Pfälzer Hüttensteig - Prädikat Transfer Hiking Trail

Arrived at the railway station in Lambrecht, we keep to the right and walk past the old post office tower and over the Hermann-Schneid bridge. After the bridge, we continue to follow the Sommerbergstraße - which soon turns into a path that leads us to Lindenberg. On this path there is a small resting place that reminds us of the clothiers' guild.

Along the Dörrental (village valley) we follow a path through the "Steinbruch" (quarry) to the Lindenberg Heimatpfad (heritage trail) - which we follow. On the Heimatpfad is the Joppenholzquelle spring. If a rest is too early for you, you can plan it at the "Alte Schanze" car park. There you will also find the knight's stone no. 258 - Alte Straße - Zollstation und Schanze 1794.

Only 400m further on is the Silbertal forester's lodge (after approx. 4.9km), which is also open to the public. From Silbertal, continue over the Stoppelkopf to Lambertskreuz. On this path you can see the Hermanns Hütte (an old hunting lodge, which is privately owned). Now we continue over the Schuck, past the Lellepebbelpädel and over the Wilhelmsweg to the Waldhaus Lambertskreuz, which we reach after about 7.3 km. Here we treat ourselves to a stop for refreshments. From the Waldhaus Lambertskreuz we continue to the Pottasch Hütte (refuge), on this path we pass the Nadenbrunnen (1937). At the "Sieben Wege Spinne" (Seven Ways Spider), we take the opposite path further towards the Friedrichsbrunnen natural monument, where there is also a shelter with tables and benches. As the Friedrichsbrunnen is only 100m away from this hut, we make a short detour there (here is also a nice place for a rest). At the Pottasch hut (refuge) is knight's stone No. 261 - At the Pottasch hut From the Pottasch hut the trail now goes to Neidenfels to the Lichtenstein hut (also catered - please note opening times). Along the streets below Neidenfels Castle (is not directly on the trail) you come to the village square, which is 100m from the Neidenfels railway stop. The main road 39 is crossed and the railway line is overcome by a small tunnel. Now we are again on a forest path which we ascend. We continue to follow our markings and reach our next destination, the knight's stone No. 129 "Am Herrentisch". On the way from Herrentisch to Esthal, we pass the "Stone of Seeing" from the school project "On the Trail of the Celts".

Shortly before we reach the Kreistraße 23, we can make a small detour to the "Esthaler Vorstadt" viewpoint. It is 300m off our path. Depending on the day, you can also stop off at the sports centre of ASV Esthal. Opposite the sports centre is the beautifully landscaped "Wögelbrunnen". A short detour that is worthwhile. The Wögelbrunnen is part of the Brunnenweg, which leads around Esthal. We continue to follow the markings of the Pfälzer Hüttensteig (Palatinate Hut Trail) to reach Esthal. At the entrance to the village is the "Tränkenbrunnen" - an old washing fountain that used to be used for washing clothes. In Esthal you can also stop at the Bürgerstübl - where the Esthal monastery is also located - where you can spend the night. There is much to discover along the road through Esthal. At the level of the school / community centre we can take a small detour of 100m to another stone from the school project. After passing the road along Esthal, we come to another very beautifully designed fountain, the "Schelmenteich Brunnen". Then we walk down a path towards the Wolfsschluchthütte (managed). After our stop at the Wolfsschluchthütte, we walk back a little way (approx. 300m) on our "old path". Then we continue straight ahead and follow the markings Pfälzer Hüttensteig. At the Nauwiese we enter the "Dreibrunnental", along the Breitenbach via the Goldbrunnen and then the Dreibrunnenbach, we pass a refuge with a rest area. At the Esthal benches there is a triangular boundary stone that demarcates the 3 communities of Esthal - Elmstein - Weidenthal. From the Esthal benches, we go down to Weissenbach and via the stamp path to the railway stop in Weidenthal.

