Along the German Wine Route | All media content | DW | 21.10.2020

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Travel

Along the German Wine Route

Autumn is the ideal time for a trip along the Wine Route. The world's oldest wine tourism route leads over 85 kilometers through a sea of vines in the Palatinate region — from Schweigen-Rechtenbach to Bockenheim.

  • Germany Wine Route in Autumn(picture-alliance/dpa/W. Cezanne)

    Breathtakingly beautiful

    With an estimated 23,000 hectares, the Palatinate — known locally as the Pfalz — is the second-largest wine-growing region in Germany. There are about 4,000 wine growers, most of whom work in family-run businesses. Their special know-how has long made Palatinate wine famous. Wines from the region were served at the opening of the Suez Canal and were favorites on the decks of luxury ocean liners.

  • white wine poured into a glass (picture-alliance/imagebroker/G. Lenz)

    Riesling rules!

    The king of German wines: Riesling. Nowhere else in the world does the white wine variety thrive as well as in Germany. And Pfalz is the main producer. Here, Riesling wines are cultivated on nearly 6,000 hectares (ca. 14,800 acres) and are available at all levels of quality and style, from table to premium, from very dry to rather sweet.

  • A Straußwirtschaft in Trittenheim (picture-alliance/imagebroker/J. Schulzki)

    Wine from the vintner

    This area is also home to a kind of pop-up wine bar — known as a Straußwirtschaft. On certain days in the year, usually between April and November, vintners open their farms and serve their own wine — and only their wine. In addition, they offer small, simple snacks. You can recognize these temporary wine bars by a sign like this — or by a broom attached to the facade.

  • person walking down a trail (picture-alliance/dpa/K. D. Gabbert)

    Through forest and vines

    The Pfälzer Weinsteig hiking trail runs parallel to the wine route. The hiking trail features forests and vineyards, castles and vantage points, wine-growing estates and romantic villages. With its detours, it is much longer than the Wine Route — it measures 172 kilometers (107 miles). You should be able to complete them in 11 daily stages, provided you don't make too many stops at the wineries.

  • Germany Wine Route Hambacher Schloss

    Steeped in German history

    If you walk the Pfälzer Weinsteig, you will pass the cradle of German democracy, Hambach Castle. The Hambach Festival took place there in 1832, a protest march for democracy and a united Germany. It is regarded as the beginning of the democracy movement in Germany. The black-red-gold flag was waved at the castle for the first time in history before it later became the German flag.

  • Germany Wine Route Castle Trifels (picture-alliance/imagebroker/W. Bahnmüller)

    From castle to castle

    On the hilltops of the Palatinate Forest, the foothills of which border the wine route to the west, there are several castle ruins. Most of them date back to the time of the Salians and Staufers who ruled there. The most famous is Trifels Castle, where the imperial jewels of the German emperors were kept for centuries — and King Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart, was imprisoned.

  • Germany Wine Route Villa Ludwigshöhe (picture-alliance/imagebroker/W. Dieterich)

    Like Tuscany

    The Palatinate belonged to Bavaria between 1816 and 1956. Dating from this time is the Villa Ludwigshöhe, the summer residence of King Ludwig I. Perhaps he thought to himself: Why travel to Tuscany when I have the Palatinate on my front doorstep? And he created a heavenly idyll that the public can visit today.

  • Germany Wine Route Vineyard Hike in Siebeldingen (picture-alliance/blickwinkel/S. Oehlschlaeger)

    In the realm of gourmets

    The people of the Palatinate are considered to be people of pleasure. And so there are also delicious treats for tourists — whether as part of a culinary vineyard walk (pictured), or wine tastings at vineyards, or in vinotheques. Even in the woods, no one has to forego enjoyment. Numerous managed cabins also invite you to take a hearty break.

  • Germany Bad Dürkheim | Atmosphere | Evening view of the opening of the Sausage market t (Wittek/dpa/picture-alliance)

    Sausage and wine

    The Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt, in Bad Dürkheim, is considered to be the largest wine festival in the world. It has its roots in the 12th century, when the people of Dürkheim had the idea to provide pilgrims with food and drink. The name of the folk festival refers to the Palatinate's second passion — sausage. In 2020, however, the folk festival was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Deutschland Weinstraße Schweigener Weintor (picture-alliance/imagebroker/M. Mucha)

    German Wine Gate

    The wine gate marks the beginning or end of the German wine route, depending on where one starts. It is located in Schweigen-Rechtenbach, directly on the French border. It was built in 1935 by Hitler's National Socialists, just as the wine route can be traced back to them. It was invented to market the region to tourists.


