The Palatinate offers a wide range of sceneries to walk through, whether it’s the oak and beech dominated forests of the Palatinate Forest, or the open hill top woods and open valleys and meadows of the Wasgau and neighboring Northern Alsace, you will always find quiet tranquil spots, fantastic views and picturesque villages. One famous walk that is highly recommended is the so-called ‘Wine Road’ that takes you through the vineyards of the Haardt from the beginning in Rechtenbach-Schweigen in the south to Gruenstadt in the north.  The total length of the walk is about 90 km, which means at least three days for a good walker, or you can just to walk parts of it.

To explore this region we recommend a centered accommodation in beautiful timber and sandstone villages such as Annweiler, Leinsweiler or Eschbach  (for the Haardt) with their hotels, wine taverns and restaurants, within a stone’s throw of historic castles like the Madenburg or Landeck.  A network of well sign posted paths connects these villages and a trip can be planned around countless pre-booked forest cottages, ideal for leaving the everyday life behind you

A completely different scenery to walk within is the forested plain of the Rhine. Between Wasgau and the Rhine you find a large flat sparsely populated forest called the Bienwald that extends to some 20km to the French border, within which you can spend days without meeting other people.

Closer to the current course of the River Rhine you find a belt of ancient forest and wetlands formed from old branches of the river preserved as oxbow lakes, known as the Altrhein.  This region is not only famous for walking, but also for extended kayak tours, fishing, excellent bird watching and also nature conservation.  A good base for excursions in both the Altrhein and the Bienwald is the medieval cathedral city of Speyer.