Trail Name: Pfaelzer Weinsteig
Trail Type:
Long distance trail; well-maintained albeit with some rougher stretches along the segments through the forest and hills, naturally, marking on the trail very good overall
Length:
Total – 185 Kilometers/114 miles
Stage 4: 20 kilometers/12.5 miles (Deidesheim to Neustadt an der Weinstrasse)
My segment*- 7.5 kilometers/ miles (Train station, Deidesheim to Gimmeldingen)
Convenient to:
Bad Duerkheim or Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Marking:
Red and white square, with white grapes on red background, trail name in red and white letters, alternatively simply red over white stripes
Trail Description:
Like the Wanderweg Deutsche Weinstrasse, this itinerary really showcases the vineyards and relatively quiet wine villages where the Pfaelzer vines meet the Pfaelzer Wald (Pfaelzer Forest) pines. This itinerary, though, makes several ascents up and away from the flatter lands into the forested hills. Opportunities to see this beautiful woodland should not be missed.
Trailheads:
Deidesheim: Train Station, intersection Prinz-Rupprecht x Am Bahnhof
Neustadt: By the Hauptbahnhof (Main train station)
Parking:
Deidesheim: Am Bahnhof; Prinz Rupprecht, 26+ x Niederkircher
Public Transportation Options:
Rail: https://www.vrn.de/ Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar
Suggested Stages: Not Applicable
Trail Itinerary-Reference Points: (North to South)
Deidesheim: (Prinz Rupprecht), L516, Heumarktstr, Bennstr, Im Ringgarten, Schwimmbadstr, vineyards, path along the brook west of Schwimmbadstr, Achtmorgenweg, Waldgasthof Pfalzblick; forest; Koenigsbach: Steps down a steep path, Stabenbergstr, Herzogstr, Furstenweg; Forest; Gimmeldingen: Meerspinne Blick hut, children’s playground, (While I headed to Gimmeldingen from this point, the trail continues up into the forest then down into Neustadt.)
Representative Trail Photos:
Restrooms:
Deidesheim: Prinz Rupprecht Strasse, Erlebnis Park entrance
Neustadt: by the parking lot at the Stroh Markt
Attractions on or near Trail:
Deidesheim: Museum fuer Weinkultur: A museum dedicated not just to producing wine, but also to wine culture, and how it developed over the centuries.
Weinlehr Pfad: Koenigsbach, a wine education trail with exhibits with explanations
Mussbach/Neustadt: a bit off the trial, but a wine museum, with tastings, at 6 Herrenhofstrasse, in the Herrenhof.
Tasting along the Trail:
Several wineries on the trail, as well as many wine bars/cafes (see below), especially in Neustadt and Deidesheim
Alternative Options:
Hiking: Wanderweg Deutsche Weinstrasse – Hikers can enjoy all or parts of this 95-kilometer-long itinerary through small towns and villages, and of course, vineyards, with fewer inclines than the Pfaelzer Weinsteig trail. See the Nutshell here.
Biking: Radweg Deutsche Weinstrasse – Cyclists can enjoy all or parts of this 97-kilometer-long itinerary through small towns and villages, and of course, vineyards. Traditionally, traffic is closed on the last Sunday of August so that cyclists can enjoy the itinerary without vehicles.
Additional Information:
Regional: https://www.deutsche-weinstrasse.de/urlaubsregion/
Trail specific: https://www.outdooractive.com/en/long-distance-hiking/palatinate/pfaelzer-weinsteig-stage-4-deidesheim-neustadt-an-der-weinstrasse/1561343/
Comments:
*Sadly, I was very late getting started, and had to stop at Gimmeldingen, to catch the local train to Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, to be able to see the annual (October) Wine parade. Thus, I missed the best part, hiking through the woods high above Neustadt, with its magnificent views of the Rhine River Valley and the Pfaelzer Wald.
Not to miss: Two cafes/bars on the trail in the forest with great views, the Weinbiethaus outside Neustadt a/d Weinstrasse, or Benjetel cabin in the forest outside Gimmeldingen (high above it).
This itinerary takes hikers through/along named vineyards: Idig, Meerspinne, Am Weinbach, Im Kaft, Hochseel, Steingruber, and Hausbrunnen