Mönchsweg

The history of the Mönchsweg is closely linked to the Cistercians, who became the guardians of the imperial jewels that were kept on the Trifels in the 12th and 13th centuries. They held the office of castle chaplain there until 1529.

The Trifels, a Salian-Staufer imperial castle from the 11th century, was an important theatre in the struggle between secular and ecclesiastical rule in the Middle Ages.

The Cistercian monks in Eußerthal therefore had to make their way from the monastery to Trifels in order to fulfil their honourable task. They made their way on the back of donkeys.

Nowadays, modern visitors to the Mönchweg are expected to be a little more athletic. The ascent and descent between Eußerthal and Gräfenhausen is particularly steep. The effort is rewarded with an impressive natural and cultural backdrop.

The starting point is the Cistercian monastery in Eußerthal. From there, you walk parallel to the Palatinate Wine Trail across the Eußerthal meadows. There is a lovely picnic area here with a view of the village.

At the crossroads near the fish ponds, turn left into the forest. The path now climbs steeply. There is only a narrow path here, so you should definitely be sure-footed and wear sturdy shoes for the section to Gräfenhausen. Pass the Eselstränke (donkey trough) over the Franzosenkopf, then descend steeply into the wine-growing community of Gräfenhausen. From here, the trail runs along wider paths again and can be taken at a more leisurely pace.

At a seating area with a beautiful view of Gräfenhausen, the Queich Valley and Trifels Castle, you can take a detour along the Burgundy Trail. The Burgundy Trail leads about 2.5 kilometres through the vineyards and explains the connection between Gräfenhausen and Burgundy on several information boards. This detour adds just under an hour to the walking time.

Passing the Mönchsbrunnen fountain in the centre of Gräfenhausen, you continue along the Mönchsweg symbol and the yellow bar markings towards Annweiler am Trifels. Before emerging from the forest on the "Dreißig" plateau, the path leads uphill to the right onto a meadow area, past the Danzigerbrunnen fountain and left past the gymnastics centre down the zigzag path to Annweiler am Trifels. At "Dreißig" there are 2 lovely picnic spots: directly at the edge of the forest and a few metres further up the path at a beautifully landscaped meadow orchard with an insect hotel.

Once you arrive in the town of Annweiler am Trifels, walk past the Catholic church, cross the road at Prof-Nägle-Platz, continue across Messplatz, then turn right through the Schipkapass into Wassergasse. Here you can see the Museum unterm Trifels.

The Trifels Adventure Trail, which now runs parallel to the Mönchsweg up to Trifels Castle, also starts at the Messplatz in Annweiler am Trifels. At the stations, hikers learn interesting facts about the history of the town of Annweiler and Trifels Castle in the Middle Ages. There are information boards and adventure stations. If you like, you can also download the SÜW experience app and gain further insights into the medieval Trifelsland: panoramic images, audio content, films and AR animations provide playful information about castles, knights, medicine and crafts. There is also a quiz.

The Mönchsweg continues into Gerbergasse, where you turn left at the town mill and cross the bridge into Mühlgasse. You then reach the town hall and the town church. Continue across the square and follow the main road to the left, then turn right into Burgstraße after a few metres. You now come directly to the "Markwardanlage" park. Here, the route runs leisurely along the pond, then crosses the road to the left at the Umoya restaurant. Next to the forest gallery, the Mönchsweg leads up to Trifels Castle together with the Pfälzer Weinsteig and the Annweilerer Burgenweg. There is a lovely picnic area with a climbing wall at the "Ritter" station of the Trifels adventure trail about halfway up.

If you want to hike from Annweiler back to the starting point in Eußerhtal, take the Pfälzer Weinsteig from Trifels via Annweiler am Trifels, Turnerheim, Krappenfelsen and Holderquelle to Gräfenhausen, from there continue on the PWV yellow bar trail to Eußerthal. Distance approx. 12 km, making this a day hike in total, pure hiking time approx. 8 hours. You should allow about 1 hour for a visit to Trifels Castle.