Dream loop home

From here, we continue steadily uphill along narrow paths through the forest to the Koppenstein hiking parking lot. Halfway up, we cross the K 61 and meet the Soonwaldsteig trail at the parking lot. Both hiking trails now follow the same route up to the ruins of Koppenstein Castle. There is not much left to see of the size of the former castle. However, many stories and legends about the Counts of Sponheim, the Lords of Schmidtburg and the Koppenstein Gretchen, the last inhabitant of the castle, have been preserved. The castle complex dates back to the 12th century and was owned by the Counts of Sponheim. After Emperor Ludwig granted the town charter in 1330, the complex was expanded further. Koppenstein never achieved great importance as a town. Towards the end of the 16th century, the inhabitants gradually left the town and settled in the nearby villages. In 1592, the complex was described as "dilapidated". In 1812, Baron von Schmidtburg acquired the castle complex. His heirs and descendants, the Barons of Salis-Soglio, still own the ruins today.

The 16-metre-high keep can be climbed inside via a steel staircase. Once at the top, you can enjoy a magnificent 360-degree panoramic view of the Hunsrück plateau. A steel plate with the cardinal points and place names helps with orientation.

We continue our hike westwards directly from the keep. First we pass the so-called "Wackelstein", a huge quartzite boulder that seems to float on the inclined plane of its narrow base. After these extraordinary impressions, we descend into the forest along paths. On the way, a seating area in the shady forest invites us to take a break. We then hike a short distance uphill on a wide forest path to the edge of a slope below the Henau quarry with a fantastic view of the Kellenbach valley. This is not only the start of the most adventurous part of the entire trail, it also requires surefootedness. A sea of small and large quartzite rocks covers the ground. Many stones and boulders are covered in a thick carpet of moss. There are lilies of the valley up here, which bloom white in spring and bear red berries in fall. The path leads down the slope in countless twists and turns to another viewpoint above the Simmerbach stream.

Before we turn right at the viewing platform and leave the Soonwaldsteig, we look over to the Langenstein. The large rocky outcrop rises up from the slate rock as a natural monument visible from afar. We follow the course of the Traumschleife downhill through the forest. A little later, the path leaves the forest and leads through open meadows. Slightly downhill, we reach another section of forest. The crossing only takes a few minutes. Then the forest opens up and a beautiful meadow valley lies before us. We reach Gehlweiler on a wide path with good views.

Gehlweiler became famous as the location for the film series "Heimat" by director Edgar Reitz. In 2012, Reitz shot a film here entitled "Die andere Heimat - Chronik einer Sehnsucht" (The Other Homeland - Chronicle of a Longing), which is related to the Heimat triology. It deals with the emigration of many Hunsrückers to Brazil in the mid-19th century. The village of Gehlweiler was transported back in time to around 1840 with elaborate backdrops. Today, there are photo boards in front of several houses in Gehlweiler showing the film set during filming. The main filming locations in Gehlweiler were the old smithy of the Henninger family and the small house of the Dämgen family by the old stone bridge, which now houses a museum on the theme of HEIMAT.

We cross Gehlweiler, past the village hall and the "Simons-Schmiede" and follow an old meadow path behind the village center, which connects Gehlweiler with the Grohenmühle. At the end of the path, our hiking trail meets the geological nature trail and a rest area surrounded by boulders. After a short picnic, we take a gravel path up the slope. At the top, we enjoy a sensory bench and one last breathtaking panoramic view of Gemünden Castle. Now it's downhill, but only a short way to the former Kaisergrube. Once there, a plaque reminds us of slate mining in Gemünden and the surrounding area. The Kaisergrube was one of the largest of a total of 18 slate mines around Gemünden and was opened up in 1873. The extensive slag heap of the Kaisergrube still gives an idea of the extent of the underground mining. Until 1961, mining took place on three levels at depths of 10 m, 40 m and 60 m. Spectacular fossil finds made the Kaisergrube famous in the past. A meadow path behind the houses on Simmertalstraße takes us quickly to the starting point of our tour.