Sternenweg E-Bike route in the footsteps of the St. James pilgrims

Trifels Castle was already an important orientation point for travelers in the Middle Ages, including of course the pilgrims. The town of Annweiler and the nearby Cistercian monastery Eußerthal offered travelers a place to rest for the night back then.

The architectural landmarks near the St. James routes were already present for pilgrims in the Middle Ages and served as reference points for orientation in foreign lands. Today they are recognized by the scallop shell stone. On this e-bike route, you will discover the following architectural historical witnesses:

Annweiler am Trifels: chapel "To Our Dear Lady"; Wernersberg: Catholic parish church St. Philip and James; Eschbach: parish church St. Ludwig; Leinsweiler: Protestant parish church (former St. Martin); Ranschbach: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church All Saints; Siebeldingen: simultaneous church St. Quintin; Frankweiler: Protestant parish church (former St. George); Gleisweiler: Catholic parish church St. Stephan; Burrweiler: Catholic parish church Visitation of Mary; Dernbach: Catholic church Holy Trinity, former St. Jodokus; Eußerthal: Catholic parish church St. Bernard, former Cistercian monastery church; Annweiler am Trifels: Protestant town church.

The starting point of the route is the parking lot "Villa Gotthold" (P10) in Annweiler am Trifels. You can park here for free all day. From the parking lot we turn left, cross the railway line and are immediately in front of the chapel to Our Dear Lady, the first station of our route. After the visit, we still follow a short section of Zweibrücker Street, but then cycle according to the bike path signs via August-Bebel-Straße and Am Flotz on the bike path to Wernersberg. Upon arriving in Wernersberg, we have to use the main street briefly until we reach the next station on the left in Kirchstraße, the Catholic parish church St. Philip and James.

After the stop at the scallop shell on the back of the church, we ride a short section further along Kirchstraße, then turn left and immediately right again, following the marked bike path via farm roads to Völkersweiler. There, we come across the signs for the castle tour and follow it through the Kaiserbach valley through Waldrohrbach and Waldhambach to Klingenmünster. At the Kaiserbach mill, we have a short section of bound gravel surface until we reach the straw bale house with bistro. There, we turn left and go straight under the underpass under the B48 and then follow the German Wine Route bike path on the left towards Eschbach.

Before Eschbach, we cross the L509 into Windhorst Street and through the narrow alley to the Wine Route. To get to the next stop, the parish church St. Ludwig, we have to ride a short distance to the left. After the stop, we have to ride back, continue along the Wine Route to the outskirts of Eschbach, then turn right onto a farm road into the vineyards. We continue to follow the German Wine Route bike path past the Leinsweiler Hof to Leinsweiler. After the town hall, Kirchstraße branches off to the left, which we have to follow uphill to reach the Protestant Martin's Church.

Back via Kirchstraße to the Wine Route, then again leaving the German Wine Route bike path at the outskirts, following it to Ranschbach to see the Catholic parish and pilgrimage church All Saints. Continue along the German Wine Route bike path to Birkweiler and Siebeldingen. Through the town continue along the Wine Route, which turns left in the town. There stands the simultaneous church St. Quintin, another stop of the route. The tour continues right into Pfarrgasse and then left into Weinberg to Frankweiler, where we pass directly by the Protestant parish church in the town center. Then continue to Gleisweiler to the Catholic parish church St. Stephan. For this stop, we have to briefly leave the bike path in Gleisweiler to reach the church via Hainbachstraße, Kronstraße and Hauptstraße. Continuing on Hauptstraße, we reach the Wine Route, which we follow briefly to the left to then get onto the bike path and turn right before the cemetery. Then it goes left on the German Wine Route bike path to Burrweiler. At the entrance to the town, we turn right into the parsonage garden and come directly to the Catholic church Visitation of Mary.

After a stop here, we follow the Wine Route into Hauptstraße. From here via Drei Buchen to Ramberg, we use the normal country road; unfortunately, there is no separate bike path here. The K58 leads from Burrweiler into Modenbach valley and the Palatinate Forest. After about 3 km, we have to climb again following L506 on the left to Drei Buchen. There is a place to stop in the forest house, and you can take a detour on foot to the ruins of Meistersel castle, just under a kilometer away. From Drei Buchen it goes downhill to Ramberg, in the town via Bischoff-Beck-Straße with the bike path to Dernbach and to the Catholic church Holy Trinity in Kirchstraße.

From Dernbach, we then cycle via the marked bike path through the Kipper valley and Vogelstockerhof on a forest path to Eußerthal, through Schulstraße and Kirchstraße straight to the former Cistercian church. A small monastery loop path hints at the former extent of the monastery grounds. After visiting the monastery church, we cycle back on the same bike path to Vogelstockerhof, then straight on towards Annweiler am Trifels. Before the quarry near Albersweiler, we turn right to Queichhambach, cross this district of Annweiler, and reach the Queich valley bike path back to the town center of Annweiler am Trifels. Passing the Museum under Trifels, we cycle through Wassergasse. At the town mill, we can make a detour to the left to the Protestant town church at Rathausplatz and then get on the Queich valley bike path through Gerbergasse to the old waterwheel. There we must turn right and after a few meters reach our starting point, the parking lot at Villa Gotthold.

Along the way, there are always nice opportunities to stop for a picnic. Also, the view often falls on stone medieval witnesses, castles and ruins in the Palatinate Forest and at the edge of the Haardt Mountains, such as Trifels Castle, the ruins Anebos and Scharfenberg near Annweiler am Trifels, Madenburg near Eschbach, Meistersel at Drei Buchen and Ramburg and Neuscharfeneck between Ramberg and Dernbach.

UFFBASSE! - Campaign for considerate coexistence in nature

Always behave considerately, friendly and respectfully towards everyone you meet on the way.

Take care of nature, do not destroy any plants and always stay on the paths. Try to avoid excessive noise and leave the forest before dusk.

Remember a garbage bag for on the way and take your waste back home.

Please always keep your dog on a leash. Other visitors and animals will thank you.

Observe all road closures for your own safety, even on weekends.

Only park in designated parking areas. Leave space for emergency vehicles and agricultural machines.

Give priority to agricultural and forestry traffic.

www.pfalz.de/uffbasse