Click here for this week’s European Volksmarch schedule.
This weekend is the Stuttgart German-American Wandering Club’s walk. Club president H. Wayne Henry sent the following information:
“The Stuttgart German-American Wandering Club will host its 33rd Annual International Volksmarch July 28-29 at the Heumaden Sports Club on Kemnater Strasse 50 at Heumaden-Sillenbuch in southeast Stuttgart.
“The SGAWC is proud to be the oldest German-American Volksmarch club in existence. This is the second year at Heumaden for the club’s annual walk, and will again feature new trails. The trails will be 6, 11 and 21 kilometers, with the 6k trail designated as stroller friendly. A Young Walkers category is offered for the 6- and 11-kilometer trails, so bring the kids. The march begins on Saturday at 10 a.m. and on Sunday at 6:30 a.m.
“Walkers will enjoy the refreshing beauty of wandering through the woods surrounding Stuttgart with trails providing views of valleys and vineyards stretching to the Neckar River. On the southern parts of the trails, the Schwabische Alps can be seen gracing the skyline in the distance. The 11k trail returns upward from the first control through an interesting, steep gorge to rejoin the 21k trail for an easy trek to the final control. The 21k trail control point overlooks the Neckar, the Mercedes Museum and Gottlieb-Daimler stadium with Bürgholzhof (Robinson Barracks) visible to the west.”
Prizes for this year’s event are selections from previous walks (as long as supplies last) including scarves, pewter cups, club logo glass beer mugs or last year’s coin (a 2-inch-in-diameter bronze coin depicting the SGAWC hiking boot on one side and the Stuttgart TV Tower between the German and American flags on the other). For details on how to find the start, see the SGAWC Web site: www.sgawc.com.
We bought some of these prizes when the Stuttgart club came to Hurth-Knapsack near Cologne a few weeks ago, and they are very nice. Sometimes it is difficult to find interesting Volksmarch prizes, but at this walk you have several options.
———
There is a second “must-do” walk this weekend in Bamberg, Germany, hosted by the Bamberg German-American Wanderclub. The start is at Liebenshilfe Bamberg at the corner of Armeestrasse and Moosstrasse. The distances are 6, 10 and 20 kilometers, and you can start the 6- and 10-kilometer routes between 6 a.m. and noon. Start the 20k trail until 11 a.m. The trails close at 3 p.m.
The award is a battery-operated clock with a barnyard theme. For the kids, there is a nature quiz and games at the checkpoints with a surprise.
To join the Bamberg club, to preregister for the walk or to get more information, stop by the club’s office in Building 7000, (Law Center) basement Room 20, between 3 and 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
If you live anywhere in the Bamberg area and want to get active in Volksmarching, this is the club for you. Go to the walk on Saturday or Sunday, attend the club meeting the following Friday or stop by the club’s office and you’ll soon be on the trails with an enthusiastic bunch of walkers.
———
As much as we would love to attend one or both of the above walks, this week finds us back in Pennsylvania, where we hope to walk some year-round events in the Philadelphia and Valley Forge areas. A quick search of the American Volksport Association Web site, www.ava.org, shows that Pennsylvania has three year-round walks in downtown Philadelphia and two at Valley Forge.
A few hours away at Gettysburg, there are three walks and a bike event. What a great way to visit the battlefield! There are numerous other permanent walks in addition to regular walks sponsored by local clubs.
As you can see, when you go back to the States, you don’t have to stop Volksmarching. In fact, take your passion for walking with you and support a local club with your experience and enthusiasm.
———
A tip of the hat to the following people who contributed fliers for this week’s walk chart: William Castro and Maureen McHugh-Castro, Manfred Dahl, Bob Gambert, Egon Hatfield, Wayne Henry, Ramona and Horst Kechelen, James Kelly, Tim and Luchi Lynch, John and Patty Marsh, Pat Patterson, Mary Jo Piccin, Dawn St. John and Nancy Shawley.
Please let us know whether the German postal codes are helping you locate the walks you are trying to find. We have only received five responses so far.
———
Miscellaneous short notes about this week’s events:
• This week’s creative abbreviation is for the Italian walk in Purgessimo di Cividale del Friule — we shortened it to Purgessimo.
• The prize at the Fichtenau, Germany, walk is an umbrella. After the walk, head to Dinkelsbühl and visit this pretty walled city.
• All of the Frankfurt-Goldstein trails go through the Frankfurter Stadtwald (Frankfurt city forest). The Goldsteinschule on Strassburgerstrasse is the start location for the 6-, 11- and 20-kilometer courses. Start the walks between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday. B-medals from previous walks will be available.
• Walkers in the Kaiserslautern, Germany, area should take note that this weekend’s walk starts in Glan-Münchweiler, off Autobahn 62, and not another local town called Münchweiler. To take home the Weizenbierglas prize, complete the 5k, 10k or 20k, which begin between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. (finish by 5) each day.
E-mail Volksmarch schedule information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09703-0278.
