Pfälzer Weinsteig Stage 9: Annweiler am Trifels - Klingenmünster

No less than six castles and ruins, including the venerable Trifels Castle and the ruins of the Madenburg, take you back into history on this stage. From the spa garden town of Annweiler the trail goes in an easterly direction towards the castle of Trifels. The trip to this castle, where once the English king Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned, should not be missed. We then pass by the forest tavern of Barbarossa and encounter the mighty sandstone cliffs of the ruins of Anebos and Scharfenberg. These weathered rock formations are often used by many rock climbers. Below the ruins of Scharfenberg the forest trail leads along the southern slopes of the Föhrlenberg to the ruins of Neukastel and the Madenburg on the other side. The path into the valley leads to the Slevogthof, the longtime home of the Impressionist, Max Slevogt. From the spa gardens in Leinsweiler we then go on to the ruins of the Madenburg, one of the oldest and largest castles in the Palatinate which also hosts a tavern in its courtyard. A path leads down into the Kaiserbachtal and the ruins of Landeck with its inviting Burgschänke. Only a few steps now separate us from the wine town of Klingenmünster.

UFFBASSE! - Campaign for being considerate of others in nature

Always act in a proactive, friendly and considerate way towards everyone you encounter along the way.
Respect nature, do not destroy plants and always stay on the paths. Try to avoid excessive noise and leave the forest before dusk.
Remember to take a rubbish bag with you when you go out and take your rubbish back home.
Please keep your dog on a leash at all times. Other visitors and animals thank you.
For your own safety, observe all road closures, including at weekends.
Park only in designated parking areas. Leave space for emergency vehicles and agricultural machinery.
Please give priority to agricultural and forestry traffic.

18.05.2021 · Hinweis · Öffnungszeiten Madenburg

Bitte beachten Sie, dass die Madenburg nicht jederzeit zugänglich ist. Eine Besichtigung der Burganlage ist nur während den Öffnungszeiten der Madenburgschänke möglich. Bitte informieren Sie sich daher vor Ihrer Wanderung auf www.madenburg-pfalz.de über die aktuell geltenden Öffnungszeiten.

Heute · Meldungen · Holzernte

Aufgrund von Holzerntemaßnahmen ist der Weinsteig im Bereich der Burg Landeck gesperrt. Bitte folgen Sie der Umleitung (Karte: gelbe Linie), die oberhalb der ursprünglichen Weinsteig-Strecke (Karte: blaue Linie) verläuft. Sie ist mit keinem Zeitverlust verbunden und landschaftlich genauso schön. Vielen Dank für Ihr Verständnis.

Difficulty

hard

Route

17,5 km

Duration

5:30 h

Ascent

653 m

Descent

667 m

Start

Annweiler am Trifels, spa gardens

End

Klingenmünster Abbey

Route

GPX KML share To Planer Plan your journey

Route description

From the spa gardens in Annweiler (1) we walk uphill on shady paths through the chestnut trees to Trifels Castle car park. The former imperial castle on the 494m high Sonnenberg mountain, with its imperial regalia, is worth a detour. Passing the Barbarossa restaurant, the trail continues below the ruins of Anebos Castle towards a pass, flanked on both sides by imposing sandstone rocks (3). These partially weathered massifs rise like cliffs from the forest floor and make for an impressive backdrop. Especially at weekends, we can see climbers practising their sport here.

An attractive path now takes us below the rocks to the ruins of Scharfenberg Castle. After a short, steep descent we walk along the wooded southern slopes of the Föhrlenberg mountain and finally up a path through chestnut trees to the ruins of Neukastell (4). We can climb a steep ladder to a viewing platform, which offers a magnificent view of the ruins of Madenburg Castle. Passing Slevogthof, the long-term residence and studio of the famous Impressionist Max Slevogt, we then descend to the small village of Leinsweiler, where we can refresh our feet in the roadside wading pool (5).

We then continue on the gentle uphill trail through sun-drenched vineyards and shady woods to the ruins of Madenburg Castle (6), one of the largest and oldest castles in the Palatinate. The castle restaurant invites us to pause for a meal in a historical atmosphere. The trail continues on a narrow path down to the Kaiserbach Valley, past the Palatinate Clinic to the ruins of Landeck Castle (7). Here we also find a castle restaurant with a magnificent view of the Rhine plain. Now only one final descent separates us from the final destination of our hike, the charming wine-producing town of Klingenmünster.