Discover Laufersweiler
Accommodation in Laufersweiler
Laufersweiler can be explored through two very different themes: the region’s Jewish history and the open cultural landscape of the “Folken” juniper heath. The former synagogue and the Path of Remembrance offer a cultural and historical focus; the Kappleifelsen Tour leads through stream valleys, meadows and forests. The town thus offers different ways to shape a stay.
Jewish History and Remembrance
The Catholic church in Laufersweiler was built in 1842 after its predecessor was destroyed by fire in 1839. Another prominent testament to the town’s history is the former synagogue of the Jewish community. It is the only synagogue in the Rhein-Hunsrück district that is still recognizable as a synagogue.
The ground floor of the former synagogue houses a memorial room with a museum on the Jewish history of the Hunsrück and a permanent exhibition. The exhibition “They Belonged to Us” explores the development and destruction of Jewish life in the region. The memorial ensemble also includes the Jewish cemetery, the Path of Remembrance, a Jewish poetry trail and an artistic memorial site. Since 2014, the memorial site has also housed the Forst-Mayer Study and Meeting Center for Rural Jewish Life.
The Path of Remembrance is a one-hour circular trail with information about Laufersweiler’s Jewish past. It complements a visit to the exhibition with a walk that explores local history along the way. Please note that the former synagogue does not have regular opening hours: it opens for events and by request. Check in advance whether a visit is possible, as opening arrangements may change.
Juniper Heath and the Kappleifelsen Tour
The Kappleifelsen Tour follows the Hirschbach and Idarbach streams through meadow valleys and forests to the Kappleifelsen rock. It passes directly by the “Folken” juniper heath and features two information boards about the landscape. The heath is maintained as an open habitat with Skudden and Pomeranian coarsewool sheep. The characteristic juniper heath vegetation is also thriving again in Laufersweiler. Along the route, both the changing landscapes and the care of an open cultural landscape are in focus.
Those primarily interested in Jewish history can follow the one-hour Path of Remembrance, which offers a clear timeframe. The Kappleifelsen Tour, by contrast, focuses on the landscape: its route takes in stream valleys, forest and the juniper heath. These different themes can help you shape your stay according to your interest in cultural history or nature.
The Rhein-HunsrĂĽck Region
The wider travel destination of Rhein-Hunsrück extends beyond individual towns. The Rhein-Hunsrück district encompasses large areas of the Hunsrück, part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains, as well as the left-bank section of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. The Hunsrück plateau is complemented to the south by quartzite ridges such as the Soonwald; in the Middle Rhine Valley area, the Rhine also forms the district’s eastern boundary.
There is also a wider choice of hikes across the district: the many trails include the certified Soonwaldsteig premium hiking trail. The Saar-HunsrĂĽck-Steig runs across the HunsrĂĽck via Kastellaun to the Rhine at Boppard and covers a total of 410 kilometers over 27 stages. For cycling, the district highlights extensive, well-developed and signposted cycle paths along the Rhine and through the HunsrĂĽck. In the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, parts of the HunsrĂĽck-Mittelrhein municipal association and the town of Boppard in the Rhein-HunsrĂĽck district are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was recognized in 2002.
Other destinations to consider for your trip include Sohren, Laudert, Hahn, Bad Salzig, Mannebach, Klosterkumbd, Sankt Goar and Reckershausen. Sohren, Laudert, Hahn, Bad Salzig, Mannebach, Klosterkumbd, Sankt Goar, Reckershausen.
For the wider travel overview: Rhein-HunsrĂĽck.
