Europe

Heights Above the Heimbach

 

 

The name of the trail, the Fuerstenbergblick, in this instance, is a subtle reference to who owned the vineyards on the hills overlooking the Rhine. Not only did the trail lead through the refined vineyards of the Middle Rhine, but it also included views of several castles that the Fuersten, or princes, owned on this lucrative section of the Rhine.

This hike had a lot going for it, beginning with its location. It is about in the center of the UNESCO world-heritage site. Bacharach, and its famous wines, lie just to the north of Niederheimbach, and the well-known wine village of Lorch, with its highly acclaimed wines, faces it from across the river. (It is connected to it by a convenient ferry, making travel between the left and right banks quite convenient.)

The Heimbach in Niederheimbach

I began in town, and headed inland, up a narrow valley. Soon afterwards, the trail did a 180 degree turn, and I was facing the river, and the delightfully intimate (in size) Hohneck Castle, perched on a riverside promontory on the other side of the little valley.

Burg Hohneck, Niederheimbach

Heading toward the river, but this time on the heights above the little village, I had plenty of opportunity to study the vineyards of Lorch, across the river. I had hiked these vineyards on the magnificent long distance trail, the Riesling Pfad. (See the Nutshell here.) This time, I could see where I had been, and pat myself on the back for the multiple ascents and descents, some rather steep, I made back then.

Lorch and Castle Nollig

This trail, while neither as long (it is quite short in fact), nor as technically varying or challenging, was a pleasant hike for an afternoon in a quiet, beautiful section of the Middle Rhine. As it continued fairly high above the Rhine, it was easy to enjoy the expansive views while walking along a mostly flat plateau. Views extended downriver to Bacharach, over to Burg Nollig above Lorch, and up river. Photographers and castle-lovers are truly spoiled for choice here!

Downriver to Bacharach

The short descent into and across the Gailsbach valley, was followed by a quick ascent up to the ruined Fuerstenberg Castle. Another castle ruin overlooking the Rhine. You would think I would get tired of them. Crooked ivy-covered walls, where small lizards hide when frightened from their sunny perches, dilapidated masonry, and door lintels to nowhere, pretty much sums up many a ruin. But I never miss an opportunity to explore them.

Castle Fuerstenberg and its Vineyards

The trail soon turned south to return to Niederheimbach, to complete the circuit. At this point, there is the opportunity to walk along the edge of the Rhine. The trail, which also serves as a bike trail here (so be mindful), was a quiet, flat, nicely tarmacked section, well away from the road. Walking to the sound of lapping water, I soon came to a waterside café-bar, just before the village of Niederheimbach. Miracle of miracles, it was actually open on this non-season afternoon. I stopped, naturally. As I sipped a glass of local wine, and enjoyed the water views, I realized there is no better way to enjoy the Rhine and its wines than hiking along it!

Bar Cafe Along the Rhine
Germany, Wines

Wine Notes: Mittelrhein Reichenstein

 

What I Learned

The Mittelrhein (Middle Rhine) is famous for its castle ruins, towering cliffs, and dramatic oxbow bends along the river through this section of it. The Upper Middle Rhine is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It begins in Koblenz, and continues to Bingen.

This also defines the wine region known as the Mittelrhein. Unlike other wine regions on the Rhine, this region covers both banks of the river (beginning north of Lorchhausen, which joins the Rheingau region). Many areas of the Upper Middle Rhine do not produce wine: the topography and geology just aren’t suitable or practicable, even for growing other crops. That just makes the vineyards along this section of the Rhine even more esteemed.

On the left bank, dark slate begins to predominate in the soil around Boppard, and continues upriver until just outside Trechtingshausen. This hard rock shapes the river as well, and its many twists and turns provide optimal sun exposure for some slopes, like the famous vineyard of Bopparder Hamm, while depriving others of much sun at all just around the next bend.

Because of the different geological conditions, the Mittelrhein region is divided into different “Grosslage,” or growing areas, each containing some specifically named vineyards. This hike covered the area around mostly Oberheimbach, which falls with the Grosslage of Schloss Reichenstein, the name of a brooding castle ruin located about three miles upriver in Trechtingshausen. Well-known Nieder/Ober -heimbach vineyards include Niederheimbacher Froher Weingarten, Oberheimbacher Sonne, Oberheimbacher Klosterberg, and my personal favorite: the Oberheimbacher Wahrheit (it means “Truth”), which says all you need to know about the true expression of the terroir in the wines from here.

