Nonnweiler: Trails, Water and Celtic Heritage

Nonnweiler combines a wide range of hiking opportunities with the landscape of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park and the Nonnweiler Reservoir. It also has an impressive Celtic history, which visitors can explore at the ring wall and Celtic village. When planning a visit, you can choose from different focuses: trails and nature, a themed walk about stars, or guided insights into the region’s history.

Hiking, Circular Trails and Water

Nonnweiler has an extensive network of hiking trails: four stages of the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig pass through the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park. There are also Traumschleifen circular trails ranging from 6 to 20 kilometers, as well as educational nature trails. The different trail lengths offer practical guidance for anyone who wants to decide in advance how long a walk or hike should be.

The accessible Star Labyrinth circular trail takes visitors on a village walk with 16 stops about stars and constellations. Its suggested route starts next to the town hall; audio content and illuminated information panels complement the stops. The trail combines a walk through the village with a clearly defined theme, without requiring a longer hike to be the main focus.

The Nonnweiler Reservoir is Saarland’s largest water reservoir. It has a capacity of around 20 million cubic meters and covers an area of about one square kilometer. A 12.8-kilometer circular trail is used for cycling, hiking and nature-based recreation. Walks by the water and the Planet Trail are also among the options in the reservoir landscape. The water itself may not be accessed, as the reservoir supplies drinking water.

National Park and Natural Environment

The Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park covers 10,000 hectares; around 985 hectares of it lie within Nonnweiler and Nohfelden. The national park provides a habitat for black storks, black woodpeckers and wildcats, as well as other rare or disturbance-sensitive species. This gives the hiking trails a connection to nature that goes beyond walking the route: the landscape is also a habitat that visitors can experience while being considerate of sensitive species.

An ecosystem has also developed along the memorial path at the Otzenhausen Höckerlinie, supporting small animals, birds and insects. Here, the natural environment is part of a landscape where different themes meet: experiencing nature on one hand and remembering historic structures on the other.

Celtic History in Otzenhausen

The Hunnenring ring wall near Otzenhausen was built around 400 BC as a refuge for the Treveri and later developed into a fortified central settlement. The original ramparts were about 20 meters high and 25 meters thick. These measurements refer to the historic structure and illustrate the scale of the fortification without equating its former condition with its present-day appearance.

The Celtic Ring Wall can be visited free of charge year-round at the National Park Gate at Keltenpark in Nonnweiler-Otzenhausen. Check the visiting conditions before you travel. The National Park Gate also offers a 90-minute guided tour of the exhibition and Celtic village, explaining Celtic life. Another tour lasts 2.5 hours and combines a walk in nature with information about Celtic history and the ring wall. Since tour formats may change, check in advance what is currently available.

The Celtic village consists of ten residential, craft and storage buildings based on historical evidence and architectural models. The different building types give the tour a practical focus: living, crafts and storing provisions are presented as distinct aspects of settlement life. The two tours differ mainly in their length and focus: the 90-minute tour covers the exhibition and Celtic village, while the 2.5-hour tour focuses on a nature walk and the ring wall.

More Culture in the Wider Destination of Sankt Wendel

In the wider destination of Sankt Wendel, the Street of Sculptures offers another cultural perspective: it stretches for 25 kilometers and includes 58 large stone blocks. Visitors can walk or cycle along the route. The St. Wendel Museum’s permanent exhibition features works and objects from the region’s art and cultural history. These attractions are in Sankt Wendel and complement Nonnweiler’s nature and archaeology themes with sculptures and a museum collection.

What to Consider When Choosing Accommodation

When choosing accommodation in Nonnweiler, it helps to decide what you want to focus on: circular trails, the national park and the reservoir are ideal for a nature-focused stay, while the ring wall, Celtic village and guided tours highlight Celtic history. If you plan to join a guided tour, you can also compare the time required: 90 minutes for the exhibition and Celtic village, or 2.5 hours for a nature walk and ring wall themes.

Discover more destinations: Marpingen, Freisen, Alsweiler, Bosen, Eisen, Nohfelden, Sankt Wendel, Tholey.

Go to the wider travel overview: Sankt Wendel.