Frankelbach: Devil’s Stone and Devil’s Tour

Frankelbach lies in a left-hand side valley of the upper Lauter. The Devil’s Stone is located near the municipality; the 15-kilometre premium hiking trail Teufelstour (Devil’s Tour) is named after it.

Valley and elevation profile

The Frankelbach flows through the valley; the surrounding area is part of the Palatinate Uplands. From the 443-metre-high Galgenberg to the Lauter, the valley drops 250 metres over three kilometres. The stream and elevation profile describe different aspects of the landscape: the stream runs through the valley, while the elevation figure captures the descent to the Lauter. This gives you a concrete sense of the terrain as well as the hiking trails.

The Devil’s Stone and local history

The Devil’s Stone is considered to be a former Roman quarry. The quarry continued to be worked from the Middle Ages into more recent times; traces of stoneworking and quarrying techniques remain. The street name Ruhling also suggests the route of an old Roman road through Frankelbach. These two historical references concern different things: the Devil’s Stone is associated with stone extraction and working, while the street name refers to a possible route through the village. This places tangible traces of quarrying alongside a clue to an earlier transport route.

Hiking the Devil’s Tour

The 15-kilometre premium hiking trail Teufelstour (Devil’s Tour) follows narrow paths and has a high proportion of natural surfaces. The route passes through almost 300 million years of geological history. Panoramic views extend across the Palatinate Uplands, the Palatinate Forest and the Donnersberg. The distance, trail surface and views describe different aspects of the hike: the kilometre figure indicates its length, while the ground conditions determine the trail’s character and the panoramic views shape the impression of the landscape.

A designated car park for the Devil’s Tour is located at the community centre, Schulstraße 18, in Frankelbach. This specific parking location adds a practical reference point for planning to the route information.

More places to visit in and around Frankelbach

In Frankelbach, the wood workshop at Eckstraße 1 is associated with an exhibition of solid-wood objects. Visiting arrangements may vary; check the current options before your visit. The adventure playground in Wiesengrund and the “Landscape in Transition” viewpoint at Steilrech are also associated with Frankelbach. Local attractions thus extend beyond hiking and quarry history to include wooden objects, a playground and a viewpoint.

Comparing hikes in the Kaiserslautern destination

In the wider Kaiserslautern destination, the Mehlinger Heide is considered the largest heathland area in southern Germany. Its heathland nature trail is about 1.5 kilometres long and passes information panels and activity stations. The heath is also connected to the Palatinate Forest hiking trail network; guided tours are available at any time. At about 1.5 kilometres, the heathland trail is considerably shorter than the 15-kilometre Devil’s Tour in Frankelbach. Information panels and activity stations are further specific features of the Mehlinger Heide trail. Check the route details before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Neuhemsbach, Dansenberg, Schallodenbach, Ramstein-Miesenbach, Landstuhl, Hochspeyer, Niederkirchen, Mackenbach

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Kaiserslautern.