Information in english

"Hunsrück Heimat" is an internet portal to the mountain range of the Hunsrück, which is situated in the very west of Germany, between the River Rhine and the River Moselle. This website comprises a lot of information about various interesting aspects of the whole of the Hunsrück area.

No matter whether you are following the route of the "Hunsrückhöhenstraße", which follows the top of the Hunsrück, or whether you are ascending the mountain range of the Hunsrück  through one of its romantic valleys up from the River Rhine or the River Moselle, the meadows and fields of this magnificent mountain range will invite you to stay, and in one of the small towns and villages there will certainly be some sort of festivity going on. Events such as the "Beller Markt", the fair at Bell, attract people from the whole area. 

Hikers are welcome any time, and walking tours down the gorges of the River Baybach, the River Ehrbach or along the River Lützbach are fascinating leisure activities any time. Bikers and roller-skaters can go on tours along the "Schinderhannes" bicycle track between the small town of Emmelshausen and the city of Simmern.

There is the big annual techno rave "Nature One" taking place at "Pydna", a former American missile site. Narrow valleys with picturesque castle ruins take visitors back to earlier stages in history. 
"Schinderhannes", a notorious robber the gang of whom knocked about the area some 200 years ago, had his base camp in "Soonwald" forest. Today, the former dungeons are tourist attractions.


Life up here in the Hunsrück is coined by traditions and the modern age. Many artists such as Edgar Reitz, the internationally renowned director who has recently shot the 3rd part of his world-famous TV series "Heimat", live up here. 


There is more about "Idarwald" forest and the "Idarkopf", its highest mountain reaching up to 746m above sea level provide, than just winter sports. E.g., there are the tourist routes of the "Edelsteinstraße" along towns and villages which are coined by jewel manufacture including the German Jewel Museum ("Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum"), the route of the "Schiefer & Burgenstraße" along slate quarries and castles and in the area of Idar-Oberstein there are many further sights worthwhile visiting with the whole family, e.g. the copper mine in Fischbach, the slate quarry in Herrenberg or the jewel mines in Steinkauelberg mountain.


However, there are more sights than just mines and quarries. "Altburg", a prehistoric Celtic settlement and the castle ruin of "Schmidtburg" near Bundenbach, the deer park and the castle of the "Wildenburg" near Kempfeld and the historic town of Herrstein in which the "Zehntscheune" is situated, a café in which home-made cheesecake is for sale. Café Zehntscheune is worth a visit any time of the year, and those who haven't seen any jewels can hardly claim that they have been to the Hunsrück.


There are many attractions in "Hochwald" forest, such as large water reservoirs and lakes, 2000-year-old Celtic bulwarks, Roman settlements, Romantic castles from medieval times, ski lifts and other various attractions for day trippers and holiday-makers.
At "Hunsrück-Haus" visitor centre near Erbeskopf mountain, children and adults can experience forest wildlife, and the wood museum in Morbach-Weiperath is always worth a visit.Here's some important information about the valley of the Middle Rhine between Rüdesheim and Koblenz. It has recently been awarded the state of an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. There are many sights within easy reach from the Hunsrück, such as the "Deutsches Eck" in Koblenz, an internationally renowned monument at the place where the River Rhine and the River Moselle meet, the well-known "Mäuseturm" tower in Bingen, countless castles and other sights. 


The castles along the River Moselle are as beautiful as those along the River Rhine, e.g. "Burg Eltz" castle. Alongside countless villages coined by wine agriculture, there are many ruins, castles and inviting restaurants on the hills that offer you fantastic panoramas.
Those who decide to follow the route of the River Nahe will see a lot of interesting things that are worth to be awarded a price, although the valley of the River Nahe does not have the state of a World Cultural Heritage like the valley of the River Rhine, and those who have been to "Kyrburg" Castle, the town of Bad Münster am Stein or the "Felsenkirche" Church in the town of Idar-Oberstein will undoubtedly agree.

 

(Jens Vogel)