Kusel - Preußensteig

The route starts at the first highlight: a visit of the Lichtenberg Castle (which is well worth a visit by itself). In the castle you can find the Musikantenland-Museum, the Pfalzmuseum für Naturkunde (Zweigstelle Burg Lichtenberg) and the Urweltmuseum Geoskop. Furthermore a very modern youth hostel as well as the Burgrestaurant. In the castle you can celebrate both a civil and church marriage or just celebrate a special event. There is also a research workshop, special exhibitions, music events and much more...

But - we want to go on hiking. From the castle, the trail leads along the first part together with the Veldenz hiking trail through the Veldenztor in the direction of Kusel. If you would like to read a brief overview, on the Veldenztor you will find a signboard with the trail route and lots of interesting information. Already on the first trail section there are a number of great views - the view back to Lichtenberg Castle and forward to the district town of Kusel and the "Hunchback Countryside" behind it. We descend into Kusel-Diedelkopf, not forgetting for later on that in Kusel, there is a Stadt- und Heimatmuseum with the Fritz-Wunderlich-Zimmer and a brewery, a hotel, many restaurants and restaurants, as well as the tourist information Pfälzer Bergland "to and fro".

In Diedelkopf you walk past the bathing and leisure park of Kusel in the protected landscape  area of Holzbachtal. The trail leads along the former border and is lined with a large number of border stones. The engraved initials "KB" and "KP" show where you would have been in earlier times, either in the Kingdom of Bavaria or the Kingdom of Prussia. The old massive stone boundary stones accompany you for a number of miles.

Behind the Holzbachtal you go uphill for the first time, past meadows and pastures, sometimes through open landscapes, sometimes through a forest grove. At the Ehweiler height, you can enjoy the first wide outlook point. We continue to walk, climb further uphill and enjoy the natural silence and the great views.

Following the border, we now go downhill a little and cross the motorway. If you now look carefully, you will see that here the boundary stones have completely different markings: "A" and "P" together with year dates since the trail also marks the border between the local communities of Albessen and Pfeffelbach.

Through forest groves and past one-time quarries, the trail now goes up and down, towards Reichweiler and Pfeffelbach.

Not on the official hiking trail, but worth a little detour is the nature reserve of Steinberg, which extends idyllically around an old quarry with a small pond. Soon the path leaves the forest and the view opens up onto Reichweiler and the silhouette of the Prussian hillside behind it. Again and again, the direction of hiking changes and thus also the views of the Pfälzer Bergland.

Before  crossing the Fritz-Wunderlich-hiking trail at Pfeffelbach, you will discover the castle of Lichtenberg on the horizon. For the rest of the walk, the castle will be seen again and again, as you now approach it step by step.

At Pfeffelbach, the Preußensteig crosses the main road and you start the climb up to the  Prussian hillside. From the bottom of the climb you will see the flag flowing in the wind at the Drachenrampe at the Herzerberg. Here we go! For this is not only the highest point of the trail, but the Herzerberg is also the highest hillside summit mountain in the district of Kusel. Here the gigantic view repays you for the strenuous ascent. A great place for a break, enough benches are available for you to enjoy a snack and, if the weather situation is suitable, the hang-gliders will be on their way.