Is this Germany’s best hike?

It’s just two years since it was created, and already the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig in west Germany has twice been recognised as the country’s best walk. Jane Crossby discovers  why…

From the Black Forest to the Bavarian Alps, Germany isn’t exactly short of scenic hiking paths. So when one of them is not only voted the country’s loveliest trail of 2009 but is also certified a premium route by the German Hiking Institute – picking up the highest score of any long-distance path in the process – it’s got to be worth a look. The 184km/114-mile Saar-Hunsrück-Steig winds across the Hunsrück hills in west Germany, a region that’s bordered by the Mosel, Saar and Rhine rivers. The three-pointed trail runs from the Roman town of Trier to gemstone-rich Idar-Oberstein in the east, and down to the Saar Bow, where the river loops back on itself for 7km/41⁄2 miles. The route crosses the large Saar-Hunsrück nature park, a mix of villages, forest and nature reserves. It’s been popular since it opened two years ago; now roughly 10,000 people walk here each year, a sizeable number doing the whole thing from start to finish. That sounds wonderful, but it takes up to 12 days and I’ve got two and a half. The best section for a weekend’s hiking, I’m told, is towards the final stages of the Idar-Oberstein stretch, where jasper, agate and copper were once mined. The hamlet of Langweiler (it means ‘long village’ and also, unfortunately, ‘a bore’) has a hotel that sits right on the trail, whichcouldn’t be more convenient.

Storm-torn woods
It certainly looks inviting. A wide, mossy path leads through the forest to the nearby town of Morbach, a modest 6km/4 miles away, and I’m barely a dozen steps inside the tree line when I’m hit by the heady scent of pine. A hurricane-strength storm hit the region just under a month ago, closing parts of the trail for a couple of weeks. Fallen trees line the path, some pulled up by the roots, some snapped like twigs, but most trimmed and neatly stacked for collection by the local lumber yards. It’s peaceful now: a brook babbles away to my left, while a woodpecker drills industriously up ahead. With dense pine on all sides, there’s frankly not much to see. But then I round a bend and spot a viewing point overlooking ploughed fields and gently rolling hills, with Morbach itself down below. Reinvigorated, I press on, crossing a wooden walkway over Ortelsbruch moor and nature reserve. Signs detailing the local flora are dotted along the route and it seems a popular spot – as I make my way into town, I pass families and dog-walkers. It’s been a nice walk, but I feel sure there must be more to come. The next day doesn’t disappoint. Starting at Erbeskopf – the route’s highest peak at 816m/2,677ft – I head downhill, following the trail’s obvious blue and green signs on the 14km/81⁄2 miles back to Morbach through thick woodland. It’s different from yesterday: there are fewer pines and lots of century-old oak and beech. There’s a thick carpet of leaves underfoot, dappled patches of sunlight break up the shade and birds sing and flit across the path. The region is a bird-watcher’s paradise. Everything from jays, doves and woodpeckers to kingfishers, owls, red kites and ospreys can be found here, along with 29 breeds from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, including hazel grouse, whinchat, woodcock and stonechat.

The path follows a fast-flowing stream, its clear waters fed by the last dusting of snow. After the coldest winter in 30 years, spring is finally in the air and the tightly furled buds on the trees aren’t far from bursting into leaf. Fine strands of cobweb glisten in the sunlight and, here and there, giant clam-like fungi colonise dead and fallen trees. I head uphill until I’m standing on a viaduct that 20 minutes ago I was admiring from below. Shortly down the disused railway is a fantastic view of the valley: evergreens to one side; oak, beech and birch to the other; and the stream running down the middle. Back on the trail, there’s a tantalising glimpse of the next view through the trees. But there’s plenty to see until I get there. Stone and wooden birdhouses hang on the trees and butterflies flit lazily past. The quiet is broken by a sudden cawing of crows overhead, then two startled deer burst across the path, their white tails flashing. Not long afterwards, the forest opens out into a wide meadow, where a few Hochsitze – literally, ‘high seats’ or raised wooden huts – stand by the tree line. Hunters use them during the season to bag deer, rabbit and boar. I scramble up one to admire the view: fields and villages stretch towards the horizon and distant wind turbines peek over the hills. It couldn’t be more peaceful; the only sound is birdsong. Passing between avenues of saplings that will one day be turned into lumber, I follow the signs and skirt past farms and around a village. The houses all look eco-conscious, with solar panels on the roofs and piles of firewood outside. Back into the forest. The now narrow path twists alongside a brook then up to another viewpoint. Finally, I join a loggers’ trail that takes me through a dense section of pine and down a narrow footpath into Morbach.

