Vitaltour Willigisweg

The starting and finishing points of the “Willigis Trail” are in Auen and in Seesbach. From the starting point at the Kneipp foot pool near Auen, we hike past Willigis Chapel and along the Getzbach stream to Auen. Here we can also stop for a break and prepare ourselves for the rest of the hike. From Auen, the trail leads us in a northerly direction through the open Getzbach Valley and to the Kaulenberg viewpoint. The surrounding vineyards, natural shrub areas and grazed meadows with orchid populations shape our impression of this landscape. The geologically and geomorphologically important Rabenkopf nature reserve begins at the edge of the valley slope.

We then hike north through the mixed forest through a side valley of the Gaulsbach stream. Along the banks of the Gaulsbach or Hoxbach stream we reach the Kleb. The Kleb, a deeply gorged natural notch valley, gives us a unique hiking experience that is one of the highlights of our hike. After a continuous ascent, we reach Seesbach with the Semendis Chapel and the quartzite rock in the centre of the village. The rock is a special kind of natural monument, whose origin is still a mystery today. Over the heights around Seesbach, our path runs in a westerly direction around the village. Forest edges with imposing deciduous trees and interesting distant views are etched in our memories. Along the Steinbach stream, the trail rejoins the Hoxbach Valley. The naturally occurring rocks with caves, such as the legendary Schinderhanneshöhle, impress hikers and give the Hoxbach Valley an unmistakable face. After about 700 m, we leave the valley on a natural path and reach the high plateau in the district of Pferdsfeld via a forest path that takes us past forest meadows.

On the Kaulenberg, from the Fuchshof viewpoint, we have far-reaching views of almost 360° to the heights of the Soonwald ridge and the Palatinate Mountains. These give us a remarkable impression of the low mountain landscape whilst intensive arable farming demonstrates the agricultural importance of the land. The path leads us across the plateau into the side valley leading south. The slopes of the “Wingertsberg”, threatened by scrub encroachment, present an idyllic picture of this hiking section. We hike through the valley floor of the “Müllersloch” along a steeply ascending forest path to the heights of the Getzbach Valley. The trail now gradually descends across the meadow areas to the valley floor of the Getzbach stream and leads us back to the starting point at the Kneipp foot pool in Auen.