Wildly romantic through the valley to Falkenstein

Start of the circular hike at the parking lot at the beginning of the wild romantic Falkensteiner Valley. Along the rock path, over a rope-secured rock edge and a stone staircase, you briefly meet the Palatinate Ridgeway, which you leave again after a few meters to the left to take a short break at the “Luise Rubel Bench” with a wonderful view of Falkenstein. After a small climb, you reach the distinctive “Thick Oak” with a bench and follow the path marked green-yellow to the next right turn. Keeping right, the path continues flat through the forest around the village of Falkenstein to the parking lot for the “Kronenbuchhütte.” From here, a detour to Falkenstein Castle (restaurant “Burgstubb”) is worthwhile — or you can enjoy food and drink with a wonderful view in the adjacent excursion restaurant “Falkensteiner Hof.” Above this restaurant, a path leads left into the “Schelmenkopf” nature reserve and a narrow path descends steeply with great views of the castle and village of Falkenstein. At the bus stop, you reach the asphalt road, and after a few meters uphill, the Cemetery Street begins — or you take a small detour to the nearby “Zeitlos” café in the middle of the village. Along Cemetery Street, the path leads to the Falkenstein bell tower and below the cemetery toward the Kneipp facility. Finally, you return to the starting point in the Falkensteiner Valley on the “Thomas Voll Path,” marked with a “red bar,” named after the former forest office manager of Winnweiler.