Annweiler Castle Trail

In addition to historical highlights and bizarre rock formations, magnificent views over the Palatinate Forest await us. We start at the hiking car park near the Markwardanlage and follow the signpost with the castle logo. This marking will guide us throughout the entire hike over the three castles and back to Annweiler. First, we walk along the car park until the path leads into a narrow forest trail. Sometimes on wider paths, sometimes on narrow trails, we ascend through the deciduous forest along the slope of the Bindersbach valley until we reach the Windhof car park. Along the way, you can take a look at the old Bindersbach quarry, a signpost points the way.

At Windhof, turn left onto a narrow path into the forest and continue to climb in serpentine bends, past a viewpoint, to the Scharfenberg ruin, also called Münz, with its 20 m high bergfried. The largest part of the ascent is now behind us. From Scharfenberg Castle (Münz), the path leads us downward past a mighty sandstone massif. At a nice rest area, we keep diagonally left and climb a small path to the Anebos ruin. Little remains of the castle, but the view of Trifels Castle and the impressive Buntsandstein rock formation Asselstein is magnificent.

We return along the short spur to the Anebos ruin and then turn left at the Halsgraben. The marking takes us back down to the rest area at the foot of the rocks. Attention, this path is narrow and steep in places. Shortly before the rest area, we turn left and soon arrive at the "Schlossäcker" below Trifels with a large car park, restaurant, and kiosk. A short ascent takes us to the historically significant imperial castle Trifels. It was the storage place for the imperial regalia and the prison of the English King Richard the Lionheart. A replica of the crown, imperial orb, and scepter can still be admired today in the castle's treasure chamber.

Below Trifels Castle also starts the Trifels Experience Trail, which now runs parallel to the castle trail down to the Messplatz in Annweiler am Trifels. At the stations, the hiker learns interesting facts about the history of the town of Annweiler and Trifels Castle in the Middle Ages. There are information boards and experience stations. Those who wish can additionally download the SÜW Experience App and gain further insights into medieval Trifelsland: panoramic images, audio content, films, and AR animations playfully inform about castles, knights, healing arts, and crafts. A quiz is also included.

Back at the car park, go left down a few steps at an information board and then leisurely down on pleasant forest paths to our starting point, the hiking car park at the Markwardanlage. Those who follow the Monk’s Way from here to the Messplatz can complete the Trifels Experience Trail.

Between the ruins of Anebos and Scharfenberg and the Schlossäcker car park runs the Buntsandstein Path, which provides information about the formation of the rock landscape in the Palatinate Forest, its coloration, stratification, and weathering.

From Windhof, two more castles can be hiked to: the black dot leads to Madenburg, from there you can reach Neukastell ruin via the Palatinate Wine Trail and then back to Windhof (circular route from Windhof 13 km).