Mini road trip down South

And by going South I mean the southern corner of our province or state (we call it Bundesland) Rhineland-Palatinate, which is famous for its eclectic white wines.

Since the pandemic a new form of camping evolved in Germany, very similar to the American "Harvest Hosts". Farms, vineyards, breweries, restaurants and the likes offer free overnight parking and often some amenities (bathroom, grill spot, picnic benches) in return for some purchase of local produce.

Endless canola fields

View on Göllheim

Wine tasting at Kreutzenberger vineyard

Adding payload

Appreciating the fact that our host rides Deere

Camping in the field

Finally we had a weekend without other obligations!

Alzey, a town, surrounded by wineyards is celebrating 1800 years of history. It comes to no surprise, that the Romans came, saw, conquered and developed the region. But for whatever reasons the Germanic tribes didn't like cleanliness, civilisation, infrastructure, healthcare etcetera and chased them away to introduce people to what is today better known as the dark Middle Ages. Today a brand-new museum celebrates the Roman culture.

Museum with new building wing "Steinhalle" (stone hall)

Roman treasure

Old timber frame architecture here and there. Some houses are 500 years old.

Micro adventure on the Nahe river trail

NAHESTEIG: The trail in numbers: 2 days, 60 km and 1400m elevation

My journey starts in the village Selbach at the source of river Nahe. I follow the trail sign, a blue N, while the young river makes its way through soft hills and meadows. There is little infrastructure out here, lots of buildings have been abandoned as younger generations have spread out in quest for work or to pursue different interests.

Nahe source

The trail barely touches villages, and infrastructure besides overland buses is almost non-existent. No coffee shops, no groceries, no pharmacies, not even a hole in the wall. So one has to carry provisions along, except for water which can be taken from an abundance of creeks along the way, provided one uses a filter system. I however prefer asking locals for water and engage in small talk.

Castle Veldenz in Nohfelden

In Hoppstetten a sign points to a local grocery store where I stock on re-supplies for my overnighter in the woods. My backpack is heavy now and pulls on my shoulders while I continue my trek.

Abbey mill of Bleiderdingen

As the sun sets I find the ideal place to set up camp, a sleeping spot with a view. Temperatures will fall into the low single digits but my equipment has been proven capable of dealing with even sub-zero degrees °C.

I sleep well, have breakfast and break camp. The morning offers some wildlife views, there are rabbits, a beaver and deer but I am too slow to capture them with my camera.

The ups and down of the single trail continue but with the food and water vanishing magically, my pack is getting lighter again.

Nohen railway bridge

In Kronweiler I meet a local in a repair shop who keeps a water bottle supply for hikers and bikers in his shed giving it out for free in return for some friendly exchange of words. What a nice gentleman.

Shelter at Kronweiler

At the rock spur Weibersprung the tale goes that virgins had to be sacrificed in order to calm down some monster living in the gorge. I wonder why they didn't throw some younglings over the cliff for a change.

At the end of the day, shortly before arriving at the trailhead in Idar-Oberstein, the path leads along the grown river passing an interesting geological feature. The gorge rocks looks spectacular while being touched by the last sun rays of the day. What a hike! The trail is so good, I want to do it all over again. But at another time in another season. I call for a taxi to the hotel I had booked ahead, looking forward for a hot shower and call it a day.