Welcome
to the Palatinate Forest!
Videos
If you had more than one life to live, you could hike or bike all of the Palatinate
Forest (the "Pfälzerwald")! You could follow thousands of meandering paths and trails. You could visit and experience the unique hospitality of each guesthouse along the way. You could discover countless spectacular rock formations, castles and
ruins.
The rest of us, however, will just enjoy each and every day in this magnificent region full of sights, myths and history.
Holiday Area, German Natural Reserve, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Dear
visitors,
due to the rich content of www.wanderportal-pfalz.de
it would have been too much to fully translate this site into English. The following is therefore only a brief introduction to one of Middle-Europe´s most beautiful
natural parks.
The
Palatinate
and the
Palatinate Forest
The
Pfalz (Palatinate) is located in the southwest of
Germany,
touching the French
border to the Alsace and the Lorraine, in the state of
Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate).
How
to get there
It is called one of the most beautiful regions of
middle Europe, with holidaymakers coming from all over the world for its magnificent nature,
historical sites and variety of activities.
Click
for a more detailed map
The eastern part stretches into the Rhineland, with its romantic wine area and Mediterranean climate (the Deutsche Weinstrasse). The centre of the Pfalz features the impressive mountains of the Palatinate Forest, the Pfälzerwald. It covers 1.798 km², 75% of this being forest. Thus, as Germany´s largest contiguous area of forest it has the status of a German Natural Reserve (Naturpark Pfälzerwald) since 1967 and of an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1992. The Pfälzerwald therefore finds itself similar to other nature phenomena like Yellowstone Park and the Gobi Desert.
Hiker´s
Paradise
The Naturpark Pfälzerwald offers a large network of marked trails with a total length of 12.000 km. These will lead you through still forests with magnificent views.
Outstanding
highlights of the Pfälzerwald are more than 50 castles and
ruins which give evidence of history from the middle-ages (well known is the story of
Richard Lionheart who was held in prison for years at
Trifels Castle by Barbarossa the Emperor.) One of the suggested trails
here leads you to seven castles along the way in one day!
Click for details
More than 200 impressive
rocks of multi-coloured sandstone make the Pfälzerwald
(especially the Dahner Felsenland) a favourite destination for climbers
from all over Europe. Hikers can visit many of these rocks along their routes to find
breathtaking views overlooking the unique landscape and idyllic
villages.
The local hiker´s organisation, the Pfälzerwaldverein offers a large network of refuges (click for list) along the trails, where you can have typical palatinate food and beverages, of course including the famous Saumagen and local wines.
Have a look at the foto gallery and the foto-show to get a better impression of what hiking in the Palatinate Forest feels like.
For beginners we'd suggest to start hiking in the Palatinate by using the wonderful so called "Premiumwege" (premium trails, more ...).
Activities
The
Pfälzerwald offers many more attractions and activities for all kinds of tastes and
skills, and for people of all ages. For
swimming and relaxing you will find numerous small lakes and
waterpark-like pools. Some wonderful cycle tracks and
a brand new mountain bike-park, with demanding trails, make the
Pfälzerwald a favourite biking spot. In addition, horseback
riding
and even paragliding and canoeing will satisfy each sportive
taste.
Hunting and fishing in pristine lakes and creeks attract many visitors as
well.
Click for
details
Within one hour´s
drive, you
could take in attractive
cities like Heidelberg with its medieval castle
above the Neckar River, or Trier with its world-famous
Roman building Porta Nigra, or even the French city of Strasbourg
with its sky-touching Cathedral.
Click
for a detailed map
Check this out:
www.wanderportal-pfalz.de offers suggestions for
71 walks & tours from 12 to 36 km
35 walks for those with lower skills, suited also for wheelchairs or buggies
137 visits of rocks, castles and look-outs
5 hiking tours lasting 3-5 days with overnight stays in the lodges of the Pfälzerwald-Verein
and a thousand ideas and tips for your holidays
(e.g. links to local Tourist
Information).
Hope to see you soon!