What I Learned
The smallest of all Baden wine districts lies within the largest, the Kaiserstuhl. The Tuniberg is an enormous bank of limestone, geologically quite distinct from the surrounding volcanic Kaiserstuhl. It is an elevated area, separated from the Kaiserstuhl by a broad valley, and it is further away from the Rhine.
When I think back on all the wine-themed hiking paths I have done, the Burgundy Path in southern Germany will always be one of my favorites. What is not to like about this trail through peaceful agricultural land, and laid-back villages, in Germany’s warmest, sunniest and driest area!
The Tuniberg is by the Kaiserstuhl, a unique geographical outcropping formed by volcanos. However, the Tuniberg, on the southern edge, is a giant bank of limestone, which extends roughly north-south for over a dozen miles. Its sometimes steep slopes stand higher than the Rhine River valley lands around it. This affords great sun and wind exposure, which combined with a goodly amount of sun for an area this far north, and limestone soils, makes it the “Burgundy Oasis” in Baden.
“Der alde Gott lebt noch” (The old God still lives), at least in the area of Sasbachwalden. A sea of vines, set in as bucolic a landscape as one could wish for, hold the secret to a long and happy life here, centered around wine and hiking.
As the story goes, a young man, on meeting the beautiful young woman who would become his wife, cried out: The old god still lives! They married, settled in the area, and enjoyed a happy life together. On seeing this wonderful trail, in such an idyllic setting, one could cry out the same.
What I Learned
Sasbachwalden is a small town in the Ortenau wine district of the Baden wine region of southwest Germany. It is bounded by the Black Forest heights to its east, and the river plain of the Rhine to the west. The town has approximately 266 hectares of vineyard, and along with active tourism, is a mainstay of the local economy.
Alde Gott is the name of a specific vineyard area in and around the towns of Sasbachwalden, Sasbach, Lauf and Achern. The soils are of granite and gneiss. The terrain itself is quite hilly, with several natural bowl-like formations. The steep-sided slopes ensure good drainage in this otherwise wet area. They can get up to 1500 millimeters of rain a year. To ensure maximum sun exposure, the vine-bearing slopes face primarily south and west.
Trail Name: Alde Gott Panoramaweg
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit on tarmac, grass or hardpacked surfaces; well maintained, and very well marked.
Length: 9.8 kilometers/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Karlsruhe or Baden-Baden, Germany
Marking: Red background, white lettering of the trail name, often on a white metal arrow.
At this point on my hike along the Wi Wegli, I had no doubt that years from now, all my wine-themed hiking experiences considered, the Wii Wegli in the southern Baden wine region, will rank in my top three. This long-distance hiking trail provided a delightful hiking experience as well as a great tasting experience in one. From south (by Basel, Switzerland) to north (by Freiburg) great experiences awaited over every hill, and in every village. By the time I reached Muellheim, I had not realized that some of the best were yet to come.
I left Niederweiler, overshadowed from on high by the ancient Celtic, Roman and medieval edifices of Badenweiler, and climbed an equally formidable slope on the other side of the village, the Roemerberg. The climb was mostly through vineyards. Emerging from the forests that crown the top of the Roemerberg, beginning the descent, I spotted the village of Britzingen. Like so many of its neighboring villages, it is set in a hollow, following along a rushing mountain stream, and surrounded by green. However, the full magical effect of these discoveries came shortly afterwards as I wandered through eerily still Muggardt, the sole lane winding up through the hamlet on its way to vineyards.
What I Learned
The Markgraeflerland district is along the southern-most section of the Rhine as it borders France, in the region of Baden, in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. As many other wine regions in the Rhine River valley, the Romans cultivated and harvested grapes here, and with the start of the Carolingian era, viticulture and viniculture took hold again.
Trail Name: Wii Wegli
Trail Type: Long distance; well-maintained and usually paved or hard pack, marking on the trail very good throughout.
Length: 81.6 kilometers/ 50.5 miles (See note below)
Convenient to: Freiburg, or Weil am Rhein, Germany; Basel, Switzerland
Marking: Yellow grape cluster on a red diamond on white background (Note: many times the red has faded to white. Another note: In the final segment, the trail often follows the Jacobusweg: yellow cockleshell on blue)
