A walking tour through a fascinating volcanic landscape and along the beautiful Saar-Hunsrück-Steig to the wines and gemstones of the Nahe region.
IMPRESSIONS from the trip "Walks, wine and volcanoes"
Route: From Daun across the Hunsrück hills to Idar-Oberstein
Day 1: The fascinating volcanic landscape of the Eifel
The last volcanic eruption in the Eifel was a mere 10,000 years ago. Discover traces of the Eifel‘s fiery history. Starts in Daun. Visit Daun‘s three maars (volcanic crater lakes), also known as the „eyes of the Eifel“ due to their smooth, dark blue surface. Picnic stop at Üdersdorf mill. The tour continues on the Lieser Trail, a section of the spectacular Eifelsteig long-distance walking trail, until the trees give way to a magnificent panorama: the Manderscheid Castles rising majestically above the densely wooded Lieser valley. Attractions at the Maar museum include a fossilised prehistoric horse, the world‘s first fossilised louse and a journey deep inside the centre of the earth. The next stop is a meal at the Vulkanhof in Gillenfeld, one of the best cheese dairies in Germany. Accommodation locally.
Tip: Interested in more volcanic history? Travel along the German Volcanoes Route to Lake Laach, the largest of the Eifel maars.
Day 2: Historical treasures and Germany‘s most beautiful walking trail
The tour starts in Kastellaun, a castle town in the Hunsrück hills near the Rhine and the Moselle. Visit the historical old quarter and the mediaeval ruin of Kastellaun castle. The tour continues on the Hunsrück Hill Route, with magnificent panoramas and beautiful scenery as far as the eye can see, through a historical landscape shaped by the Celts, Romans and Franconians. Lunch at a country inn in Morbach, a village of pretty timber-framed houses and with numerous walking trails, including the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig, recently voted Germany‘s most beautiful premium long-distance trail. Continue through moorland, across wooden walkways and along strange piles of quartzite blocks. The hearty Hunsrück cuisine is just the thing after an arduous walk.
Day 3: A blend of wine and gemstones in the Nahe region
The Saar-Hunsrück-Steig trail leads to Idar-Oberstein, Germany‘s „gemstone capital“. Visit to the German Gemstone Museum (largest collection in the world) and Steinkaulenberg agate mine. Gemstones and wine, particularly pinot blanc and pinot gris, are the two treasures that have shaped the Nahe region. The tour continues along the Nahe Wine Route. Bad Kreuznach is an architectural delight with its famous bridge houses built on the pillars of the old bridge over the Nahe river (around 1300). An ideal place for a wine tasting and a snack in one of the taverns. Fascinating: underground wine tasting in a mine. Alternatively: Nahe Cycle Route or railbike (Glan valley). Overnight stay.