When we arrive in Weidenthal, we walk a short distance through the village. We pass the community centre, the village well and from there down to Hirschgasse where there is a dam and the Pfaffenbrunnen. Via Hirschgasse, past the school, we walk a short distance along Langentalstraße, from where we climb up to the war memorial. After enjoying the beautiful view over Weidenthal, we descend on the other side and head towards Eisenkehl. Here we pass two railway tunnels worth seeing - the Eisenkeil tunnel and the Köpfle tunnel, which are listed as cultural monuments. Over the Eisenkeil we go to the Langeck where we come to a beautiful vantage point at the Sonnenstein. From here you can look out over the village to the "Hordt" where the horsemen are stationed. On the other side, you can see the natural swimming pond, which is well frequented in summer. The nearby "Otto-Riethmüller-Haus" (leisure and education centre) makes it even more attractive. On the way to Schwarzsohl, we pass a rest area before heading up to the Eselsohl car park (Eselsohl is not on the way, a detour of 300m is necessary). On the path between the Eselsohl car park and the Schwarzsohl forester's lodge, there is a lime tree with a knight's stone commemorating Prince Regent Luitpold's 90th birthday in 1911. From the Schwarzsohl forester's lodge, continue via the Steinerne Kreuz (stone cross) to the Nibelungenhaus (privately owned - no catering). 300m from here are the knight's stones "Ins Legeltal" and "Schönlaublinden". A stone here also points to the Drei-Röhren-Brunnen (three-pipe fountain) 500m away in the Wassertal (water valley).  Knight's stone no. 120, J. Jagdhaus Breitscheid, is located at the Nibelungenhaus.

Our further path now leads us along the Trifterlebnispfad - into the Legelbach valley. There is also an audio tour of the Trifterlebnispfad, a themed hiking trail that uses information panels to tell us about the hard life of the Triftknecht Johann König. Please download it beforehand. We continue along the Pfälzer Hüttensteig trail and pass the "Steinbruch" - information board 17, the "Franzenklause" - information board 15, the "Gandertklause" - information board 13, until we reach the "Nibelungenfelsen" - a natural and cultural monument. At the Nibelungen rock you have the opportunity to take a short break. You can admire a relief of Siegfried in the rock. We walk around the Nibelungen rock and along the Roth-Kobel path. At the end of the path we cross the L504 to continue along the Trifterlebnispfad on the other side of the Legelbach. We continue on the trail of the Triftknecht Johann König to the "Alte Schmelz" hiking and rest area. From the hikers' car park, we cross the small bridge, past the rest area and the imposing figure of the Triftknecht, in the direction of . The narrow path leads us past the ruins of Elmstein Castle (privately owned, cannot be visited), from where you have a beautiful view over Elmstein. At the bottom of the village, we cross the main road and are now in Bahnhofstraße. Elmstein has a number of sights, including the museum "Alte Samenklenge - Haus der Forst- und Waldgeschichte", the Wappenschmiede - one of the last three hammer forges in Rhineland-Palatinate and a Hermann Schlimbach organ in the small catholic church Mariä Heimsuchung. So there is much to discover in Elmstein. We walk through Bahnhofstraße, past Triftplatz - a car park - from where you could also start the Pfälzer Hüttensteig. We continue along Bahnhofstraße - opposite the mayor's office with the Kurpfalz fountain, we turn left up Schankstraße - towards Schafhof. The road leads us up to a former forester's lodge built in 1848 (description on sign in front of the building). The path towards Schafhof is a narrow tarred road that is closed to motor vehicles. Arriving at the Schafhof settlement, we enter the Palatinate Forest again, where we reach the former holiday village after a short distance. In front of the holiday village there is only a ruin of the former children's and recreation home, which was operated between 1915 and 1972 on the edge of the Schafhof, as well as a charming bank roundel with a stately lime tree, which offers a nice place to rest. We now continue towards Rödertal where we pass the Stamminger fountain. There we also have the opportunity to rest. There are still 2 small detours. The Mirabellenbank (80m away-another nice place to rest) and the Kurfürstenstuhl (130m away-a slightly different rock) are not directly on our marked path. We continue along the path until we reach the K17 where there is another rest area. After crossing the road, we find ourselves at the "Brand Buche" nature monument, where there is a shelter directly on the K17. After the "Brand Buche", we pass the ruins of the "Jagdhaus" Palgrave Johann Casimir (1576). Before continuing in the direction of Iggelbach, you pass the Mitteleiche car park.

If you wish, you can make a small detour of about 600m to the Schindhübelturm lookout point, which is not on our hiking trail - it would be a few extra metres - but which would be rewarded with a magnificent view over the Palatinate Forest. Then back to the Mitteleiche car park.

Our further path goes past the Schuhnagelkopf, to the wedding trees in Iggelbach. There are tables and benches close by. There is also a large pavilion. No matter where you stand, you have a beautiful view of the village of Iggelbach. As our hike continues above Iggelbach and we do not enter the village itself, we can take a longer break here and stop at one of the village restaurants. After our rest, we follow the Panorama Trail, which leads us back into the forest on the heights of Iggelbach. On this path there are insect hotels, fruit trees and much more. There are also plenty of benches to rest and enjoy the view. There are also groups of tables along the path. Further along the path, we leave out the Hubertus beech and dive deeper into the forest. At this point, you can see the "hay beech" stone (this stone was erected in 1992 to commemorate the Iggelbach ancestors who carried the hay, wrapped in cloth, on their heads from the Geiswiese and the neighbouring valley meadows up to the heights and only reloaded it onto the carts at the top).

