Nothweiler between forests, the border and castles

Nothweiler lies in the southern part of the Palatinate Forest Nature Park and combines a forest-dominated landscape with border history and castles. Shady forests, hills and extensive orchards form the local setting, along with trails of clearly different lengths and themes. When planning accommodation, first consider whether your stay will focus mainly on forests, hiking or culture.

Forest landscape and cross-border natural area

Nothweiler is connected to the cross-border Palatinate Forest-North Vosges UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The reserve is characterized by dense forests, sandstone cliffs, almost a hundred castles and castle ruins, streams and quiet forest ponds. Its network of trails extends far beyond a single local route: 650 kilometers of well-marked hiking trails cross the biosphere reserve, leading to viewpoints, castles and castle ruins. There are also several hundred kilometers of cross-border cycling routes toward northern Alsace and the Southern Wine Route.

Forest trails and routes from Nothweiler

The Nothweiler Forest Nature Trail is open year-round and is about 2.5 kilometers long. Information boards cover the forest and its wildlife; there are rest areas and viewpoints along the trail. The start and finish are at the parking lot by the Schützenhaus. Three signposted Nordic walking routes are 3.7, 6.7 and 9.7 kilometers long.

The approximately 7-kilometer Grenzgängerweg is a German-French premium hiking trail. Information boards along the route focus on the history of the border and the cross-border biosphere reserve. The approximately 9.5-kilometer Four Castles Tour starts at the hikers’ parking lot at the end of Lembacher Straße in Nothweiler and leads to Wegelnburg, Hohenbourg, Löwenstein and Fleckenstein.

This gives you a choice of different distances and themes for planning a day out: the Forest Nature Trail follows a shorter loop focused on forest topics, the Grenzgängerweg combines hiking with border history, and the Four Castles Tour takes in four castles. The three Nordic walking routes add further options, ranging from 3.7 to 9.7 kilometers.

Castles and mining history

Wegelnburg is near Nothweiler. It was built around 1200 and first mentioned in 1246. Described as the highest castle in the Palatinate, it offers panoramic views. Its medieval history adds a specific historic destination to the border history explored along the Grenzgängerweg.

The Sankt Anna Stollen visitor mine and information center have been closed indefinitely since April 2025 due to staffing reasons. Before planning a visit, check whether their status has changed. The level, comfortably laid-out underground circuit was 420 meters long. Its themes included manual ore extraction, a deep shaft, an underground cistern, a ventilation shaft and illuminated iron ore passages. The information center includes a permanent exhibition on mining and iron processing in the Wasgau.

More travel ideas and accommodation options

The approximately 48-kilometer Peace Tour passes through Nothweiler; an e-bike charging station is listed along the route in the village. If you would like to include it in your plans, check its current status in advance. For a culinary finish after the Grenzgängerweg, Nothweiler’s restaurants are recommended for their different varieties of tarte flambée.

When looking for accommodation, consider whether you would like to focus on the trails specifically associated with Nothweiler or include the wider network of hiking and cycling routes in the biosphere reserve in your travel plans. This lets you start your search with the focus of your trip in mind.

Those looking beyond Nothweiler to the Südwestpfalz region will find more nature and cultural attractions. The Palatinate Forest shapes the landscape there; well-maintained, marked trails lead through dense forests, over gentle hills and past red sandstone cliffs. Near Hinterweidenthal, the 14-meter-high Teufelstisch is a popular excursion destination. In Hauenstein, the German Shoe Museum, housed in a former shoe factory, showcases the 140-year tradition of shoe production, the development of the shoe industry in the Südwestpfalz and the process of making shoes.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Heltersberg, Großbundenbach, Niederschlettenbach, Bruchweiler-Bärenbach, Schwanheim, Thaleischweiler-Fröschen, Horbach, Käshofen.

Go to the regional travel overview: Südwestpfalz.