Darstein

Darstein lies right at the foot of Lindelbrunn Castle. The Rimbach Trail takes in ridgelines, panoramic views and impressive red sandstone formations; Haselstein offers a different perspective on the rocks.

Lindelbrunn Castle and its history

The ruins of Lindelbrunn Castle were built in the 12th century as an imperial castle to defend Trifels. Today, they are maintained by the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate and are considered accessible for visitors to explore. The ascent begins at the hiking car park by the Cramerhaus and follows partially worn sandstone steps. Those interested in medieval history will find a tangible connection here: the castle served to defend Trifels.

Explore the Rimbach Trail in sections

The Rimbach Trail is a premium hiking trail in the Palatinate Forest Biosphere Reserve. Its starting point is at the car park on the main road, by Darstein’s exit towards Vorderweidenthal. The trail follows ridgelines around Darstein and Schwanheim, offers panoramic views and passes impressive red sandstone formations. This makes both the views and the distinctive rock formations the focus of a hike.

The trail can be hiked in sections, as the connecting descents are well signposted. This gives you the option of planning your hike in stages rather than treating the entire trail as one uninterrupted day-long outing. Places to stop for refreshments along the Rimbach Trail include establishments in Schwanheim and the Wasgau Hut in Schwanheim. As places to eat may be open seasonally, check in advance which ones will be open on your chosen date. Signposting and route conditions can change; check the current route before setting out.

Haselstein: Climbing on rock with varying conditions

Haselstein is a rocky ridge between Oberschlettenbach and Darstein, offering a variety of climbing routes. There are climbing opportunities on the west ridge. The east ridge is more shaded, and the rock there is less solid. These differences make Haselstein interesting for anyone who wants to explore different areas of rock; they should also be taken into account when planning a specific climb.

The Rimbach Trail and Haselstein offer different ideas for a day out: on the hiking trail, well-signposted connecting descents make it possible to hike in sections, while at Haselstein, conditions on the individual ridges are a factor. Access for climbing may be subject to seasonal nature conservation restrictions. Accordingly, base your plans on current local climbing and safety advice as well.

Southwest Palatinate: hiking and cycling further afield

Beyond Darstein, Southwest Palatinate also offers a regional perspective on cycling tours. Its cycle network includes six themed routes covering more than 400 kilometres, as well as many other regional routes. The routes lead towards Saarland, Alsace, the Northern Palatinate, the German Wine Route and the Rhine Plain. This complements the view of Darstein’s hiking and rocky landscapes with a separate way to combine your stay with cycling in Southwest Palatinate.

Choose where to stay based on your plans for the day

This way, you can choose where to stay based on the experiences you want to focus on, without combining hiking, climbing and cycling into one single itinerary.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Hornbach, Eppenbrunn, Walshausen, Dietrichingen, Merzalben, Rieschweiler-Mühlbach, Dellfeld, Geiselberg.

Back to the main travel overview: Southwest Palatinate.