Next we reach the Hornesselwiese where the "Waldschänke Hornesselwiese" awaits us. Either just to fortify ourselves or to spend the night.

600m from the "Waldschänke Hornesselwiese" there is another inn, which is not on our route, "Stilles Tal".

From the Waldschänke Hornesselwiese, we walk along the Helmbach via Frechental to the Helmbachweiher pond, where we can refresh ourselves at a kiosk during the bathing season. On our way to the Frechental forester's lodge, we cross the Hunzelbach, just before the Hunzelthaler Woog. From here onwards there are several fish ponds on our way. Next we pass the Frechental forester's lodge. The path now goes along below the Kanzelfelsen. 300 metres off the Hüttensteig is Ritterstein 103 - Zum großen Kanzelfelsen. We continue to follow the Helmbach, past the Helmbach forest settlement, and enter the Kohlbach valley. We walk along the Kohlbach to the Naturfreundehaus Lambrecht, where Ritterstein No. 87 - Venninger Turm, is also located. After a hearty stop for refreshments or an overnight stay, we return from the Kohlbach valley to the Helmbachweiher, along the same path we came from before. At Ritterstein 99 - "Kohlbrunnen" we cross the Kohlbach and continue on the other side until we reach the Helmbachweiher again. Shortly before we reach it, there is a Kneipp facility on the left. On the way to the district road K51, you pass the kiosk of the Helmbachweiher. We have to walk along this road for a short distance before we cross it behind the farmstead opposite.

The path continues towards the village of Helmbach. Behind the farmstead, our path continues to the apiary, the Ritterstein 100 - "Cramerfels" is not directly on our path. You have to make a small detour of 50m. In this "apiary" shelter with seating, you can get an insight into how an apiary works via "information boards". We walk a little further along the Helmbach towards the village of Helmbach, where we meet the rails of the Kuckucksbähnel. Now we go through a small tunnel - over a small footbridge - under the railway tracks to cross the road on the other side. We walk along above the houses of Helmbach. At the end, we descend again from the hill, cross the L499 road again and follow the Kreissstraße 51 (approx. 100m) over the bridge for a short distance - towards the Helmbachweiher. After the building behind the bridge, turn left and walk along the railway line towards Helmbach station. At Helmbach station there are still old goods wagons. The rest of the trail runs parallel to the main road. Between the Speyerbach stream and the road are several pastures where you can see sheep, goats and cows. We hike through the meadow valleys until we arrive in the small village of Breitenstein, which is also another railway stop of the Kuckucksbähnel. On the way to Breitenstein, you can see the ruins of Breitenstein Castle on the opposite side of the mountain. There is also a themed hiking trail - the Drei Burgenweg (Three Castles Trail). We hike a section of it to Spangeberg Castle.

In Breitenstein you will find the Breitenstein forester's lodge, which invites you to stop and take a break. There is also the possibility of spending the night. Between Breitenstein and Erfenstein we pass the "Stutgarten". This was an Episcopal-Speyrian horse paddock around 1505. On the way, you can find out more about it on several information boards. After "Stutgarten" (paddock for horse breeding) we pass the castle fountain, which has existed in this form since 1579. Next on our way is Spanngenberg Castle, which is already mentioned in the 11th century. When the flag flies in the wind at Spangenberg Castle, visitors are very welcome. After descending from Spangenberg Castle, on the way we can see the ruins of Erfenstein Castle opposite, we now arrive in Erfenstein. Once we have reached the bottom, we see the old forester's lodge of Erfenstein and find ourselves at the "Wanderparkplatz Burg Spangenberg". Our further route does not take us through the village of Erfenstein. However, if you would like to have a look at Erfenstein's railway station, you are welcome to do so - it is only 50m away. The cuckoo train usually stops here. From here we also leave the Three Castles Trail again, which is beautifully depicted on a sandstone in the village. We continue to follow our markings.

Now a long ascent through the Höllischtal awaits us, up to the Hellerhütte. Here we can again enjoy the Palatinate hospitality. At the Hellerplatz house we come across two more Ritter stones - Ritterstein No. 247 - Hellerplatz and Ritterstein No. 190 - Karl Wertz New Year 1960/1961.

