ENJOY & HIKE
GUIDED WINE HIKE
FOR YOUNG AND OLD
SMALL VINEYARD RALLY
At four of our vineyard sites you will find panels with information about the vineyard. The challenge: Find all four panels and the answers to our questions behind the QR codes. It takes a little less than an hour on foot and you cover about 4km.
All you need is a smartphone with a QR code scanner. The iPhone has the function integrated in the camera app, many Android phones have a similar function or many apps in the PlayStore.
From the Gebert Winery, we first head uphill towards the Wasserhaus in the street of the same name and continue into the Siefersheimer Heerkretz, over the Biggsestick onto the Golden Horn and past the Brandungskliff downhill again towards the centre of Siefersheim. But we don’t want to give too much away – here we go on what is probably the most unconventional hike in Siefersheim:
SIGNPOSTED ROUTES
BÄNKELCHES-ROUTE, HIWWELTOUR “HEIDEBLICK” & COASTAL HIKING TRAIL
The Bänkelches Route
On the approx. 8.5 km long circular trail, 15 benches invite you to take a short break at particularly beautiful spots and vantage points. In German, benches are called “Bänke” and therefore give this trail its name. Along the flat and steep vineyard sites of Siefersheim, a varied landscape awaits hikers. Small and large areas of heath, woods and scrubland decorate the stony ground, but here and there provide glimpses of the million-year-old volcanic rock. The highlights of the route are certainly the Ajax Tower, the Brandungskliff, the view of enchanted church and castle ruins and the many cute little vineyard houses.
The differences in altitude on the hike are not too great, but the way up is richly rewarded: at the highest point of the route (266 m), the “most beautiful wine view 2016” awaits you right next to the Winzeralm, where, with a bit of luck with the weather conditions, wine is served on many weekends throughout the year. Once back at the bottom, we invite you to visit the vineyard on Sundays during the warm seasons.
The hike on the circular route takes a little over two hours for ambitious hikers, and about three hours at a walking pace. The path is very well signposted with the logo of the route, a wine glass and a bench. From the hikers’ car park, simply head towards the centre of the village and then up Sandgasse, past the winery in our case, to the end of the road and the first Bänkelches signpost in the green.
Tip: Once a year, always on the last Sunday in September, we and many other Siefersheim winegrowers serve wine along the route from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and also treat hikers to a variety of food.
The Hiwweltour “Heideblick”
At 10km and about 3.5 hours hiking time, the Hiwweltour is a little more demanding than the Bänkelches Route. A good part of the trail is the same, but the Hiwweltour extends the Bänkelsches Route with a detour worth seeing in the direction of the Neu-Bamberger castle ruins and then along the old railway line in the Appelbach valley to the Katzensteigermühle.
It is also nice that some shady passages are added along the Hiwweltour Heideblick without leaving out even one highlight of the Bänkelsches Route (Ajax tower, Adlerdenkmal, Winzeralm, Panoramablick). 190m difference in altitude and 251m ascent and descent with medium difficulty do not require outstanding stamina, but on warm days you learn to appreciate the many benches even on this hiking route. The route rewards the effort at any time of the year with botanical features, panoramic views and Mediterranean flair.
Tipp: On Sundays and public holidays, we invite you into our garden, but you are also welcome to fill your picnic bag with a good wine and hiking glasses at our place on any other day.
The Costal hiking trail Siefersheim – Wöllstein – Neu-Bamberg
Along the former Tertiary sea coast, the circular trail runs from Siefersheim via Wöllstein and Neu-Bamberg over the volcanic islands of the Hornberg and Ölberg – sure enough along the Siefersheim Brandungskliff and the sandy beach. A not only geologically interesting hike with many vantage points, heath and cultural landscapes.
However, if you are interested in geology or would like to complete several hikes in our Rheinhessen region at once, the other two Rheinhessen beach trails are also recommended. You can find more information in the information flyer of the “Rheinhessische Schweiz” recreation area.
FACTS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
HIKING IN RHEINHESSEN
Hiking with a view
Along the Siefersheim hiking trails, you will always come across places with great views, be it at the Winzeralm on the Golden Horn (most beautiful wine view in 2016), at the Panoramablick or the view into the heath. On fine days, the view extends across the Rhine valley to the Taunus (large and small Feldberg), the Odenwald (Melibokus), the Nordpfälzer Bergland and the Pfälzerwald (Donnersberg). If you are not afraid to take binoculars with you, you will find idyllic villages, distant forests and of course the many different vineyard sites on a wide variety of slopes and subsoils among the countless hills of Rheinhessen, which more than vividly explains the diversity of the wines from Rheinhessen.
Hiking on volcanic rock, the origin of our wines
The porphyry origin of the Höllberg, Goldenes Horn and Heerkretz vineyards makes the wines produced on them unmistakable, but also shapes the look and feel on the hiking trails. Not infrequently, one walks through a sea breeze and a Mediterranean atmosphere prevails. The origin of the rock and the smell: 30 million years ago, the Siefersheim vineyards were volcanic islands washed by water. Not only the smell has remained: If you hike with eyes wide open, you can find shells, old snail shells or shark teeth, especially on the rock formations where the waves once crashed.
Steinrosseln: Biotopes along the trails
Time and again, when hiking along the paths and vineyards, one finds heaped stones and fortifications, mostly made of porphyry, also called rhyolite. These stone rusts serve several purposes at once. Certainly, they were in the way of the vineyards in many places, they compensate for differences in altitude in other places, and they fortify the plateaus that the hiking paths repeatedly pass. But they also store heat and release it slowly on cold nights, protecting the vines and grapes from night frost. In any case, they provide a great habitat for insects and other small creatures between the cultivated areas and the steppe plants, dry meadows and heath areas.
Recommended equipment for your hike
Even though the Siefersheim hiking trails “Hiwweltour Heideblick” and “Bänkelsches Route” are not overly demanding, we recommend a little basic equipment for your hike:
- Sturdy and comfortable, preferably waterproof hiking boots
- Hiking socks
- Waterproof hiking rucksack or rucksack with rain cover
- Sun cream & sunglasses
- Rain jacket
- Drinking water (if necessary also for your dog)
- Plaster & blister plaster
- Mobile phone
- Cash
- Hiking map or sat nav
- Binoculars
