In the past, the Welschen Ennest Catholic Workers' Movement (KAB), the Men's Choral Society (MGV) and the Welschen Ennest Shooting Club have organized charcoal burning days at the site "guarded" by the Meier-Sepp. In addition to cultivating the traditional craft of charcoal burning, the focus was always on socializing. The smoking charcoal kiln in the middle of the forest has always been a popular meeting place for young and old.
Charcoal burning is a complex craft. The charring process, which takes several days, is guided by the charcoal burner's history. The charcoal burner must ensure that the charcoal pile neither goes out nor burns down by controlling the air supply through small holes in the charcoal pile. This is because only the gases and vapours developing from the heated wood should burn in the charcoal pile and not the wood itself.
By observing the smoke and its color, the charcoal burner can tell whether there is too much or too little air supply and whether the charring is complete.
Depending on the size of the charcoal kiln, the entire process from setting up to extinguishing the kiln and harvesting the charcoal takes around two to four weeks.
In the past, charcoal was needed for iron smelting, glass production and the extraction of precious metals, as very high temperatures were required. Today, charcoal is very popular and sought-after as charcoal for barbecues.
Around 30 kg of charcoal can be obtained from 100 kg of hardwood.
The resting place is located on the Rahrbacher PoesieWeg circular trail, which stretches for around 8 km.
The surroundings create a calming atmosphere. You can pause at various stations along the way. Short, inspiring poems await visitors there, encouraging them to linger, reflect and feel a closer connection to nature.
A free booklet is available to enhance the experience on the Poetry Trail. This can be obtained from the Lennestadt & Kirchhundem Tourist Information Office or downloaded online.