Tag Archives: hiking

Hiking, Switzerland

Ticino: What I Found Instead

In my search in Italy for a DOC wine producing region around Lake Como, Lake Maggiore or Lake Lugano, I found nothing. Instead, I made a great find just over the border in Switzerland: delicious wines from the southern-most part of the Ticino, complemented with great food, and well-laid-out vineyard trails.

The Ticino is Italianate Switzerland, with similar weather and feel to it. It is set in a small piece of land which is roughly bounded by Lake Como, Lake Lugano, and Lake Maggiore. The beautiful lakes are surrounded by mountains which range away in ridges from the lakes in ever increasing heights, ending in snow-capped peaks. This hike began by the lowest ridge, which is also where the vines begin.

 

Vine-Covered Hillsides in Ticino
Vine-Covered Hillsides in Ticino

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Germany, Hiking

Breisgauer Weinweg: Yes I Can!

I had to laugh at the dog. Just yards from the start of this 99.1 kilometer wine trail (my longest yet), the trail inclined dizzyingly, twisting up and away from Freiburg’s historic old center. Yet a little dog, not much bigger than a cat really, trotted past me, his tiny jacket proclaiming “Yes I can.”

A bit further along this trail, I came across a group of preschoolers on an outing: each one bearing a backpack no less than a third his size. Thus inspired, I thought: I can do this entire trail, in spite of the several challenges it presented.

Tots on the Trail
Tots on the Trail

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Germany, Hiking, Nutshell

Volkach’s Panoramaweg: Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name: Panoramaweg

Trail Type: A mid-distance trail or circuit; some medium-difficulty ascents; almost exclusively hard-packed gravel or paved; well maintained and fairly well marked.

Length: totals:

Circuit: 15 kilometers/9.3 miles

Trail: 20 kilometers/12.5 miles

Convenient to: Wuerzburg, Franconia, Germany

Marking: Orange background with a white stylized eye

Panoramaweg Trail Sign
Panoramaweg Trail Sign

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France, Hiking

Beaujolais and the Giant Trail

Gargantua is a literary character developed by Francois Rabelais, a 16th century French writer. Gargantua is known as an epicurean giant of awesome adventures, son of a wine estate-owning nobleman. The adjectival form has become synonymous with humungous. And it was also the name of a trail I recently hiked. So, I wondered as I hiked, does the name refer to the big-name Beaujolais wines from here enjoyed by epicureans world-wide, or does it refer to epic adventures to be found along the 16-kilometer route, or the size of some of the hills the trail traverses?

It certainly did not refer to the size of Moulin a Vent, the Wind Mill, an iconic landmark, as well as a renowned wine appellation, in the Beaujolais region. It is often easier said than seen for hikers in this very hilly landscape. But that was my start point and my end point on this circuit trail to discover two great crus of Beaujolais.

Moulin a Vent - The Windmill
Moulin a Vent – The Windmill

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Germany, Hiking

Hiking Felsengarten Reds

After completing the Felsengartenkellerei (FGK) Riesling Wanderweg, I felt compelled to even out the experience by completing an FGK red wine-themed trail, and a red wine tasting. Because the red routes are shorter than the Riesling trail, I decided to combine the Burgunder and the Trollinger trails, two of several red wine-themed trails that the FGK offers. (The others include the delectably-named Ruhlaenderweg, the Lembergerweg, the Samtrotweg, and the Dornfelderweg.)

 

High above the Neckar
High above the Neckar

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Germany, Hiking

Felsengartenkellerei Riesling Wanderweg

In an unusual move, the local wine cooperative, the Felsengartenkellerei (FGK) in Hessigheim, has mapped several trails which pass through the vineyards supplying the grapes. I decided to hike some of the trails, and began much as you would in a wine tasting – with a white.

The Riesling Wanderweg trail had some great things going for it: a variety of landscapes to pass through, from riverside and fields, to villages and vineyards, with a bit of forest here and there. It was a clear, sunny and relatively warm winter day, with birds singing as I set out.

Riesling Wanderweg Trail
Riesling Wanderweg Trail

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Germany, Hiking

Riesling Wanderweg: Trail in a Nutshell

Trail Name: Felsengartenkellerei (FGK) Riesling Wanderweg (aka: Riesling Rundwanderweg)

Trail Type: mid-distance hiking circuit; paved in villages, and most vineyards, some hard-packed gravel, but also some dirt paths as well; trail itself is not particularly well maintained, but is marked in most places.

Length:

Longer route: circa 16 km/10 miles

Shorter route: 12.5 km/7.75 miles

Convenient to: Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany

Marking: Green-colored gecko and trail name on a white background with “Felsengartenkellerei” written beneath.

 

Riesling Wanderweg Signage
Riesling Wanderweg Signage

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