This weekend there are several volksmarches on offer. Almost too many good choices!
We have heard that the event in Crailsheim, Germany, is very nice. The routes vary from 5 to 42 kilometers and the doors open at 5:30 a.m. for you early birds. The start hall is at the Hirtenwiesenhalle at Bürgermeister-Demuth-Allee 2.
Crailsheim is only 30 minutes from Rothenburg ob der Tauber, one of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions. If you’ve been to Rothenburg and want to visit another old, walled city, Dinkelsbühl is also in the vicinity and well worth the visit. This could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for to combine a volksmarch with some sightseeing.
One of our favorites is the walk in Bellevaux, Belgium. This event will be both Saturday and Sunday with routes ranging from 6 to 25 kilometers. The doors to the Salle de Belva open at 7 a.m. both days. Be ready for some steep hills.
We all know volksmarching is thirsty business, and Bellevaux has a small brewery that warrants a visit. The Brasserie de Bellevaux has a tasting room that is open every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. For more information, visit brasseriedebellevaux.be.
Consdorf, Luxembourg, is a lovely place to wander through the woods. This walk is in the “Little Switzerland” region of Luxembourg, so expect some hills. The area is known for unusual rock formations as well. This event is Sunday, and the doors open at 6:30 a.m. This might be the year for a return visit.
Closer to the Kaiserslautern Military Community, the event in Clausen, Germany, is only about 30 kilometers south of Landstuhl. Trails open at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Gräfensteinhalle. This walk offers IVV credit only.
Just a bit farther from the Kaiserslautern Military Community, there are two walks in the Saarland this weekend. The town of Auersmacher is south of Saarbrücken, almost right on the German-French border. The second walk is in Hasborn-Dautweiler, just off the A1, about 50 kilometers due north of Auersmacher. Both of the walks are offered Saturday and Sunday, and doors open at 7 a.m.
It looks like it would be pretty easy to do both of these walks in one day.
Up here in the Tri-Border area, we have a couple of nearby walks that look pretty nice. Saturday’s walk in Zonhoven, Belgium, has been a good walk in the past. We have also enjoyed the Sunday event in Vorendaal, The Netherlands, as well. Let’s see, if we do the hilly Bellevaux walk Saturday morning before the heat sets in, then have a quick lunch at the Brasserie de Bellevaux, we could then drive an hour north to Zonhoven to beat the 3 p.m. cutoff for their walk. But that means we’d have to skip a museum visit.
Then we have to decide between a long drive to a very nice walk in Consdorf, Luxembourg, on Sunday, or stick with a good walk in nearby Vorendaal. Darn, there are some tough decisions for this weekend.
Email volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO AE 09752.