Ever-changing terrain
The variable nature of the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig is one of the reasons it’s so outstanding, certainly as far at the German Hiking Institute is concerned. It awards its prestigious Hiking Seal based on 34 different criteria, including beautiful views (check), clear and frequent signposts (check), an abundance of nature and points of interest (double check) and varied terrain (to score well, there has to be a change at least every 6km/4 miles: check). Even better, more than 70% of the trail is soft forest floor or grass paths and less than 5% is asphalt. Although the plant life is commonplace, the fauna includes wildcat, marten, badger, fox, two species of salamander, ring snake and blindworm. There are 20 bat species, too, from common pipistrelle and brown long-eared bats to the greater mouse-eared and greater horseshoe variety.

Accompanied by Caroline Conradt from the local tourist board, I set out across the fields and into the woods. We’re now on Germany’s Gemstone Route. “Mining took place here from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, ” says Caroline. “People still find stones – there are guided expeditions for enthusiasts. But even though the mines are just open to tourists, the gemstone industry is still important to the area. The stones are mostly acquired from the Middle East, then worked on by local experts. ” The route is more challenging here – a narrow path strewn with large quartzite rocks leads up a 620m/2,034ft hill to Kirschweiler Castle. “It’s not really a castle, ” explains Caroline, “as it’s made by nature. ” An impressive quartzite formation towers overhead, the moss and lichen-covered rocks standing twice as tall as we are. Through the mist we glimpse the fields and farms we’ve just covered on one side of the ridge, and a large reservoir on the other. On a clear day, we’d be able to see for miles. From here, it’s down a narrow track into the valley. The terrain is much softer: leaves are turning to mulch underfoot and ferns and half-a-dozen kinds of moss grow in abundance. A couple with an enthusiastic spaniel and a lone glove on a fencepost are the only signs of other ramblers. “The trail gets busier in the high season, ” says Caroline, “but it’s always peaceful. ” Crossing the busy road at the bottom of the valley, we start the gentle climb up the other side. The storm damage is worse here. While distant saws suggest the clean-up crew is on its way, we scramble over a few pines lying across the trail.

The final point of my trip is Wildenburg Castle, where a tower was originally constructed as a lookout station in the Middle Ages. The 674m/2,211ft reproduction may lack historical authenticity, but it looks like the real deal. And even through the mist, the view from the top is spectacular. I’ve covered about a sixth of the trail on my three walks – enough to get an idea of why it has stacked up all these accolades. “Winning these awards means more people come to walk here, and that’s important for the area, ” says Jörn Winkhaus, manager of the Hunsrück tourist office. “Thirteen towns along the route helped to pay for it, so things got quite political! But it has really paid off. ” But from my point of view, there’s a lot still to see: Roman architecture in Trier, medieval Grimburg Castle, the largest Celtic stone wall in central Europe, and who knows how many more great views? Germany’s best hiking route? I don’t doubt it. And I’m itching to come back again and walk it all.

Time/Distance: Allow up to 12 days to walk the entire 184km/114 miles of the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig, which is waymarked
clearly throughout.
Travel to: Ryanair flies to Frankfurt Hahn from London Stansted and Edinburgh. Langweiler is a 30-minute drive away.
Accommodation: Klosterhotel Marienhöh, a converted monastery, sits right on the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig (www.klosterhotel-marienhoeh.de). It also runs a shuttle bus service to and from interesting points in the area, as well as the airport.
Further info: www.saar-hunsrueck-steig.de, www.hunsruecktouristik.de.