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.

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