Four-Castle Hike

From the hiking car park, we immediately cross the state border into France and then walk along the gravel road uphill along the valley floor. Soon, you can see the Litschhof forester's lodge and the ruin of Loewenstein on the Schlossberg on the right side. Upon reaching the paved road, we follow it a short distance to the right. Shortly after the turnoff to Litschhof, our route leaves the road to the right and we climb uphill on a gravel path parallel to the road in the direction of Gimbelhof (blue circle). Soon, you come out of the forest and encounter a large forest playground that will bring great joy to young children. After a few meters, you reach the popular excursion inn “Gimbelhof”. Here the path turns right, opening up a nice view of the Fleckenstein castle ruin. You now walk through a beech forest, following the red-white-red marking. At the Fleckenstein forester's lodge, you emerge from the forest again; here, you should take a short detour to the castle ruin of the same name and also visit the museum. At the forester's lodge, the path turns right into the forest, and after a few meters, you reach the mighty rock ridge of the Langenfels. Here, on weekends, you can often observe rock climbers performing their daring sport. From now on, the route is marked with the symbol “Felsenland Sagenweg” and initially climbs steeply along the rock edge. Once at the top, several points offer beautiful views of Gimbelhof and the French border region. After some time, you reach a crossroads on the Schlossberg. Here, keep half-right, first flat, then ascending towards the castle ruin Loewenstein, first mentioned in the 12th century. You can climb the ruin via stairs; only a few remains have survived. At the top, you can enjoy a fantastic view. The route continues to the neighboring Hohenbourg, reached after only five minutes. This better-preserved complex shines with a breathtaking 360-degree panorama. After a short descent, we soon cross the state border again and climb uphill one last time. At 570 m altitude, you reach the Wegelnburg, built as an imperial castle at the end of the 12th century and known as the highest castle complex in the Palatinate. At the top, you have a magnificent view of Nothweiler and the southern Palatinate Forest. From now on, the route goes down through the forest (marked with the “Felsenland Sagenweg” symbol) to Nothweiler. There, turn right and walk along the road back to the hiking car park, the starting point of the route.