After our stop, we continue on our way and climb a little further up to the Kaisergärten on the Unger. On this path lies the knight's stone no. 255 "Breite Loog". A ground boundary rock from Franconian times. At knight's stone no. 255 "Breite Loog" there is a broom book - hikers who pass by here sweep the slab free and then sign the broom book.

We continue to follow our markings and arrive at the end of the ascent at the Kaisergarten, which lies at an altitude of 519m. There is a refuge and a rest area here. Historical background: On the occasion of Napoleon Bonaparte's appointment as hereditary emperor, a celebration was ordered. Therefore, in 1804, a ceremonial square with two stone roundels was laid out here, where the celebration took place on Napoleon's birthday on 15 August 1804. Celebrations were also ordered on 20 March 1811, this time for the birth of Napoleon's son Napoleon Francis Bonaparte. Until the 20th century, the place served as a popular festival site for the population. (Source: Wikipedia)

The "Alte Unger" is not on our way, you have to walk 100m extra for it. Historical background: This place used to serve as a pasture for forest cattle, a common use of the forests until the middle of the 19th century. The traditional term "Unger" generally refers to a camp or resting place for cattle and shepherds.

After a short break, we set off for our last section. Which now leads us downhill to Lambrecht (Palatinate). The descent is along a narrow path that runs along the heath landscape. Since the Kaisergarten, we follow the themed hiking trail "Views of the Clothmakers". The landscape speaks for itself why this hiking trail has been given this name. Here there are several opportunities to look down on the "Old Clothmaker's Town of Lambrecht (Palatinate)".

Our next sight on our way is the "Round Table". A resting place with a stone round table. Here you can take another short break. On the way to our last vantage point, we pass the "Stone of Movement". A stone sculpture.

When we reach the "Dicker-Stein-Turm" lookout tower, a magnificent view awaits us. The 6.20 m high tower, built in 1933, offers us a wide view over Lambrecht, from Neidenfels to the Weinbiet.

Location and history "Dicker-Stein-Turm": The 7.3 m high tower is located southwest of Lambrecht and lies on the flank of the Schauerberg in the Hoher Kopf area on the Dicker Stein rock formation, which bears its name and is designated as a natural monument. The settlement area of Lambrecht already extends a few hundred metres further north. As early as 1896, a pavilion was erected on the rock, but it fell into disrepair over the decades. The Dicke-Stein-Turm was built of wood in 1933 and offers two viewing platforms. The Thick Stone Tower is a wooden tower built in block construction with a square ground plan and an edge length of 3 m.[1] The entrance to the tower leads to an interior through which one reaches an attached platform on the valley side, the trapezoidal parapet of which is attached to the projecting Thick Stone. Next to the entrance, a three-part wooden staircase with a total of 26 steps leads inside to the upper viewing platform at 6.2 m[1] tower height, from which there is a very good view of Lambrecht and the elevations of the Haardt further east. Source: Wikipedia

After descending from the observation tower, we continue along the Pfälzer Hüttensteig until we reach Lambrecht. Here is our last "Waldrast", above the Lambrecht cemetery. From here we have another good view of the old cloth-making town of Lambrecht (Palatinate). After our last rest, we walk past the cemetery and follow Marktstraße to Friedrich-Ebert-Platz. On the way there, we pass the former monastery church and the guild house, dating from 1606. At Friedrich-Ebert-Platz there is a café and several places to sit. After Friedrich-Ebert-Platz, we keep to the right and then find ourselves in Schulstraße. At the end of Schulstraße is the Geißbockbrunnen (billy goat fountain), which shows a married couple leading the billy goat from Lambrecht to Deidesheim according to an old tradition. We cross the Bundesstraße 39 at the pedestrian lights, turn right and walk back to the Lambrecht (Pfalz) railway station. This is also where we started from.

On our last section through the over 1000-year-old cloth-making town of Lambrecht (Palatinate), there are still a few sights to explore. Among others, the former monastery church with its monastery fountain, the guild house from 1606, the Grabschank fountain from 1889, the Kunigunden fountain as well as the billy goat fountain - which shows a married couple leading the billy goat from Lambrecht to Deidesheim according to an old tradition, historic half-timbered houses and a house with a stream superstructure. On Friedrich-Ebert-Platz, you can still find places to sit and take a rest while learning about the Lambrecht fulling mill. In the courtyard of the Lambrecht primary school you can see more of the hewn sandstones that we encountered at various places along the way. They are from the stone project of the schools in the Lambrecht district in 2004, where "Celtic signs" were chiselled into sandstones by a stonemason with the help of the pupils.