Palatinate Wine Trail complete route

Stage 1: From Bockenheim to Neuleiningen

The route starts at the architecturally distinctive House of the German Wine Route, the geographical beginning of Germany's oldest tourist route. Soon, you leave the town behind and immerse yourself in the sunny Palatinate sea of vines. On sunlit grassy paths, the route gently ascends towards Fahrenberg and reaches the Holy Church, a beautiful field chapel beneath a shady woodland grove. Passing the sacrificial stone, the path leads to Patricia Vineyard, where you should enjoy the view over the Rhine plain and as far as the Odenwald during a short rest at the panorama bar. Continuing through the vineyards, the path briefly climbs steeply towards Galgenberg. At Wolfskehl, we reach a small high plateau and briefly walk through the open farmland. Shortly after, the path descends the slope to the Asselheim wine hiking hut (opening hours link below). Well refreshed, the route climbs up to Gerstenberg, offering a fantastic view of Donnersberg. The lofty plutonite seems just a stone’s throw away. In favorable weather, you can watch silent gliders take off and land or make a detour to the Motorcycle Museum Quirnheim, 500 meters off the path (opening hours link below). The path then heads downhill again towards Mertesheim. On the descent, enjoy the view of the fields and vineyards on the opposite slope. If you look closely, you will see on the right the remains of a cableway that once transported iron ore to the Mertesheim station. In the beautifully restored village center of Mertesheim, there is a train connection as well as dining and accommodation options. Leaving the town eastwards, we follow the course of the Eisbach and reach the shady Grünstadt city park, where more dining options are available (opening hours below). Continuing west, we leave the city park and enjoy another spectacular view of Donnersberg from Grünstadt Hill. Heading south through the vineyards, after a short while we reach the castle village of Neuleiningen, where more dining and accommodation options are available. 

Stage 2: From Neuleiningen to Bad Dürkheim

The stage starts between the historic buildings of Neuleiningen Castle ruins and St. Nicholas Parish Church. Over paved lanes and stairs lined with beautiful half-timbered houses, we leave the town and descend to Neuleiningen Valley. Passing sunny vineyards and a shaded rest area under a cherry tree, we finally reach the small village of Battenberg. A detour to Battenberg Castle ruins is worthwhile, offering wide views of the Rhine plain, or the spur path to the "lightning tubes," a geological feature. Beyond the last houses, we enter the forest. On beautiful, shaded paths and trails, we leisurely proceed over the next kilometers to the forest inn Forsthaus Lindemannsruhe. From here, the imposing 40 m high Bismarck Tower on Peterskopf is not far. Passing the Geiersbrunnen, we walk downhill on forest paths before a counter-climb brings us to an old Germanic cult site on the Devil’s Stone. According to legend, the holes in this stone come from the angry devil himself. A little later, we reach a ring wall in the forest, the so-called Heathen Wall, built around 500 BC by the Celts. Passing the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument, which offers a wonderful view of the Limburg, we continue to the "Kriemhildenstuhl," the best-preserved Roman quarry north of the Alps with ancient inscriptions. The magnificent view from the 100 by 200 meter rock platform extends over the sea of vines and the Rhine plain to Odenwald and the Black Forest. Via another viewpoint, the path descends into the attractive spa town of Bad Dürkheim. In the town, access paths lead to the largest wine barrel in the world and the second-longest graduation tower in Germany.”

Stage 3: From Bad Dürkheim to Deidesheim

From Römerplatz, we walk through Bad Dürkheim to the flag tower, offering panoramic views of the sea of vines, the Rhine plain, and Palatinate Forest. A detour is worthwhile to the monastery church and the Seebach villa district. Next, we pass through sweet chestnut forests and later pine and oak forests favoring warmth down to a shady picnic spot by a stream. On trails, we overcome another wooded ridge before reaching the idyllic castle valley. Passing the campsite, we ascend to Wachtenburg ruins, the "Balcony of the Palatinate." Here, you can not only stop at the castle inn but also enjoy the splendid view of the wine and sparkling wine town Wachenheim and the Rhine plain. Afterwards, we climb up along a forest ridge and, after some time, pass through a stone gate into the area of the Heathen Holes. These are remains of a refuge castle from Carolingian times. At the other end of the site, a path leads steeply down to the Michaels Chapel, where the view stretches far over Deidesheim and its wine-growing areas to the east. Through sun-kissed vineyards, we finally reach our daily destination, Deidesheim. The spa town delights with its typical wine taverns and wineries, as well as its romantic old town.

