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The Stuttgart German-American Wandering Club will host its 35th Annual International Volksmarch on Saturday and Sunday at the Heumaden Sports Club in Heumaden-Sillenbuch, southeast Stuttgart. It’s the hot walk this weekend, and Ann Reed, president of the Stuttgart club, sent a very nice description of the walk and the routes. Here’s a bit of what she said:

The Stuttgart German-American Wandering Club “is proud to be one of the oldest German-American Volksmarch clubs still in existence. This is our fourth walk at Heumaden, and it will feature new trails. The trails offered will be seven, 12 and 22 kilometers, with the shortest trail designated as stroller friendly (the 12k trail does have one set of steps). A Young Walkers category is offered for the seven- and 12-kilometer trails, so bring the kids ...”

“Walkers will enjoy the refreshing beauty of the woods surrounding Stuttgart, with trails overlooking Stuttgart and the Talkessel. In the distance to the south and east, the Schwabische Alb can be seen gracing the skyline. Early in the walk, the trail will guide walkers through the Nature Preserve of the Eichenhain with huge oak trees, some of which are thought to be up to 400 years old, and unique plant and animal species.

“The longer trails will lead walkers to the foot of the famous Stuttgart landmark, the TV Tower, which offers a most intriguing view overlooking Stuttgart and the Swabian countryside as far as the Alps to the south. The 12- and 22-kilometer control point overlooks the Talkessel and all of Stuttgart. You can also see Burgholzhof (Robinson Barracks) to the north.

“The 22k trail is a must for those up to it, as it will take walkers past parks and through some of the upscale portions of town with sweeping views across Stuttgart. Note the cog train tracks on the left side of the road as you go downhill just after the trail split. Farther on, the trail takes you around the Dornhaldenfriedhof and to the entrance to the Waldfriedhof, then parallels cable-car tracks down to the Burgstall.

“The 22k trail returns upward from the valley through an interesting steep gorge (the Schwälbles-Klinge) and back up to the higher plateau trail for an easy trek to the 22k control. The final control is at the Hohenheim University agricultural research farm. Before you make the final ascent to the finish, take advantage of a local fruit stand on the right side of the road just after you cross the valley road.

“This is a weekend you will not want to miss. For details on how to find the Starthalle, visit the SGAWC website at www.sgawc.org.”

Thanks, Ann, for this description. We wish you, and the SGAWC, a very successful weekend of walking. Sales of start cards begin at 8 a.m. Saturday and 6:30 a.m. Sunday.

• • •

Miscellaneous short notes about this week’s events:

• Sunday’s walk in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg, should be another nice event. Located southwest of Bitburg, Germany, it is convenient for readers in the Eifel region. After the walk, you can visit the National Military Museum in Diekirch, or the castle in Vianden. We always enjoy our trips to walk in Luxembourg.

• The Kaiserslautern Sunny Coyotes are heading to Venwegen, Germany, on Sunday. With any luck, we’ll try to rendezvous with them so we can both walk the IVV event and then visit the nearby “three-land point,” where Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands meet.

• Clark Soeldner, our Italian volksmarching expert, says you can expect mountain trails at the Vestenanova walk.

Also, at Sunday’s event in Pozza del Favero Caltrono, you will be walking through high-elevation summer pastures where homemade cheeses are sold. These folks also do a great job with the restoros!

E-mail volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09752.

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