The Palatinate is worth a visit at any time of year. The characteristic rocky landscape in the Palatinate Forest with its bizarre red sandstone formations is a marvellous sight both in summer and in winter temperatures. And, of course, the wine-growing region shines in bright colours, especially in autumn.
Activities in the Palatinate
Attractions in the Palatinate
Highlights
Breathtaking views, winding paths and bizarre rock formations are characteristic of the premium hiking trails. Particularly attractive is the ...
A challenging premium trail with five rustic places to stop for refreshments, the Palatinate Forest cabins, which are usually open at weekends, and ...
On the footsteps of the Treidler (workers who used to lead horse carriages) you can discover one of the few internationally-protected and ...
The slogan for the tour keeps its promise: devilish climbs and heavenly prospects. The 15km premium trail "Teufelstour" takes its name from the ...
The vineyard village tour covers a total of around 43 kilometers through Landau, but above all through 13 picturesque winegrowing villages and ...
Starting from Dahn, the Biosphere Tour is a circular route around the southern part of the Palatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve between ...
The Rhine Cycle Route passes through three of Rhineland-Palatinate’s tourism regions. From the border with France in the south, it traverses the ...
Discover the region
Nature and pleasure
In the warm season, lemons, cypresses and numerous almond and fig trees along the roadside make excursions in the region a fragrant and colourful experience. It is easy to see why the Palatinate is known as the Tuscany of Germany. In autumn, the dense Palatinate Forest, the largest contiguous forest area in Germany, together with the variety of vines along the German Wine Route, adds an extra splash of colour and makes the region shine.
However, you should definitely pay a visit to the region in winter too: Numerous winter hiking routes invite you to experience the winter tranquillity of nature. Although the Palatinate is not exactly the snowiest region in Germany, there is a very special atmosphere here between icy vineyards and on scenic footpaths. What's more, the region's world-famous wine and excellent cuisine can be enjoyed in a cosy atmosphere by the fire. The ideal end to an active day in frosty temperatures.
Photo: marcelheinzmann, Adobe Stock
Whether on foot...
Hiking through the transnational Palatinate Forest-North Vosges biosphere reserve not only stimulates the sense of sight, but also the sense of hearing. As you pass rushing streams and silent castles on the Palatinate Forest Trail, the leaves rustle, the undergrowth crackles and crunches underfoot.
The best way to hike through the North Palatinate mountains around the Donnersberg is on the Palatinate High Trail. In seven stages, it leads up high, past old castle ruins and through picturesque villages.
The Palatinate Wine Trail, on the other hand, offers hikers numerous opportunities to hike between vineyards and forest mountains and taste the wine where it tastes best: at the winegrower's himself. The tours through the extensive Riesling-growing region range from easy to challenging, so that everyone will find a suitable route.
Of course, the Palatinate with its mild climate is also suitable for winter hiking: Up the Kleine Kalmit, through icy vineyards with a 360° view or to Madenburg Castle - in the Palatinate, active holidaymakers will also find fantastic routes in winter.
For those who prefer to combine walking in the fresh air with culture, city tours are particularly suitable. Whether Pirmasens, Neustadt an der Weinstraße or through the parks of Landau - the beautifully illuminated town centres make a city tour twice as much fun. In December, you can also discover charming Christmas markets.
...or by bike
Of course, Palatinate hospitality also includes cyclists, who will find a very well-developed network of cycle paths from the heights of the Palatinate Forest to the Rhine plain. The German Wine Route cycle path leads touring cyclists through romantic wine villages, for example, and on the Barbarossa cycle path they can even take a leap back to the medieval imperial era. If you want to burn off some energy on your mountain bike, you will find the perfect conditions on exciting trails in the Palatinate Forest Mountain Bike Park or the Trippstadt Bike Park.
Wine and Culinary Delights
To the right and left of the trails, well over 100 huts invite weary hikers to enjoy regional specialities - and it doesn't always have to be bratwurst, Handkäs or Pfälzer Saumagen. In recent decades, the culinary lineage of the Palatinate has opened its doors wide to national and international influences. The geographical proximity to France plays a major role here, as tarte flambée, chestnuts and figs are just some of the "new" products that characterise Palatinate cuisine today.
And of course there is the excellent Palatinate wine. The Romans planted the first vines during their colonisation. Today, the Palatinate is the second largest wine-growing region in Germany - every third bottle of wine sold in Germany comes from the Palatinate. Along the "German Wine Route" in particular, mostly family-run traditional wineries are lined up one after the other and guarantee the excellent quality of their products.
Photo: ASK-Fotografie, Adobe Stock
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