and unspoiled nature on each side of the path.