Stage 4: From Deidesheim to Neustadt an der Weinstraße

From the historic market square in Deidesheim, we first walk past the outdoor pool and through sunny vineyards along the stream, before we enter the forest below the Pfalzblick restaurant. The shady path above the former single vineyard "Schlossberg" leads us over the Klausen Chapel to the wine village of Königsbach with its impressive St. Johannes church. After ascending to the "Meerspinnblick" above Gimmeldingen, we hike along the babbling Müßbach through Gimmeldingen Valley to the Benjental forest inn. Here begins the long ascent to the 554 m high Weinbiet. Through beautiful mixed forests, we reach the highest peak of the Haardt north of the Speyerbach. Here, we can enjoy a proper snack at the Weinbiethaus (PWV) before tackling the final ascent to the viewing tower. The view extends far over the Rhine plain and the highest peaks of the Palatinate Forest. Over the broad ridge of Wolfsberg, we then descend, passing the scenic natural monument Bergstein and via Hohfelsen to Wolfsburg ruins, whose small castle inn is open on weekends. From here, a pleasant hillside path leads to Scheffelwarte. There, the descent to Neustadt an der Weinstraße begins. Passing the Deidesheim temple and the Dr. Welsch terrace, we walk over the Haardter stairway into the historic old town and let ourselves be enchanted by the lively bustle and charm of the half-timbered houses.

Stage 5: From Neustadt an der Weinstraße to St. Martin

We start at the busy market square in Neustadt, stroll through the pedestrian zone, and then start the climb to Nollensattel. From here, a hillside path leads us leisurely through sweet chestnut forests before a path winds steeply up through moss-covered rocks in the forest to the scenic Gypsy Rock. Continuing to the 490 m high Nollenkopf and along a pronounced ridge over the Speierheld shelter hut to the natural monument Hambacher Bergstein, we hike on beautiful paths from here to the penance cross and then downhill towards Hambach Castle, which is definitely worth a detour. We circle the Sommerberg clockwise and finally reach the Hohe-Loog-Haus (PWV), where we can enjoy the magnificent view over southern Palatinate as far as Kraichgau and the Black Forest from the terrace with a snack. Refreshed, we continue in ups and downs to Kalmit. On the highest peak of the Palatinate Forest, not only an outstanding view of the Rhine plain more than 500 m below awaits us, but also the Ludwigshafen hut (PWV), open on weekends and Wednesdays. Southwest of Kalmit on Hüttenberg lies another scenic highlight on our route, the impressive natural monument Felsenmeer. From here, a path through charming pine forests leads down to Totenkopfstraße at the eastern edge of St. Martin, which lies picturesque at the exit of Kropsbach Valley. Passing Bellachini Pond, it’s not far to the idyllic historic center under monument protection.

Stage 6: From St. Martin to Burrweiler

The starting point of the fifth stage is the old town of St. Martin. We first stroll to the western edge of town, passing the Bellachini fountain, and climb through the forest to the natural monument Schwalbenfelsen and the poet’s grove. Then, a hillside path leads gently to the St. Ottilia Chapel and shortly after through blueberry-rich forests inviting sampling, down into Edenkoben Valley. Following a water educational path along the crystal-clear babbling brook, we reach the idyllic Hilschweiher amid forests with the Hilsch waterfall. Another shaded ascent takes us past the Rietburg chairlift to Villa Ludwigshöhe, former summer residence of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Above sun-kissed vineyards, we reach Weyher’s Mariengrotto from 1904 and continue to Restaurant Buschmühle in Modenbach Valley. Here begins the ascent along comfortable forest paths to St. Anna Hut (PWV). On weekends and Wednesdays, the hut is open for hungry and thirsty hikers. Not far from the hut, the St. Anna Chapel towers high over Burrweiler on an outcrop of Teufelsberg. The view is correspondingly impressive. Finally, we descend on a cross path into the charming wine village of Burrweiler, our stage destination today.

Stage 7: From Burrweiler to Dernbach

From Burrweiler, we first return along the known cross path of the previous day to St. Anna Hut (PWV). On shady paths, we now walk along the slopes of Teufelsberg to the Trifelsblick Hut (PWV) at 550 m altitude. Here, we can enjoy the magnificent panorama from the terrace that gave the hut its name. The view extends well beyond Trifels Castle deep into the Wasgau and the Vosges. Easy paths through beautiful mixed forests lead us along Teufels- and Roßberg down to the next dining option, Ramberger Waldhaus (PWV), where a snack or a piece of cake gives us strength for the onward journey. On a delightful forest path, we finally reach the impressive ruins of Neuscharfeneck, destroyed in the Thirty Years' War. From the ruins, it’s not far to the idyllic Landauer Hut (PWV) nestled in the forest with numerous shaded outdoor seating areas. Here too, we can satisfy our hunger and thirst before setting off on the circular hike around Orensberg. The unique 270° panorama from the large rock platform of Orensfels rewards us for the ascent efforts. Afterwards, we descend past Landauer Hut (PWV) and the scenic Dernbacher House inn into the small village of Dernbach.

