Trail Name: Steigerwald Weinwanderweg
Trail Type: Long distance; almost exclusively paved or at least hard-packed surfaces, well maintained, fairly well marked.
Length: Total: 42.75 kilometers/ miles
Convenient to: Kitzingen, Bavaria, Germany
Marking: Green grapes on a white background, scored through by a wavy red line
Continue reading Steigerwald Weinwanderweg: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Circuit du Vignoble (Bike), Circuit de Piémont (Hike)
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit trail; well-maintained, with almost exclusively paved or hard-packed surfaces throughout, marking on the trail not always easily discerned
Length: 10.1 kilometers/6 miles
Convenient to: Selestat, Alsace, France
Marking:
Green circle outline on a white background (hike); Yellow (or orange) triangle (pointing to direction of travel) with two yellow (or orange) wheels, indicates a bike-able trail itinerary, though not clear whether this one or not. Note too, this sign indicates villages and distances to them. With so many trails (and signs) in this area, the issue is finding consistent marking to follow for a specific trail.
Trail Name: Des Vignes et Cabanes
Trail Type: Short-distance circuit (for hiking and biking); well-maintained and almost exclusively paved or hard-packed surfaces; marking on the trail fairly good. See comments below.
Length: 8.95 kilometers/5.5 miles
Convenient to: Montelimar, France
Marking: Either VTT 1, or just 1
Trail Name: Weinbergsweg
Trail Type: Mid-distance circuit; well-maintained and much of it paved; marking on the trail good
Length:
Total – 10.2 kilometers/6 miles
Convenient to: Bad Koesen (see comments below), or Naumburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Marking:
Rectangular signs with green background and white lettering “Weinbergsweg” Below is an older version of the signage, still found in places, and the feature photograph above displays the newer signage.
Trail Name: Wuerzlaysteig (See Comments below)
Trail Type: Middle distance; well-maintained but with very diverse surfaces along the trail; marking on the trail is good, albeit not necessarily for just one specific trail. (See Comments below)
Length:
Total – 13 kilometers/8 miles
Convenient to: Koblenz, Germany
Marking: (See Comments below as well)
Trail Name: Entre Vignes et Cadoles (au Depart des Riceys)
Trail Type:
A short-distance circuit; mostly well-maintained and with mostly hard surfaces (hard packed or paved), marking on the trail only occasional.
Length:
Total – 6.6 kilometers/4 miles
Convenient to: Troyes, France
Marking:
Yellow horizontal bars, or blue horizontal bars, sometimes together. (See the sign above.)
Continue reading Entre Vignes et Cadoles: Trail in a Nutshell
Trail Name: Strade del Vino; Full name: Escursione Lungo le Strade del Vino (Excursions along the Wine Routes)
Trail Type: mid-distance; maintained in most places, variable paved and unimproved surfaces, marking on the trail only occasional
Length:
Total – 11 kilometers/6.8 miles
Convenient to: Bergamo, Italy
Marking:
A red horizontal bar superimposed over a white one. See Comment below!!!
Trail Name: Talauen-Radweg, T-6; – (See also Bocksbeuteltour AKA Bocksbeutelrunde below)
Trail Type: Middle distance; well-maintained and almost exclusively paved, marking on the trail good
Length:
Total – 26 kilometers/16 miles
Convenient to: Neustadt (Aisch) (about 35 miles northwest of Nuremberg), Bad Windsheim, Germany
Marking:
Trail Name: Au Travers du Vignoble de Cahors (AKA 1)
Trail Type: Short-distance bicycle circuit; well-maintained with hard (paved or packed earth) surfaces; marking for this itinerary is very good.
Length:
Total – 6.3 kilometers/3.9 miles
Convenient to: Cahors
Marking:
Very well marked, if following clockwise, by rectangular green and white signs with a white stylized bicycle and rider, and a named trail sign in black lettering at the start. (See comments.)
If your vineyard hike is not chosen with care, you could end up on a trail that is just that: nothing but vines. While it is good for wine education trails (which are legion, but rather short), it can be less than enthralling for hikers. I am pleased to report that this month’s trail was full of bio-diverse flora, landscapes, views, and even had two very different settlements, a village and a hamlet, to enjoy.
I began in Moleto, a hamlet devoted to art, whose Italian and foreign artists live in residence. The hamlet bills itself as a sort of open-air museum. The wall of art is the first thing to notice. This hamlet had an annual arts festival, ArtMoleto, (before the pandemic), and its artists attracted some attention region-wide. There is a local bar, with a gorgeous location overlooking the valley, and a lovely restaurant in the local cantina. Unfortunately, both attractions were closed that day. Forewarned is forearmed – this hamlet can be deserted at times.
