Wolfstein - Wolfsweg "Around Wolfstein"

Wolfstein (Town Hall Square) - northwest direction into Ringstraße - turn left into Schlossgasse - turn right to the Neu Wolfstein castle ruin - follow the marker (parallel to the Palatinate Ridgeway) to the Alt Wolfstein castle ruin - Lauterstraße (B270) - turn right - cross the street after the company parking lot - continue on the sidewalk to the railway crossing - turn left and go up Hefersweiler Straße (L384) about 250 m - turn right onto the narrow path - Pauline König memorial (local poet from Wolfstein) - Eisenknopf viewpoint pavilion - return to the fork - turn left - residential area Wolfstein (Barbarossa Street) - turn left into Schlettweg - turn right into Panoramaweg - Roßbach memorial - continue to the street "In der Hohl" - turn right to the street "In Immetshausen" - turn left over the railway crossing and immediately turn right again, along the railway about 150 m - turn left - wooden bridge over the Lauter - Campsite at Königsberg - along the street "Am Schwimmbad" to the B270 - over the pedestrian bridge - street "Am Kirchpfad" - visitor lime mine - main street - Ringstraße - Wolfstein (Town Hall Square)

Detailed description

The Wolfsweg starts at the Town Hall Square of Wolfstein. It is only about 350 m from the hiking train station to the Town Hall Square in the town center of Wolfstein.
Now you go through the street "Am Ring" following the signs past picturesque half-timbered houses; on the right at the junction of Mühlgasse, you can see the oldest house in Wolfstein, a lovingly restored half-timbered house with a "memorial café."

Continuing along the ring, you come across the guesthouse "Alte Schenke" (half-timbered house) which once was the town hall of Wolfstein.

Now go left up the Schlossgasse to the Owl Fountain, adorned with three owls carved in sandstone.

From here, turn right following the sign Palatinate Ridgeway up to the Neu Wolfstein castle ruin. From here, you have a magnificent view over the picturesque town of Wolfstein, founded in 1275.
Now follow the path along the forest edge above a large meadow orchard further to the forest and to the Alt Wolfstein castle ruin along the Palatinate Ridgeway (blue-white marking).
The keep of the castle ruin towers above the narrowest part of the Lauter valley, offering another great view of Wolfstein.
Now we descend the narrow path to the federal road. The narrow path winds down steeply through dark coniferous forest. At the federal road, the Wolfsweg crosses the road and leads along the Lauter to the footbridge over the Lauter.
After the bridge, turn right along the railway path to the Lauter bridge with railway crossing. Now the Wolfsweg turns left up Hefersweiler Street to the forest edge. A narrow path now turns right into the forest. Passing the Pauline König memorial (local poet from Wolfstein), it climbs up. Halfway up, you can make a detour to the viewpoint pavilion Eisenknopf, a very worthwhile detour. From the pavilion, there is a great view of Wolfstein and you see everything from another perspective.
Go back down the same way to the fork, then turn left on the path that leads through bushes into the residential area of Wolfstein (Barbarossa Street). We follow Barbarossa Street for about 150 meters and then turn left uphill into Schlettweg. Now up on the asphalt service road, leaving the houses of Wolfstein behind onto the hill; here the Panoramaweg begins with beautiful views of Wolfstein. After a sheep pasture, turn right onto a gravelled service road; the Wolfsweg follows this for about 500 m and then flows straight into a concrete service road. Follow this road for another 1.7 km and at the junction, keep right downhill to the Roßbach memorial.

From here, again a beautiful view into the Lauter valley and of the Königsberg with Wolfstein. Further downhill into the residential area, we follow the service road, then at the intersection turn right into the street "In der Hohl" and follow it to the railway crossing. Crossing the railway embankment, turn onto the asphalt service road (Bahnweg) and follow it to the junction on the left. Past horse paddocks to the wooden bridge over the Lauter to the Königsberg campsite.
Here is a dining opportunity (beer garden, mini-golf, restaurant). Now up the street to the federal road, then right on the footpath up to the pedestrian bridge. Over the bridge and then right down the street "Am Kirchpfad". On the left side is the visitor lime mine at the Königsberg, an industrial monument in a show mine. There is the possibility to participate in a guided tour; the opening times are from March to November. More information at www.kalkbergwerk.com
Now down the main street following the Palatinate Ridgeway marking back to the Town Hall Square in Wolfstein.
Further dining options here at the Landgasthof Hotel Königsberg or the café at the market.