Stage 8: From Dernbach to Annweiler am Trifels

The seventh wine trail stage begins in the charming village of Dernbach, nestled among hills. From here, we hike steeply up into the forest to the Eußerthal sanatorium. Comfortable forest paths lead us along the slopes of Walterskopf to Eußerthal with its parish church, a former Cistercian monastery. Next, we pass through scenic orchards past a stone wayside cross and ascend again into the forest on a sometimes steep ascent to the saddle between Grüneck and Franzosenkopf. Here, the clear cold water of Eselstränke spring quenches our thirst. Descending to Gräfenhausen, the 3-castle-view rest area invites lingering. Opposite rise Trifels Castle, Anebos Ruins, and Scharfenberg Ruins into the Palatinate sky. We pass through the small wine village Gräfenhausen and reach after a longer ascent on shady trails the Jungpfalz shelter hut and Holder spring on the northern slope of Großer Adelsberg. From here, a short detour (approx. 500 m) leads to the Jungpfalz hut, open on weekends. Finally, it’s not far to the Krappenfels viewpoint, where a beautiful view of Trifels Castle welcomes us. A path leads downhill along the wooded slope to Turnerheim and further to Annweiler. In the small town at the foot of Trifels Castle, crossed by the Queich stream, a historic old town with romantic lanes awaits us around the city mill and the tanners’ quarter. 

Stage 9: From Annweiler am Trifels to Klingenmünster

From the spa park in Annweiler, we hike on shady paths through sweet chestnut forest uphill to the parking lot of Trifels Castle. A detour to the former imperial castle with the imperial regalia on the 494 m high Sonnenberg is definitely worthwhile. Passing the Barbarossa forest inn, we enter a saddle below Anebos ruins, flanked on both sides by impressive sandstone cliffs. These partly hollow-weathered masses rise like cliffs from the forest floor, forming an impressive backdrop. Especially on weekends, we can watch climbers practicing their sport here. On a delightful path, we now cross below the cliffs and Scharfenberg Ruins. After a short steep descent, we hike along the wooded southern slopes of Föhrlenberg and then up a path through sweet chestnut forests to Neukastell Ruins. Using a steep ladder, we climb a viewing platform here, where a magnificent view of the opposite Madenburg awaits us. Then we descend past Slevogthof, the long-time home and workplace of the famous impressionist Max Slevogt, whose living and working rooms can be visited, to the small village of Leinsweiler, where we can refresh ourselves at a Kneipp facility by the path. Through sunny vineyards and shady woods, we now leisurely climb to Madenburg Castle ruins, one of the largest and oldest castle complexes in the Palatinate. A castle inn invites you to stop in a historic ambiance. On a narrow path, it goes down into Kaiserbach Valley, past the Palatinate clinic, to Landeck Ruins. Here too, a castle inn with a wonderful view of the Rhine plain awaits us. Now only a descent separates us from our day's destination, the lovely wine village Klingenmünster.

Stage 10: From Klingenmünster to Bad Bergzabern

We start at the monastery in Klingenmünster and stroll through a park along the Klingbach before ascending through sunny vineyards to the village of Gleiszellen. Leisurely, we pass through the lanes of the pretty village. Shortly behind the Hatzelberg fountain, we enter the forest and hike along the slopes of Hatzel- and Röhlberg to the junction Am Seicheneck. Then we descend in the shade of trees into a small valley, which we follow downhill into a larger valley. A comfortable path along the floodplain leads us past a tennis court to the beautiful historic half-timbered house of the restaurant Wappenschmiede in Pleisweiler, where we can refresh ourselves. We leave the village behind and hike through scenic vineyards, passing a shelter hut surrounded by vines, continuing to the spa town Bad Bergzabern. Here, the old town invites strolling, and idyllic parks and the South Palatinate spa offer relaxation. Also worth a visit are the Bad Bergzabern castle and the Renaissance building of the inn "Zum Engel."

Stage 11: From Bad Bergzabern to Schweigen-Rechtenbach

Our last stage starts at the market square in Bad Bergzabern. After a relaxed initial stretch through the nicely designed spa park, we pass by the Sunday-opened Böhämmerhaus into the vineyards. We pass a shelter hut in the forest and then reach, along the meadow ground Dörrenbach, one of the most beautiful places on the German Wine Route. Picturesque half-timbered houses and rustic wine taverns invite you to linger. We stroll past the 400-year-old Renaissance half-timbered town hall and the historic fortified church, then climb uphill on forest paths to Kolmerberg Chapel, one of the most popular pilgrimage churches in South Palatinate. On shady paths, we continue uphill to the viewpoint on Stäffelsberg. Then, we walk downhill in the forest, follow the West Wall Way along the southern slopes of Farrenberg, and reach Guttenberg ruins on Schlossberg. Behind the ruins begins the longer descent, past a crossroads with a shelter hut, down to the charmingly located landscape pond in Breitenborntal. Now only a scenic section through sunny vineyards separates us from the endpoint of our hike, the famous German Wine Gate in Schweigen-Rechtenbach. In front of the 18-m high landmark of the German Wine Route, we have finally made it and can look back on eventful days on the Palatinate Wine Trail.