 

What I Tasted

2017 Riesling Weinberg Schloesschen, Spaetlese, Trocken, Deutscher Qualitaetswein, Weingut Juergen Stassen (Oberheimbach): A dry white wine with medium gold color, a mineral and slightly fruity nose, with green gooseberry and mineral flavors; medium plus acidity with a tart finish.

2015 Riesling, Classic, Trocken, Deutscher Qualitaetswein, Weingut Eisenbach-Korn (Oberheimbach): A dry white wine with medium plus gold color, a spicy, nose with hints of turpentine and lipstick; with spicy and fruity flavors, medium acidity with a smooth, but tart finish; very well balanced overall.

2013 Weisser Riesling, Niederheimbacher Froher Weingarten, Qualitaetswein, trocken, Fendel: A dry white wine with a medium gold color: a well-balanced, slightly floral and fruity tasting wine with a pleasant minerality to it.

 

Germany, Hiking

Fuerstenbergblick: Trail in a Nutshell

 

Trail Name:  Nr 22 – Fuerstenbergblick

Trail Type: Short distance circuit trail; well-maintained and mostly paved or hard-packed earthen trail, marking on the trail is mostly good, but not always exclusively specific to this trail as other trails follow along it as well.

Length:

Total – 7 kilometers/4.3 miles

Convenient to: Bingen, or Koblenz, Germany

Marking: Nr 22, or follow signs to next itinerary point

Trail Description: This is an easy trail through a little visited area of the famous Middle Rhine. It passes through a couple of wooded areas, but mostly vineyards, with clear views of the vineyards and castles on the opposite (and more visited) side of the Rhine, and a lovely riverside walk to close the circuit.

Trailhead:

Niederheimbach, Rheinstrasse riverside walking path

Parking:

Niederheimbach: A few street-side places where parking is not prohibited along the Rheinstrasse or Heimbachtal streets

Public Transportation Options:

Rail: Very frequent train service (DeutscheBahn (DB) regional train RB26) connects Niederheimbach with Mainz to the south, or Cologne to the north with stops all along the Mittel Rhein including Bingen, Boppard, St Goar, Koblenz, amongst others.

Bus: See the Rhein-Naehe Nahverkehrsverbund (RNN) website for details of bus travel through this area

Suggested Stages: Not applicable

Trail Itinerary-Reference Points: (Clockwise)

Niederheimbach: Heimbachtal, then turn up to Rheinblick, vineyards, lookout point “Tempelchen”, woods, Rheindiebach: Cross Rheingoldstrasse/K27, vineyards, to and past Burg Fuerstenberg ruins, pass above the cemetery, Rheingoldstr, Mainzerstr, pass under B9 and train tracks, continue on the waterside path back to Niederheimbach

Representative Trail Photos:

Sample Trail Section Through Woods

 

Grassy Trail Surfaces in Places

 

Stairs to the Castle

Restrooms:

Rheindiebach: along the river, just north of the pedestrian underpass

Attractions on or near Trail:

Just lots of iconic Rhine River scenery!

Tasting along the Trail:

Niederheimbach and Oberheimbach both have guesthouses and restaurants that serve local wines. Niederheimbach even has one right along the river!

Alternative Options:

Hiking: Reblausweg (Nr 13) / Route 1 Panoramaweg, an 8 kilometer circuit trail beginning/ending at Niederheimbach. See the Nutshell here.

Biking: Rheinradweg, is a multi-day tour following the Rhine, but an easy day trip, with lots of stops for photos, is from Koblenz to Bingen am Rhein, or vice versus. It passes through Niederheimbach, which is one of the trains stops along the river route. See the Nutshell here.

Additional Information:

Regional: https://www.romantischer-rhein.de/ and https://niederheimbach.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/

Trail specific: https://www.outdooractive.com/de/route/wanderung/romantischer-rhein/nhb-nr.-22-fuerstenbergblick-rundwanderweg/116090787/  or https://www.niederheimbach.info/media/files/nhb-wanderweg_022_k-2022-07.pdf

Comments:

Short, easy, but lovely.

