Hiking reports: Walking the Weinsteig, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany Stage 3: Bad Dürkheim to Deidesheim

Walking the Weinsteig Stage 3: Bad Dürkheim to Deidesheim: 14.5km; Height climbed 480m; Time needed 4 hours
We last walked this section in Autumn 2015 on a mild sunny day, with some of our cycling club. In the cooler part of the year we walk or ramble more often than we cycle longer routes.
This is one of our favourite Weinsteig sections, with plenty of variety in the landscape and good views of the Rhine Plain.
We arrived at the station in Bad Dürkheim using tram 4 from Mannheim, a gentle way to sway across the gentle ups and downs of vineyards towards the edge of the Pfalzerwald escarpment. We stepped out directly into the square with the Wurstmarkt fountain, which may indicate the 'goings on' during the annual winefest, disguised as a 'Sausage festival'. However there was nothing to distract us so we walked up through the town past interesting shops, picking up the Weinsteig signs on street furniture. This is Bad Dürkheim as the locals know it with baker’s shops and sometimes even a few market stalls well away from the tourist area around the Riesenfass. The climb began with large villas replacing the shops. We left the major road, soon the tarmac is replaced by cobblestones between stone walls. Suddenly we are lead up through vines, zigzagging up the hillside to the Flags Tower (Flaggenturm). That day there were good views here from Art Nouveau style windows, well worth the extra steps. Apart from the whole expanse of the Rhine Valley and Odenwald Hills beyond, the Roman Quarry from the previous route can be seen.
The marked route follows a rough trail through scrub and some rows of bio-vines, before we reached a few expensive looking modern villas with manicured lawns. Then we were back into forest trails, rising a little before reaching an interesting section in open woodland above a steep slope into a side valley. Tree roots and the steep slope on our left required our attention and nimble footwork. We reached a minor road and followed a marshy trail then a wide gravel path that led upwards, and upwards, through beeches and pines. The quiet of the woods, normally only broken by bird noise or leaf rustles is often spoilt by aeroplane noise here. Overhead is a holding area for transport planes approaching a distant military airport. Soon a narrower, steeper path turns sharply over a ridge then equally steeply descends to a motor road. We crossed, with care, past a boule pitch, where we ate our picnic at the convenient benches. It had been a long time since breakfast. Various hawks wheeled against the blue skies, occasionally divebombed themselves by territorial crows.
The road is about 100m lower than the hillside above so we had a steep but easy climb up the side of the Wachenheimerbach Valley to the Wachtenburg, the castle, our next target, visible through the trees. The castle dates back to the 12th century and although extensively damaged on several occasions it has been lovingingly restored. There are excellent views from the terrace, drinks and food if the place is open, as well as toilets.
After any rest comes the reckoning and we puffed up some steps and along a ridge, surprisingly being overtaken by a 4x4 en route to a cottage in the woods. Then we were into forest over the ridge through delightful woods on springy paths. Eventually we reached a signpost, close to a boundary stone, where forest roads cross at Grüne Bank. Indeed there is a green bench to sit on at this highest point, so we did and squeezed another few drops out of our flask.
There are gentle rises and falls as we wandered over the summit of the plateau then a more obvious climb to the Heidenlöcher, another of the great prehistoric stoneworks dotted around these hills. In addition to the outer walls, there are deeply cut holes here, so it pays to wend carefully across following the markers to the other side. With our group it was also a place to mark by munching chocolate or downing a tiny schnapps, no one was cycling that day!
Finally we began to lose height taking care among the drifts of leaves, tree roots and ankle turning stones. The white St Michaelskapelle appeared immediately below on a shelf of land with a view over Deidesheim and beyond. More knee crunching steep track leads downhill, out of the woods and into vineyards. A fine stone sculpture celebrates wine culture, then down and down, to reach Deidesheim. The establishments of vintners and restaurants lining the road leave no doubt that this is a place to linger, the former summer residence of the Bishop of Speyer. We've often stopped in one of the welcoming cafés, where cakes incorporating wine can be enjoyed with a clear conscience. Some of the best known and revered wines of the Pfalz can be tasted or enjoyed with a meal here, but check the prices shown outside the entrances first.