Auen: Discover Hiking and Culture

For a trip to Auen, the Willigis Vital Hiking Trail and St. Willigis Chapel are specific points of reference. The trail is about 20 km long, runs around and through Auen, and passes directly by the chapel in the forest and the grave of the Hunter of the Palatinate. This way, it combines hiking with two named stops. The length can help guide your travel plans if you are considering a stay focused on hiking.

Hiking and Culture in Auen

St. Willigis Chapel in the forest is a listed cultural monument. It includes the choir of a Romanesque church, which was redesigned in the Early Gothic period and restored in 1912. This brings Romanesque and Early Gothic architectural history together in one building.

Hiking trails also run around Auen, with places to sit along the way. Two inns in Auen serve food. If you are planning to stop for a meal, check the opening hours in advance.

More Cultural and Hiking Destinations in the Bad Kreuznach Travel Region

There are other distinct cultural destinations in the Bad Kreuznach travel region. The bridge houses in Bad Kreuznach were built from 1480 onward due to a lack of space. The half-timbered buildings stand on pillars of the old Nahe Bridge, which was built around 1300. The dates make the difference in age between the bridge and the houses clear: the bridge is older, and the houses were added later on its pillars.

The museums of the city of Bad Kreuznach are located in the listed former Bangert manor house, within a historic park. The museums have been housed there since 1985/86. In Bretzenheim lies the Felseneremitage, a place of worship carved entirely into the rock. It probably dates back to prehistoric times and was repurposed in the Early Christian period. It can be viewed from the outside year-round and without a guide; access to the rock dwelling is currently not possible due to a rockfall. The orgel ART Museum in Windesheim is a musical instrument museum and unique of its kind in Germany.

The hiking trails also offer different lengths to help you plan: at 3.5 km, the Barefoot Trail in Bad Sobernheim is considerably shorter than the approximately 20 km-long Willigis Vital Hiking Trail in Auen. It leads to the Nahe River and includes a clay-treading basin, a skills course and various types of ground surface. The Barefoot Trail is a summer leisure activity. Another option is the Hahnenbachtal Tour in the Kirner Land. It is certified as a Dream Loop and took first place in the day hikes category of the “Germany’s Most Beautiful Hiking Trails” competition in 2012.

The Salinental valley between Bad Kreuznach and Bad Münster is a unique cultural landscape steeped in history. For information about stays, accommodation and bookings, leisure activities, wellness, and wine and cuisine in the Naheland, contact the tourist information offices of the collective municipalities and towns in the district, as well as Naheland Touristik in Kirn.

Discover more destinations: Seesbach.

Back to the main travel overview: Bad Sobernheim.