Nearby were the vineyards, while far off in the distance lay the Rhine and its famous vineyards. In between were peaceful, expansive sections of woods. These were my first impressions. What these all had in common was the Wald, Wein und Horizonte (Woods, Wine and Horizons) hiking trail, a 17.5 kilometer-long trail circling some of the well-known vineyard areas of the Nahe River Valley.
Trail Name: Vital Tour – Wald, Wein und Horizonte (Woods, Wine and Horizons)
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit; almost exclusively paved or hard-packed surfaces (only a couple of grassy slopes otherwise), well maintained, and extremely well-marked!
Length: Total: 17.5 kilometers/ 10.9 miles
Convenient to: Bingen or Bad Kreuzmnach
Marking: A pair of rectangles in red, with black and red lettering for the trail name, on a white background.
Continue reading Wald, Wein und Horizonte: Trail in a Nutshell
The Traisental is the newest and smallest Austrian DAC region, and one I had never heard of. I decided therefore to visit the region’s trails and wineries. I quickly identified a great trail, the Korkenzieher. Korkenzieher is “corkscrew” in German, and the name of this trail derives from a monumental corkscrew rising above the vineyards, with a viewing platform overlooking much of the Traisental vineyard area. Perfect for a wine-themed hiking trail through this region!
Trail Name: Korkenzieher Themenweg
Trail Type: Short distance; variable surfaces, i.e.: leaf and grass, hard-packed earth, and paved; mostly well maintained, but the route itself is not marked.
Length: total: 7 kilometers/ 4.4 miles
Convenient to: Traismauer, Sankt Polten, Austria
Marking: None
Itinerari Tra I Vigneti 3: Yet another wine trail in the Swiss Canton of Ticino for me to rave about. This one is a twin (actually a triplet) to the one I wrote about earlier: Itinerari Tra I Vigneti 1. (See it here.) Although the two trails share many characteristics, there are enough differences to make each uniquely enjoyable.
Itinerari 3 is a multinational trail! While the trail begins in Rancate, Switzerland, it weaves through the Italian village of Clivio, Italy, before returning to its start in Rancate. Thus, it provided me another opportunity to visit the Italo-Swiss lake region. This trail has water views, unlike the other trail which is set close to, but on the other side of the ridge from, Lake Como. An especially memorable view was from on high of Lake Lugano: a stunning blue gemstone set amidst a spring-green landscape. It was a surprise, a delight, and above all, an unforgettable treat.
Trail Name: Itinerari Tra I Vigneti 3
Trail Type: medium distance circuit; mostly paved, some path, mostly well maintained, and marked in some places.
Length: total – 16.8 kilometers/10.45 miles
Convenient to: Chiasso or Lugano, Switzerland; or Varese or Como, Italy
Marking: Purple stylized grapes on a light background. (May be seen in conjunction with white stylized grapes on a purple background – the marking for mountain bikes.)
Continue reading Itinerari Tra I Vigneti 3 – Trail in a Nutshell
There is nothing like Italian sunshine to chase away the winter blues. And in vineyards in March, the sun melts the snow faster, and the vineyards begin to show hints of life earlier, making a March hike through the Piedmont countryside a true delight.
Add to this the opportunity to taste a light, sweet wine, with sweet summer berry flavors, and dreams of summer flood the senses. In this case, the wine was Malvasia, and the countryside was around the Piedmont village of Casorzo, homeland of the DOC Malvasia di Casorzo.
Trail Name: Sentiero del Malvasia
Trail Type:
Mid-distance; paved in the urban area, dirt, loam or grass in other parts; somewhat maintained, but the route itself is not well marked.
Length: Total – 10 kilometers/ 6 miles
Convenient to: Asti, or Casale Monferrato, Italy
Marking:
Rectangular sign with red and white stripes overwritten “2” (or not)
