Trail Name: Rieslingtour (AKA: Weinwanderrundweg 10)
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; much is paved, some hard-packed earth, some stairs: well maintained, but the route itself is only fairly marked.
Length: Total: @8 kilometers/ 5 miles
Convenient to: Bad Duerkheim, Neustadt or Mannheim, Germany
Marking: A “10” in black, on a round white background
Trail Description: An easy short distance circuitwith some inclines and stairs, through town and vineyards, providing a compact opportunity to visit the well-known vineyards and vintners in this typically pretty town on the Deutsche Weinstrasse. Although there are some shaded sections, most of the trail is exposed to sunlight.
Trailhead:
Wachenheim: Weinstrasse/L516, north of Im Konigswingert
Parking: (Wachenheim)
Friedelsheimerstrasse, a large improved lot by the outdoor pool, (which could be full in the summer).
L516, just south of K7, a mid-sized, unimproved lot for hikers, just off the road.
Public Transportation Options:
Bus: RNV (Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr) bus lines 4G and 9 service Wachenheim from the rail hub of Mannheim
Rail: The Deutsche Bahn line 45 (AKA: KBS 667) services Wachenheim on its convenient route between Bad Duerkheim and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse.
Suggested Stages: Not applicable
Trail Itinerary-Reference Points:
Wachenheim: Weinstrasse, to parking lot along the Weinstrasse, to the traffic circle (K7/L516 intersection) just outside Bad Durkheim, vineyards, past the stairs leading to the Flaggenturm, tree line and buildings (edges of the Mundharterhof locality), Muhlwiesenstr-Bornweg-Waldstr-Burgstr-Schlossgasse, path/stairs to castle (Ruine Wachtenburg), Odinstalweg, Am Riedbrunnen, past a sign for the Forster Lagenwanderweg trail, past the Goldbaechel vineyard, Weinstrasse
Representative Trail Photos:
Restrooms:
Wachenheim-center: Rathausplatz
Wachenheim-castle: Just inside the old gate to the castle (Open even in winter!)
Attractions on or near Trail: (Wachenheim)
Kellerei Museum: a tour of Schloss Wachenheim cellars. (Call ahead to request.)
Tasting along the Trail: (Wachenheim)
Many wineries to include: Dr Buerklin-Wolf, Villa Wolf, Wachtenburg Winzer and Schloss Wachenheim
Alternative Options:
Hiking:
-Wanderweg Deutsche Weinstrasse – Stage between Forst and Bad Durkheim, through Wachenheim. See the nutshell for further information.
-Forster Lagenwanderweg: This trail shares part of the Rieslingtour, from the Pechstein vineyard, but heads south on a 4-kilometer, family-friendly hike, covering the famous vineyards of Forst.
Biking: Radweg Deutsche Weinstrasse (Stage between Bad Durkheim and Neustadt)
Car: Deutsche Weinstrasse, the thematic car route from Bockenheim to the border town of Schweigen-Rechtenbach.)
Additional Information:
Regional: http://www.wachenheim.de/tourist-information.html
Trail (segment) specific: http://bergfex.cz/sommer/rheinland-pfalz/touren/wanderung/46851,wachenheim-rieslingtour/
Comments:
Two flights of stairs, and accessing most of the castle via a third flight, means that this trail is not bike or baby-carriage-friendly.
Although there is parking in the middle of Wachenheim, most of it has time limits.