While it might not be true wine, monkeys do consume, quite deliberately, fermented fruit juice found in the wild.
A theme of monkeys and wine drew me to a hike in the Affental, not far from Baden-Baden, Germany. A possible translation of Affen-tal, is Monkey Valley. Wine from this area is duly bottled with a monkey embossing the front of the bottle. I had often wondered about this somewhat incongruous mascot, and a visit to the local cooperative, Affentaler Winzer, provided an opportunity to taste the local wines, and learn more about the viticultural history and practices of the area. The short hike gave me an opportunity to wander through the vineyards of Affental.
If you have never seen the Baroque architecture of southern Germany, then you are missing a treat. The extravagance of the forms, the flamboyance of the colors, are not usually found in nature, which is what made such an interesting juxtaposition on this winter hike.
The trail, entitled Wein Barock, presumably intended as its highlights the pilgrimage basilica of Birnau, and the vineyards surrounding it. Equally as impressive to me, was the scenic beauty of the Swiss Alps, and Lake Constance, also enjoyed from this trail.
This trail is set entirely in the township of Uhldingen-Muehlhofen, made up of the villages of Unteruhldingen, Oberuhldingen, and Muehlhofen, which progress respectively, from the lake front to the hills. The circuit officially begins in Oberuhldingen, proceeding from its homey center, and quickly comes to the surrounding countryside.
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit trail; almost exclusively paved, well maintained, but the marking along the route, while excellent, is not trail specific. (See the Itinerary below for specific itinerary points.)
Length: total: 10 kilometers/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Konstanz, and Friedrichshafen, Germany
Marking:
Yellow rectangular signs with black lettering, indicating direction to major itinerary points. (Not trail specific)
When the itinerant musicians of Mackenbach, in the Pfalz, crested the ridge from the northwest, they beheld the town of Freinsheim below. They announced their arrival with lively music, letting the town know they had arrived. Over the next couple of days, they would play, for coins, wine and food. Freinsheim, one of the northern most wine villages on the Deutsche Weinstrasse, has named this section of vineyard the “Musikanten-Buckel”, or the hump of hill where the musicians began to play. Freinsheim is also one of many villages along the Deutsche Weinstrasse that has several festivals throughout the year. Two of them involve “wine wandering”, which is how I came be in the village.
Traditionally, the January wine wandering trail follows mostly along an established trail called the Musikantenbuckel Wanderweg. But every year, on the last weekend of January, the trail is identified as the Rotweinwanderung (Red wine wandering). So, on a cold, dark and grey winter afternoon, I, and hundreds of other people, dressed warmly, with sturdy waterproof boots, set off along the trail, which starts in the village.
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; well-maintained and almost exclusively paved with tarmac or concrete, marking on the trail good throughout
Length:
Total – 7.5 kilometers/ miles
Convenient to: Bad Durkheim, Germany
Marking: Musician playing a horn.
Musikantenbuckel Signage
Trail Description:
A family-friendly, short circuit passes up and along a gentle slope, through the village and vineyards, (meaning it is almost completely unshaded), with views over the village and valley, and out to hills. This trail is paved for almost all of it, and where not, there are paved alternatives.
Trailhead:
Freinsheim – Hauptstrasse, at the old Rathaus
Parking:
Freinsheim – Parkplatz P3, Weisenheimerstr
Freinsheim – festival parking area along L522/Talweide. Note: only during the festival weekend!
Public Transportation Options:
Rail: Deutsche Bahn regional trains provide frequent regional train service to Freinsheim, from Gruenstadt to the north, and points south, including Neustadt an der Weinstrasse and Bad Duerkheim.
Bus: Buses connect Freinsheim with Bad Durkheim, and other towns in the area. Check VRN.de for schedules to and from Freinsheim.
Suggested Stages: Not applicable
Trail Itinerary-Reference Points: (Clockwise)
Freinsheim: by the old Rathaus, Korngasse-Wallstrasse-2 Querstr-Wenjenstr, Schubertstr-Franz-Liszt-Str, path straight across, the left along L522, past Sportplatz (soccer field), Orchards and vineyards, and the Weinbergsgarten (rest area with benches and picnic table), cross L455, parallel L455, then cross it again, vineyards, cross path across L522/Talweide
Representative Trail Photo:
Trail Surface: 98% of the Way
Restrooms:
Freinsheim, off Baerengasse
Musikantenbuckel, porta-potties on the trail. Note: only during the festival weekend.
Attractions on or near Trail:
While Freinsheim has no wine-themed museums or exhibits, there are several architectural features of historical interest in the old part of the village.
Tasting along the Trail:
The village of Freinsheim has many wineries (Weingut); and on the day of the Rotweinwanderung, there are half a dozen or so vintners with huts along the trail
Alternative Options:
Hiking: While the Deutsche Weinstrasse Wanderweg, the 96 kilometer-long (almost 60 miles) hiking trail from Bockenheim to the border town of Schweigen-Rechtenbach, passes near Freinsheim, it does not pass through it. Instead, Freinsheim offers a series of short, mostly family-friendly circuits, such as the Wanderweg “Schwarzes Kreuz”, through a named vineyard area.
Biking: Radweg Deutsche Weinstrasse, the 95 kilometer-long (almost 60 miles) cycling trail from Bockenheim to the border town of Schweigen-Rechtenbach), passes through Freinsheim.
Car: Deutsche Weinstrasse, the thematic car route from Bockenheim to the border town of Schweigen-Rechtenbach, passes near Freinsheim.
End of January each year, the Musikantenbuckel area is the venue for the Rotweinwanderung, a walking wine and culinary festival. During this weekend, the Rotweinwanderung Weinwanderweg generally follows the same itinerary as the Musikantenbuckel Wanderweg, but is a bit shorter.
Musikantenbuckel refers to a named vineyard parcel. Freinsheim also has two others: Schwarzes Kreuz and Oschelskopf, with a hiking trail through them, the Schwarzes Kreuz trail. Combining this trail with the Musikantenbuckel would cover all of Freinsheim’s named vineyards, and provide a longer (about 14 kilometer) easy hike.
Arriving by train will add about 900 meters. From there follow: Bahnhofstr-Hauptstr, to arrive at the Rathaus, the official start.
On a dark December day, Christmas Eve 2017, the raw wind cut like a knife atop the Hexen Berg above Winningen. The beautiful views of the Moselle Valley from above, belied an ugly past here. Hexen Berg means Witch Mountain, and here, from 1641 to 1651, many so-called witches were cruelly burned alive during a period of great superstition and intolerance.
Trail Type: Short distance; well-maintained, varied surfaces (grass, earthen, paved; signage good in some places, but lacking in others along the trail
Length: 8 kilometers/5 miles
Convenient to: Koblenz, Germany
Marking: Red witch on a white background (See photo above.)
