Click here for this week’s European Volksmarch schedule.
A couple of weeks ago, we received a note requesting information on the permanent walks in Germany. With the weekly listings dropping off, these permanent walks could be a way to keep busy walking throughout the winter.
The request posed a bit of a problem for us because, although we have done numerous permanent walks in the United States, we have not done any in Europe.
Fortunately, this week we received a letter from loyal reader and frequent contributor Nancy Shawley, who gave us the scoop on three permanent trails she has recently walked. Here’s what she had to say:
Bad Kreuznach: “This walk was very nice. The path goes through the Kurpark and along the river. Dogs are not allowed in the Kurpark, but an alternate path is available for them and their owners. The directions are available in German only, but it is quite well marked. It is difficult to find the second control point. Unfortunately, the tourist office is open only 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and closed Sundays. Both the start card and the stamp are only available at the tourist office.”
Based upon the flier that Nancy sent us, the tourist office is also open 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; it is closed on holidays as well as Sundays. This means there is a narrow window of opportunity on weekends, but if you have time off during the week, this might be a good walk.
St. Goar: “This is also a nice walk. Once you have the start card, available at a hotel, you can walk anytime during daylight hours. The book is stamped at a machine behind the Rathaus. Look carefully for the trail markers. The directions are in German only.”
St. Goar is a beautiful little city on the Rhine. We have done several of the regular Volksmarches there throughout the years, and they have always been enjoyable. There are several permanent walks here. There is a 10-kilometer Panoramaweg St. Goar. There is also a separate seven-part Rundwanderweg St. Goar — Im Tal der Loreley that totals 120 kilometers. Each of the seven trails range from 11 to 22 kilometers. If you want to walk the seven trails of the Rundwanderweg, there is a separate book for recording the walks.
According to the 2006 calendar of events book, the start for the Rundwanderweg is the tourist information office. The flier Nancy sent gives three possible starts for the Panoramaweg St. Goar: the Rathaus; the tourist information office; and the Hotel Loreleyblick. For more information, see www.dvv-wandern.de/stgoar, or e-mail touristinfo@st-goar.de.
Wiesbaden: “This is another nice walk that is primarily through parks and woods. It seems to be three-quarters uphill and just a little steep downhill at the end. Although it is listed as 12 kilometers, we measured it at slightly more than 14k. The tourist office start point has limited hours.”
The flier that Nancy sent gives the tourist information office hours as 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday.
The DVV Web site has a listing of all of the permanent trails. They are too numerous to list in this column, but if you complete one of the permanent trails, please drop us a note or an e-mail telling us about it — both the good things as well as any problems you encounter — and we will pass on the word in this column. Thanks in advance for your assistance. And thanks to Nancy for getting the ball rolling on this type of Volksmarch.
According to what we’ve heard, the event at Volkach, Germany, is a very popular walk. People come by the busload to attend. There is a lot of food and music similar to Oktoberfest, and the torch walks are very popular. The 6k and 10k torch walks start between 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday in the Mainschleifen-Halle. The club recommends that walkers bring a flashlight. If you prefer, torches are available for 1.80 euros.
You also may walk during the daytime. On Saturday, start the 6k and 11k between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., the 20k between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Sunday start times are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the 6k and 11k, 7 a.m. to noon for the 20k.
This club continues its ¼-liter wineglass souvenir series. This year’s features a colorful landscape. If that doesn’t catch your eye, there might be some of the previous year’s glasses still available.
A tip of the hat to this week’s contributors: Mary Campbell; Tom, Petra and Maya Casarez; Lew Harrison; Wayne Henry; Jan and John Jensen; Ramona and Horst Kechelen; Tim and Luchi Lynch; John and Patty Marsh; Nancy Shawley; Jose Valdez; Ed Whitworth; S. Alderson; and Dawn St. John.
Notes about this week’s events:
Although no times were provided in the brochure, the Original Willstätter group will sing and play music in the Sand, Germany, start hall.
There also will be music at the Serkenrode, Germany, event on Sunday starting at 11 a.m.
The prize at the Postbauer-Heng, Germany, walk is a pair of angels. We would imagine they are in a Christmas theme, but it is difficult to tell from the black and white photo. The souvenir is for both the 5- and 10-kilometer trails on Saturday and Sunday. Start both days between 7 a.m. and noon; finish by 2 p.m.
Our man with his finger on the pulse of the Italian Volksmarch scene, Clark Soeldner, offers this information for the weekend. “The walk in Castegnero is a great walk, especially if you like hills. The flier says they have new trails this year, but I would still expect the longer routes to be in the hills. See you there.”
Please e-mail volksmarch schedule information for any country to two.walkers@yahoo.com. By conventional mail, send brochures (in date order if possible) to: Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09703-0278.
