Sankt Martin: Wine Trails, Nature and History

Sankt Martin brings together wine-related attractions, nature activities and historic sites. When planning your stay, you can choose from themed trails, cycling options and cultural and historical destinations to shape your itinerary. The differences are particularly clear in trail lengths and themes: from a barefoot trail to a route through the vineyards and a loop around the Heck cattle enclosure.

Nature Trails and Landscapes

The St. Martin grazing project uses ten Heck cattle across about 44 hectares near the Sandwiesenweiher pond for landscape conservation. The family-friendly Aurochs Trail is 4.6 kilometers long and leads around the enclosure. The barefoot trail is beside the Sandwiesenweiher pond: it is about 500 meters long and includes eleven sensory stations. By comparison, it is much shorter than the Aurochs Trail; its stations also give it a different focus from the route around the Heck cattle enclosure. The Sandwiesen recreational area in the valley has a small lake and benches.

Wine Trails and Cycling Options

The paved Wine and Stone Trail runs for about 1.5 kilometers through the vineyards above Sankt Martin. Along the route, there are views toward the Rhine Plain and the town. Information boards introduce 18 grape varieties and pair each one with a stone or mineral. At about 1.5 kilometers, the trail is longer than the barefoot trail but shorter than the Aurochs Trail. A stage of the Palatinate Wine Trail runs from Neustadt an der Weinstraße to Sankt Martin.

Cyclists in Sankt Martin can choose from circular tours and themed routes, as well as the German Wine Route Cycle Path. There is also a nearby e-bike rental service and e-bike charging stations. The town's tourist appeal includes hiking and cycling, as well as numerous restaurants, inns and wineries.

History and Culture

Local history includes Kropsburg Castle, built around 1200 and made the seat of the Knights of Dalberg in 1441. The interior of Kropsburg Castle is not open to visitors; the castle tavern in the forecourt is accessible. The Lourdes Grotto is a Marian grotto built around 1912 and modeled on the grotto in Lourdes, France. A place of quiet and devotion, it lies in the woods about ten minutes from Kropsburg Castle.

The Poets' Grove was created in 1929 in honor of three Palatinate poets; their reliefs are carved into the rock. The Bible Garden is an outdoor planting of biblical plants around the church in Sankt Martin. The VG Maikammer Art Trail connects Maikammer, Kirrweiler and Sankt Martin through sculptures, galleries, studios and changing outdoor exhibitions.

The NATO bunker in Sankt Martin also dates from the Cold War: it was built from 1964 to 1972 and forms a complex with around 3,000 square meters of circulation space. Seasonal restrictions apply to protect bats; check the current visiting arrangements before your trip.

If you are looking for a hotel in Sankt Martin, you can decide in advance what you want to focus on during your trip, such as wine trails and cycling options or history and nature.

Discover more destinations: Walsheim, Göcklingen, Landau in der Pfalz, Birkweiler, Völkersweiler, Leinsweiler, Böbingen, Edenkoben

See the overview of the wider region: Southern Wine Route.