Hiking in Germany's Hunsrueck region: The Soonwaldsteig trail

By Andrea Loebbecke Aug 17, 2010, 13:04 GMT

Kirn, Germany - Soonwald? Where the heck is that?

It's a question that may be justified, given that the hiking region between the highest range of the Hunsrueck mountains and the Nahetal valley does not count among Germany's best-known travel destinations.

But with the new, 83-kilometre-long Soonwaldsteig trail linking the western edge of the region with the Rhine River, this is about to change.

Soonwald is one of the largest forests anywhere in Germany and hikers can cover dozens of kilometres without seeing a single house.

The area is nevertheless easy to reach. From the Rhein-Main region, for instance, it is only about one hour away by car or train.

Above all, it is those hikers keen on dense forests and a feeling of isolation who get the most enjoyment out of the Soonwald. They can hike for long stretches at a time with the feeling that the forest belongs just to them.

An ideal starting point for a hike is the town of Kirn on the Nahe River in the western part of Soonwald. After a short tour of the town centre with its attractive half-timbered houses, the trail soon leads north-westwards out into the valley.

First it leads past the Kallenfels ruins and from there to Wartenstein Castle, where visitors can pick up information about the Soonwald-Nahe Natural Park.

A first place to spend the night is offered by the town of Bundenbach, about 15 kilometres from Kirn, along with the possibility to tour the Schmidtburg fortress ruins near the town of Schneppenbach.

The extensive network of lower and upper walls and bastions dates back to 929, making it one of the oldest fortresses in the Nahe and Hunsrueck region. Nearby, there is an open-air museum containing a reconstruction of a Celtic settlement.

The trail next leads to the town of Gmuenden, often passing through vast stands of oak trees. Here and there, hikers will find themselves doing a bit of scrambling over some rocks.

A first challenge is climbing to the top of the Teufelsfelsen (devil's cliffs). From there, the trail winds through large boulders and the narrow ridge of the 'Small Soon' mountain leading to the Simmerbachtal valley.

Hikers then face a further rugged climb to the Koppenstein castle ruins, a unique landmark of the 'Large Soon,' before the trail rises to the Ellerspring, which at 657 metres elevation is the highest point in the Soonwald forest. The trail here consists mainly of a narrow path running alongside a forestry road.

The route, which is seeking to gain classification by the German Hiking Institute as a 'premium' trail, was laid down with special attention to leaving nature untouched.

A few asphalt-paved stretches along the way are the absolute exception. If it does get the coveted seal of approval, then the Soonwaldsteig trail would enjoy the same recognition as two other well known trails in the region, the Saar-Hunsrueck-Steig and the Rheinsteig, which had to fulfil high standards for such recognition.

Once the Guldenbachtal valley has been crossed, then the final stretch of the Soonwaldsteig leads in the direction of the Rhine River, cutting through the Binger Wald forest.

Initially the trails are isolated places, but by the time hikers reach the Jaegerhaus tavern at the latest, they will come across more and more day visitors and groups of children. And it's no wonder: the small hikers can enjoy searching for hidden faces and masks in the 'Steckeschlaaferklamm,' carved into tree trunks by an artist.

In the narrow and steep Morganbachtal valley, the setting is a romantic one before the path, featuring safety railings in some places, leads up to the Rheinboellen heights.

At the end of the hike, a rewarding prospect is to visit the Burg Rheinstein castle and the remains of a Roman-era land estate. The trail then leads back down to the town of Bingen on the Rhine River.

The Soonwaldsteig trail can be covered by experienced hikers in three days. Those who want to take things a bit easier should plan for four days.

In any event, hikers should always bring along daily provisions, a well filled water bottle, a rain jacket and - just in case - a mobile phone. As with many other premium-grade hiking trails, fans of the Soonwald are quite often alone.

The remoteness of the region may have its advantages, such as the quiet enjoyment of nature and relaxed hiking, but also some disadvantages: those who head out on their own should carefully study a map beforehand and think about places where they might want to stay overnight.

It is a good idea at any rate to reserve a room beforehand, because in many villages there are only very few bed-and-breakfast places or inns. Another alternative is booking a package offer with the Naheland tourism office.

Jotting down the telephone numbers of local taxi companies may also be a good idea. East of Gmuenden, the Soonwaldsteig trail goes through many kilometres of just forests and meadowlands. And not every road that intersects the trail has buses running on it.