  • Germany Wine Route in Autumn(picture-alliance/dpa/W. Cezanne)

    Breathtakingly beautiful

    With an estimated 23,000 hectares, the Palatinate — known locally as the Pfalz — is the second-largest wine-growing region in Germany. There are about 4,000 wine growers, most of whom work in family-run businesses. Their special know-how has long made Palatinate wine famous. Wines from the region were served at the opening of the Suez Canal and were favorites on the decks of luxury ocean liners.

  • white wine poured into a glass (picture-alliance/imagebroker/G. Lenz)

    Riesling rules!

    The king of German wines: Riesling. Nowhere else in the world does the white wine variety thrive as well as in Germany. And Pfalz is the main producer. Here, Riesling wines are cultivated on nearly 6,000 hectares (ca. 14,800 acres) and are available at all levels of quality and style, from table to premium, from very dry to rather sweet.

  • A Straußwirtschaft in Trittenheim (picture-alliance/imagebroker/J. Schulzki)

    Wine from the vintner

    This area is also home to a kind of pop-up wine bar — known as a Straußwirtschaft. On certain days in the year, usually between April and November, vintners open their farms and serve their own wine — and only their wine. In addition, they offer small, simple snacks. You can recognize these temporary wine bars by a sign like this — or by a broom attached to the facade.

  • person walking down a trail (picture-alliance/dpa/K. D. Gabbert)

    Through forest and vines

    The Pfälzer Weinsteig hiking trail runs parallel to the wine route. The hiking trail features forests and vineyards, castles and vantage points, wine-growing estates and romantic villages. With its detours, it is much longer than the Wine Route — it measures 172 kilometers (107 miles). You should be able to complete them in 11 daily stages, provided you don't make too many stops at the wineries.

  • Germany Wine Route Hambacher Schloss

    Steeped in German history

    If you walk the Pfälzer Weinsteig, you will pass the cradle of German democracy, Hambach Castle. The Hambach Festival took place there in 1832, a protest march for democracy and a united Germany. It is regarded as the beginning of the democracy movement in Germany. The black-red-gold flag was waved at the castle for the first time in history before it later became the German flag.

  • Germany Wine Route Castle Trifels (picture-alliance/imagebroker/W. Bahnmüller)

    From castle to castle

    On the hilltops of the Palatinate Forest, the foothills of which border the wine route to the west, there are several castle ruins. Most of them date back to the time of the Salians and Staufers who ruled there. The most famous is Trifels Castle, where the imperial jewels of the German emperors were kept for centuries — and King Richard I, known as Richard the Lionheart, was imprisoned.

  • Germany Wine Route Villa Ludwigshöhe (picture-alliance/imagebroker/W. Dieterich)

    Like Tuscany

    The Palatinate belonged to Bavaria between 1816 and 1956. Dating from this time is the Villa Ludwigshöhe, the summer residence of King Ludwig I. Perhaps he thought to himself: Why travel to Tuscany when I have the Palatinate on my front doorstep? And he created a heavenly idyll that the public can visit today.

  • Germany Wine Route Vineyard Hike in Siebeldingen (picture-alliance/blickwinkel/S. Oehlschlaeger)

    In the realm of gourmets

    The people of the Palatinate are considered to be people of pleasure. And so there are also delicious treats for tourists — whether as part of a culinary vineyard walk (pictured), or wine tastings at vineyards, or in vinotheques. Even in the woods, no one has to forego enjoyment. Numerous managed cabins also invite you to take a hearty break.

  • Germany Bad Dürkheim | Atmosphere | Evening view of the opening of the Sausage market t (Wittek/dpa/picture-alliance)

    Sausage and wine

    The Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt, in Bad Dürkheim, is considered to be the largest wine festival in the world. It has its roots in the 12th century, when the people of Dürkheim had the idea to provide pilgrims with food and drink. The name of the folk festival refers to the Palatinate's second passion — sausage. In 2020, however, the folk festival was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Deutschland Weinstraße Schweigener Weintor (picture-alliance/imagebroker/M. Mucha)

    German Wine Gate

    The wine gate marks the beginning or end of the German wine route, depending on where one starts. It is located in Schweigen-Rechtenbach, directly on the French border. It was built in 1935 by Hitler's National Socialists, just as the wine route can be traced back to them. It was invented to market the region to tourists.


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