Migration
Europe Quick TripsKarstal Gorge in Palatinate Forest in autumn is a photographer’s dream
Stars and Stripes
October 19, 2018
A family walks over one on the many bridges in Karlstalschlucht, Oct. 10, 2018. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
A family walks over one on the many bridges in Karlstalschlucht, Oct. 10, 2018. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
Kraus Walker and his dog, Cindy, take a break on the Karlstalschlucht trail, Oct. 10, 2018. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
A gazebo is one of the many photo opportunities in Karlstalschlucht, near Trippstadt, Germany. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
A family walks down the Moosalbe stream trail in Karlstalschlucht, Oct. 10, 2018. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
The Moosalbe stream in Karlstalschlucht is great for long-exposure photos. The shutter speed on this photo was 2.5 seconds. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
The Moosalbe stream in Karlstalschlucht is great for long-exposure photos. The shutter speed on this photo was 2.5 seconds. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
Moss grows on most of the stone surfaces in Karlstalschlucht, or Karlstal Gorge. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
The restaurant Klug'sche Muehle, in Trippstadt, is a great place to take a break from a hike and get some food. It even has a playground for the kids. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
In Karlstalschlucht, or Karlstal Gorge, the trees break up the sunlight and what is left rivals a professional photo studio. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
The restaurant Klug'sche Muehle, in Trippstadt, is a great place to take a break from a hike and get some food. It even has a playground for the kids. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
A white swan swims in the pond outside the restaurant Klug'sche Muehle, in Trippstadt, Oct. 10, 2018. (Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes)
Fall is upon us, and the leaves on the trees are peaking in color.
The rush is on to get those beautiful fall photographs before the sky turns gray and the trees go naked.
About 8 miles south of Kaiserslautern, there is a place where photos exist at every turn and the light shines through the trees with a heavenly glow.
Karlstalschlucht, or Karlstal Gorge, in the Palatinate Forest, was designed by Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell, a famous German landscape gardener in the 1780s. The Moosalbe stream trail has a gazebo, benches and several wooden foot bridges that cross over the stream.
Large moss-covered boulders line the hillside and stream, and there are plenty of places to stop for a photo or selfie. Be careful; the moss is slippery.
The water flows quickly over the rocks, creating small waterfalls, great for long-exposure photos. All one needs is a tripod and a little camera knowledge. Setting your camera to a three- or four-second shutter will give you a photo worthy of displaying.
A cellphone also can be used to create stunning photographs. There’s no need to hire someone; just point and shoot. Even at noon, the trees break up the light and what is left rivals a professional photo studio.
Up the hill in Trippstadt is Klug’sche Muehle, a restaurant with great food, cold beer and even a playground for the kids. Ducks and white swans swim in the pond next to the restaurant and seem to be used to humans.
With more than 30 hiking trails in the area, the choices for exploring are endless. It can be an easy hike, or for those wanting adventure, just get off the path.
DIRECTIONS: The recommended starting point for the Karlstalschlucht is on the L500 just outside Trippstadt. Just follow the main street, Hauptstrasse, through town, and continue as it turns into Karlstalstrasse. Keep right to stay on the road, also known as the L500. There’s a pull-off near the trail head and a big parking lot about 150 yards farther down the road on the left.
TIMES: Open all year.
COSTS: Free
FOOD: Klug’sche Muehle, Wilensteinermuehle 1, 67705 Trippstadt
INFORMATION: www.trippstadt.de/entdecken/karlstalschlucht.html