Farmyard Route
29 KM I ALTITUDE 48 METRES I DURATION 2 HOURS I LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY MEDIUM
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
This delightful route will take you on an adventure through the Southern Palatinate, featuring flower-filled meadows, vast fields and traditional half-timbered houses in idyllic villages. Hop on your bike and cycle from one farmyard to the next. You can also explore rustic wine cellars and quaint farm stalls when the farmers open their doors to the public (“Gudes vun do”).
STARTING POINT AND HOW TO GET THERE
| THINGS TO SEE
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PLACES TO STOP
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Kandel: Gleis 3 restaurant, Hotel-Restaurant Pfälzer Hof, Hotel-Restaurant Zur Pfalz, Hofmarkt Zapf market, Hotel-Restaurant Zum Riesen, Gasthaus Zum Schloddrer guest house Winden: Zur Hofschänke wine bar, FassReiwerle wine bar
TOUR DESCRIPTION
This route starts at Bahnhof Kandel (Kandel Train Station) in what is a charming town in the forested Bienwald area. Cycle along Gartenstraße and Dierbachweg, leaving the town in the direction of Minfeld. Follow signs bearing the “Bauerntheke” logo of the municipality of Kandel. Just before you reach Minfeld, the route will take you to the certified organic Schoßberghof village market, which has its own herb garden and works of art on site. We can highly recommend that you take a short break at Weingut Heintz and Weingut Lettenberghof (Heintz and Lettenberghof Wine Estates) (Hauptstraße 35). If you are looking to try some local produce, head to the restaurant called Landgasthof Meyer. The Protestantische Kirche (Protestant Church) dating back to the 11th century is located at the edge of the tranquil little village. The priceless mittelalterliche Fresken (Medieval Frescoes) depicting the life of Jesus Christ make this place of worship a gem worth visiting. Take a trip around this “village of art and roses” to check out the sculptures and other works of art it has to offer. From here, it’s on to Freckenfeld. Why not pop into Weingut Helck (Helck Wine Estate) on Hauptstraße if you’re in need of a rest? You could also phone ahead and arrange to look around the small Heimatmuseum (Local History Museum) in Freckenfeld. Cycle on in a northerly direction through semi-natural ravines and bountiful vegetable fields until you reach Winden. Lots of farmers have their own stalls along the road called Windener Hauptstraße, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to pick up some fresh local fruit and veg. Follow the cycle path through the town, passing the Rathaus (Town Hall) and the small historical Nachtwächterhäuschen (Night Watch Lodge), until you come to the Raiffeisenstraße turn-off. If you are keen to sample the incredible flavours of Palatinate wine, you could go to Weingut Kehrt (Kehrt Wine Estate) or Weingut Bitzel (Bitzel Wine Estate) for a wine-tasting session or stop off for a drink at the wine bar called Zur Hofschänke. After a leisurely ride through the lush meadows and gently rolling vineyards, you will arrive at the small historical village of Steinweiler. You will find yourself spoilt for choice here too. If you are willing to make a detour, head to Wein- und Sektgut Rosenhof (Rosenhof Wine Estate) by following the signs to “Rosenhof” from Steinweiler. Weingut Bohlender (Bohlender Wine Estate) on Obergasse is a lovely place to while away the hours too. The Steinweilerer Seifenmanufaktur (Steinweiler Soap Factory) can be found on Hauptstraße. Here they produce soap using traditional methods (you can phone ahead to arrange a guided tour for your group if you wish). Cycle on down Kirchstraße, passing the Rathaus (Town Hall), until you reach the Haynaer Straße and Klingbachstraße junction. A nice track will lead you straight on to Erlenbach. Here the Schönung family run a market stall offering a wide selection of fresh produce, pasta, home-made jams and liqueurs. Upon leaving Erlenbach, you have two options: You can either stop off at Bauernhof Kerth (Kerth Farm) in Minderslachen (where you can eat fresh meat that has been reared on the farm as well as canned sausage and ham) or you can proceed straight to Hofmarkt Zapf market by following Hauptstraße (the main road). If you go for the second option, you will be greeted by a café with delicious cakes in the window, a farm shop and a patio area. It’s the perfect place for a well-earnt rest! Then, it will be time to cycle over a motorway bridge and, going past a petrol station, Dierbachweg until you find yourself heading towards Kandel on Raiffeisenstraße. If you follow the signs for the train station from here, you will soon end up back where you started. Please note that the route is around 30 km without any stops or detours. Every year, on the first Sunday in September, the municipality of Kandel hosts a farmyard open day called “Tag der offenen Höfe”. Farms selling their own produce open their doors and have various special offers running for the day, such as guided tours, rides in apple boxes pulled along by tractors and bouncy castles made of straw. With delicious food and drink and live music added into the mix, a special day can be had by all!
CONTACT
Südpfalz-Tourismus Landkreis Germersheim e.V.
Luitpoldplatz 1, 76726 Germersheim
Telefon +49 (0)7274 53300
info (at) suedpfalz-tourismus.de
www.suedpfalz-tourismus.de
Copyright photo on this page: Apfelkistenexpress auf dem Hofmarkt Zapf © Südpfalz Tourismus e.V.
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