Vitaltour Wildgrafenweg

The recommended starting and finishing point for this hike is the “Hochstetten-Geologischer Lehrpfad” hikers' car park in Hochstetten-Dhaun opposite Dhauner Strasse 35.

After we have mastered a short steep climb right at the beginning, our first view is of the collegiate church of St. Johannisberg and the flanks of the Hellberg covered in falling rock. The path continues over the Schifferberg to the Brunkenstein ruins: the ruins are witness to warlike conflicts of times long past. From here we have a picturesque view of Dhaun Castle, the next stage of our hike. The famous “Dhaun Feud” of 1340, which was fought between the lord of the castle, Johann I, and Archbishop Balduin of Trier, went down in the history books. In connection with the “Dhaun Feud”, a veritable ring of castles was built, including the outer castle of Brunkenstein, the castles of Rotenberg and Martinstein, the siege position of Geiersley, and the castle on the Johannisberg.

Although long-past wars left much destruction in their wake, impressive relics and monuments from those times can still be admired today, so Dhaun Castle is certainly worth a stop before we continue our hike through the tranquil village of Dhaun. At the height of the Dhaun church, the former count’s brewery, our second steep climb begins. From the top, we have a fantastic distant view of the dominant ridges of the Hunsrück, the gentle hilly landscape of the Nordpfälzer Mountains and the charming Nahe Valley.

The hiking trail leads us through extensive established forests, past the Wildgrafen foundation ‘Karlshof’. At the height of the Itzbacherhof, we cross a field framed by hedges before we reach Hochstetten forest. Finally, the Wildgrafen Trail leads into the Itzbach Valley with its high-quality biotope-protected wetlands. Along the edge of the forest with a view of old fruit trees, our path approaches the village of St. Johannisberg. The 13th-century collegiate church there, with its art-historically valuable funeral monuments, is the former burial church of the Dhaun Wildgrafen and can be visited. Directly nearby, the Nahe Skywalk awaits us. It is a 65-square-metre viewing platform rising 7 metres above the cliff of a former quarry. From there you have a unique view over the Nahe Valley and the old quarry below and this is where we start our last, short stage of the hike back to the starting point.