Click here for this week’s European Volksmarch schedule.
Two of our favorite walks are in Luxembourg this weekend.
Saturday is the walk at Wiltz, where past routes have wound around the hills overlooking the city and its castle.
On Sunday, the walk is in Vianden, where the beautiful castle can be viewed from the hills above as well as from the river below. Make sure to check to see if the Vianden castle is open for tours.
Vianden is just across the border from Germany. Wiltz is closer to the Belgian border. While you cannot do both walks in one day, you do have a chance to spend a great weekend in Luxembourg. Be sure to bring a camera.
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Folks living in or near the Heidelberg military community won’t want to miss the walk in Neckarsteinach, Germany. Less than 12 miles east of Heidelberg along B37, Neckarsteinach is a super little town with four castles (two in ruins) and some hilly trails. The start times Saturday are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the 5- and 10-kilometer trails, and between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. for the 20k path. If you would like to walk Sunday instead, the start times are the same for all three distances: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Again, bring your camera.
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For fans of Napoleon and Waterloo, the Marche de l’Empereur on Saturday in Lillois, Belgium, sounds like the place to be. The routes are 7, 14, 25, 35 and 60 kilometers and will undoubtedly take you around and/or through the massive battlefield. After the walk, visit the Waterloo museums and, if you’ve got anything left in your legs, climb the 200-plus steps up the Butte du Lion monument to get a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield. Beat the crowds and get there early.
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The Ford automotive plant in Saarlouis, Germany, hosts its 34th volksmarch this weekend. The 6-, 11-, 20- and 30-kilometer trails start between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday. Finish Saturday by 6 p.m., and Sunday by 5.
If you’re a Nordic walker, there are three special 90-minute courses just for you. Start times are 10 a.m. Saturday, and 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday. Meet at the Filmsaal at the plant, next to the start/finish, to participate in these separate training courses. All walkers can receive a free health test at the Ford Betriebskrankenkasse (BKK) both days.
To reach the event, take the Saarlouis Steinrausch exit off Autobahn 8 if coming from the direction of Luxembourg or Saarbrücken. If driving from Kaiserslautern or Karlsruhe, take the Nalbach exit. It begins at the Ford Werk, Kantine Halle B.
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The Horn, Germany, walk starts between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday for the 6k and 10k walks, and 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the 20k. Sunday’s times are 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the 6k and 10k walks, and 7:30 a.m. to noon for the 20k. A model semi-truck is the prize.
After your volksmarch, head to the beautiful Lorelei valley and the Rhine River. Explore Burg Rheinfels and learn the mysteries of the Lorelei, the slate rock cliff rising above the narrowest and deepest part in that stretch of the Rhine.
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Thank you to the contributors to this week’s column. We have been in the States on emergency leave for the past month and it has been difficult to keep our fingers on the pulse of volksmarching. The stockpile of fliers that had built up has been keeping us going. Hopefully we’ll be back to normal soon.
Notes about this week’s events:
• For the folks in or around the Kaiserslautern military community, the Ramstein Roadrunners’ sister club, Wander- freunde TV 03 Ramstein e.V., is hosting a walk and bike event this weekend. Here is a chance to get out and support a local club that has supported the Roadrunners.
• The start for the walk in Wittighausen is at the Gasthaus Zur Eisenbahn.
• The Zielhard walks start in the nearby town of Reinheim.
• North of Amberg, Germany, is the suburb of Ammersricht, which plays host to 5k, 10k and 20k trails Saturday and Sunday. All three courses have very short daily start windows: Saturday is 8 a.m. to noon (4 p.m. finish); Sunday is 6:30 to 11 a.m. (3 p.m. finish). This is a close walk for the Grafenwöhr Military Community.
Clark Soeldner, our source for Italian walking information, says:
• The prize for completing the walk at San Giovanni Lupatoto is 250 grams (about a half-pound) of frog meat tortellini. (If you have tried this unique meal, please let us know how it tastes. Just don’t say, “It tastes like chicken!”)
• Sunday is the last day of the three-day fest in Verla di Giovo. You will receive a food discount with your start card. Depending on the distance, there is a 450-700 meter elevation variance on the trails. To reach the event, exit A22 at Trento from the south, or S. Michele from the north, and take SS12 to Lavis then head east on S612 to Verla di Giovo.
This is the sixth edition of the “walk for the children of the street” and the third marathon in Valle San Floriano di Marostica. A walker’s lunch will be served at the end of the walk.
Have you enjoyed a good volksmarch lately? Write the Huffakers and tell them why you liked it. Also, please e-mail your volksmarch information for any country to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Please mail brochures, in date order if possible, to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09703-0278.