 

Hiking, Italy

From Vineyards to the Heavens

 

The town of Klausen, known as Chiusa in Italian, lies at the bottom of a river valley. The Eisack River runs from near the Austrian border to Bozen, where it joins the Etsch River. During its southward flow, it runs along the west bank of Klausen, surrounded by some of the most impressive Dolomite peaks in this area.  But, key in this description is the “bottom of the Eisack river valley.” Therefore, most hikes in this area will experience some serious ascents at some point.

The Eisack River

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Italy, Wines

Wine Notes: Italy’s Eisacktal

 

What I Learned

Welcome to Italy – although culturally and linguistically, you are in a Germanic cultural sphere. (This area was controlled by Austria for hundreds of years after the fall of the Roman Empire, until the end of World War I.) The wine region of the Suedtirol (Alto Adige, as the Italians further south call it), is one of the great wine regions in Italy. It has a number of districts, and this one, the Eisacktal wine district is particularly interesting. Its vineyards lie on very steep slopes following along the narrow Eisack (Isarco) River valley as it flows south from its source near the Italian-Austrian border. This district has less than 400 hectares devoted to vineyards, on mostly south-facing slopes, most of the way to Bozen (Bolzano), where the Eisack joins the Etsch (Adige) River. However, some of the best are around Klausen (Chiusa), on the slopes south (and below) Saebens, an ancient monastery.

While there are some red wines, about 90% of the wine from here is white wine.  White grapes do particularly well in this district’s relatively cool weather. Sylvaner (yes, sometimes with a Y in this area), Veltliner, Mueller-Thurgau, Kerner and Gewuerztraminer are the main white varietals.   The resulting wines are crisp, fruit forward, and deliciously refreshing.

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Hiking, Italy, Nutshell

Trail in a Nutshell: Saebener Rundweg

 

Trail Name:  Saebener Rundweg

Trail Type: Very short-distance circuit; well-maintained with hard (paved or packed earth) surfaces, with some cobblestones; mostly good marking for this itinerary.

Length:

Total – 3.0 kilometers/miles

Convenient to: Bozen (Bolzano), Brixen (Bressanone), Italy

Marking:

White over red horizontal bars

Signage along the Saebener Weg

Follows written signs for “Keschtnweg” and Saebener Rundweg

Saebener Rundweg and Keschtnweg Signage

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Germany, Hiking

Steigerwald’s Stellar Vineyards and Villages

 

The Steigerwald, in Franconia, is a wonderful area. Unlike the other wine districts in the region, the Steigerwald is away from the Main River, and does experience a bit more variance in the weather. One March, hiking the Steigerwald on the first weekend of March, I failed miserably due to snow and ice. (See that story here.) Another March, a year and three weeks’ time difference, sunny skies and dry trails resulted in one of the most memorable hikes I ever completed in Germany.

I began in Castell, a delightful village with a good reputation for its wines. It is nestled at the base of low, vine-covered hills. This iconic village comes complete with a castle in its park, narrow streets and lanes filled with historic houses, and a church. But it was not alone – all the villages on the trail of this hike were just as charming.

Castell: Castle and Church

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Germany, Wines

Wines Notes: Franconian Steigerwald

 

What I Learned:

Kronsberg, Julius Echter Berg, and the Kuchenmeister are three well-known vineyards in the Iphofen-Roedelsee area, the most famous perhaps being the Julius Echter Berg, named after a 16th Century Wuerzburg Prince-Bishop. (He served as the ruler of a large area within the Holy Roman Empire in Franconia, which he managed rather well.) It was during his lifetime that the Silvaner vines entered Franconia (the first documented record of it locally being in the Castell archives), and some of its best expressions come from the mineral-rich Gipskeuper soils (components shale, gypsum, anhydrite and rock salt) unique to the area around the Schwanberg, around which the three vineyards lay. This geological component, along with the influence of a continental weather pattern, can result in outstanding white wines some years.

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Hiking and Biking European Wine Country