Hikes in Mölsheim

The circular hiking route connects the two wine-growing regions of the Palatinate and Rheinhessen in the Zellertal. The route can also be hiked in six different smaller stages.

This section of the 45-kilometer-long Zellertalweg leads from Wachenheim via Mölsheim, Zell, and Niefernheim back to Wachenheim.

This section of the overall 45-kilometer-long Zellertal route leads from Wachenheim via Mölsheim, Zell, and Niefernheim back to Wachenheim.

This varied cache route in the Zellertal between the Pfrimm and vineyards offers many beautiful views and insights

This section of the 45-kilometer Zellertal route leads from Monsheim via Mölsheim and Wachenheim back to Monsheim.

In the Alzey Hill Country area with a view towards Donnersberg, we hike today from Monsheim along sunny south-facing slopes to Mölsheim and Zellertal. Along the way, we repeatedly cross the Zellertal hiking trail. We admire the so-called Trullo. The Trullo formerly served as a shelter and storage for field workers. We take a break at the Zellertal Memorial, which was built in honor of the fallen of the First World War.

This moderate hike takes us through the vineyards and meadows of the Vorderpfalz.

The Zellertal is a valley region in the eastern part of the Northern Palatinate Uplands; its western section belongs to the Palatinate, and its eastern section to Rheinhessen. The Zellertal Hiking Trail, established in 2015, runs approximately 45 km through this beautiful region. A section of this loop trail from Harxheim to Monsheim and back is described here. ▶ We start our loop trail at the train station in Harxheim in the Zellertal 01, heading north toward Wachenheimer Straße, turn left, and reach Bubenheimer Straße.We walk along the main road to the right until we reach the B 47, cross it, and after about 70 m turn right onto the paved bike path. Following this bike path, we reach Niefernheim02, a small, romantic wine village.The name dates back to around 1300, when St. Philip built his dwelling (Latin: Cella) on a hill, which later gave the valley its name. The townscape is characterized by stately vineyards and large trees. Our hiking trail continues south along Brückenstraße until, after the bridge and before Haus Lauer, we turn left, walking parallel to the Pfrimm.The Pfrimm River originates near Sippersfeld and flows into the Rhine after about 43 km. We follow this river, past the Reitzenmühle, to Wachenheim. We turn left onto Mühlgasse and, about 100 meters away, see the Schlossmühle in Wachenheim03, a ban mill that over the centuries was operated as a grain mill with a husking mill and two grinding mills, as well as an oil mill.In the past, the western boundary of Wachenheim separated the Grand Duchy of Hesse from the Kingdom of Bavaria. Today, this is where Rheinhessen and the Palatinate meet. Immediately after the bridge, we turn right onto Pfrimmaue and continue to follow the trail markers.We cross the K 1, follow the Pfrimm past the Neumühle, pass under the railroad bridge, and head toward Monsheim04, the easternmost town in the Zellertal valley. Monsheim actually consists of two villages, “Bachstelze” and “Sandhase.” The former refers to the proximity of the old village of Monsheim to the Pfrimm River, while the latter refers to the sand pits in what is now the Kriegsheim district, where kaolin (porcelain clay) was once mined.We now enter Schloss-hohlstraße (if you turn left here, you’ll reach Monsheim Castle05) and first turn right, then after about 100 m turn onto Bahnhofstraße toward the train station. Go downhill to the left onto Denkmalstraße until you reach Hauptstraße; turn right first, then after about 80 meters turn left again toward the Pfrimm. We cross Alzeyer Straße (B 271), walk up Niederflörsheimer Straße, and turn left—slightly uphill—into the vineyards. On our way, on the left-hand side, we pass a whitewashed structure, a so-called “Trullo 06” (see also Tour 39). Before the mechanization of agriculture, this trullo served primarily as a shelter, a safe haven, and a rest stop for the numerous field workers, as well as a storage area for tools and materials. Continuing through the vineyards, with a magnificent view of the Zell Valley, the Donnersberg, and the Odenwald, we hike to Mölsheim07, which made history in 1930.Here, a farmer discovered a richly decorated filigree disc brooch from the Nerewingian period (7th century). It is now on display at the Hessian State Museum in Darmstadt.We walk through the charming wine-growing village along the main street toward the southwest and, at the hairpin curve at the village’s edge, turn right again into the vineyards. Now, as we continue westward, we see the valley’s landmark: the 15-meter-high, monumental Zellertal War Memorial 08, built in honor of those who fell in World War I (accessible only from the road!).Rewarded with magnificent views, we reach Zell 09, characterized by the silhouette of its two churches, which also serve as a reminder of the town’s long tradition as a place of pilgrimage in honor of St. Philip. Beautiful houses and wineries line our path, which takes us downhill past the town hall (follow the sign toward Harxheim, 1.2 km), past the Bannmühle 10, and on to Harxheim. We cross the B 47, walk up the main street, turn left onto Bahnhofstraße, and arrive back at our starting point at the train station in Harxheim 01.

We started from Mölsheimerstr. in Monsheim,

From Wachenheim via Mölsheim to Zell and back via Niefernheimer