Vitaltour Stein, Wein & Farbe

The trail leads us from the starting point about 400 m along an ascending sunny, paved field path past an old colourful vineyard wall and the Pladerberg viewpoint. 400 m after the end of the wall, we leave the dirt road and walk along a natural path past a wildly romantic gorge, also referred to as paradise. After a short distance, the ground changes from red to green rock.

We cross the fracture point of this geological feature, the so-called “Hunsrück-Südrand-Fault” and can admire the unique play of colours of the ground types on a rock face. The trail continues downhill through a sparse oak lowland forest with very rare tree species such as sorb and checker trees into the “Limbach Valley”. After about 400 m we suddenly find ourselves in front of the Rabenfels, a bizarre, almost vertical rock face in an old quarry.

Here we take a sharp right turn and reach a short steep ascent into a fairytale-like older oak-beech forest with mighty English oaks. We then reach a plateau with ecological areas and the largest Christmas tree plantation in the local area.

A rest area invites you to rest and enjoy an unforgettable distant view almost as far as the Rhine and the northern Palatinate. From the plateau, the trail zigzags for about 2 km past meadows and fields through a dark patch of forest into the Raubach Valley. We continue hiking until we reach the K45, cross the road and reach lush meadows and pastures over a stair-like ascent. After about 450 m, the path leads us into a small enchanted forest.

As if by magic, the cultivated wide vineyard landscape appears to us afterwards. A few hundred metres further on, we cross the K46 at the historic milestone and hike along a short stretch of “Alte Römerstraße” (old Roman road) to the barbecue hut on the wild Höllergraben.

Past the Höllergräben, we walk for almost 2 km in curved lines through vineyards, damp spring hollows, different hillside paths and trails with fantastic views until we cross the K 46 again. There we arrive at the Red Wine Friends hikers’ car park and make a small loop to the “Red Wine Fans” lookout point. Here we have wonderful views and can enjoy a rest, because afterwards, an unforgettable tour over a slope path with orchid meadows, a picturesque panorama and unforgettable distant views awaits us.

At the summit cross of the Johannisberg we can enjoy another spectacular view before zigzagging downhill again towards Raubachtal Valley. There we cross the K 45 again and after about 700 m we get back to the starting point through the romantic Raubach Valley with its rare birdsong, where we see a classicist obelisk.

If you are still feeling strong and fancy some culture, you should definitely join the 3 km culture tour through the historic wine village of Wallhausen.