What an amazing hike! Folks at work had told me this was a 'must-do' and they were right. With autumn now upon us, it won't be long until it will be simply too cold to get out and do these sorts of walks.
But today was marvellous ... eventually! The morning was quite cool (about 3 degrees C) and misty but it was almost as if the sun decided on having one last surge of warmth before autumn really kicks in. It broke through the clouds, burnt off the mist and it was actually warm on some sections of the track; perfect weather for hiking. So loaded up with a couple of salad rolls from Bonn, I climbed aboard the RB30 train and headed to Altenahr. A little research on the Web showed that Altenahr is the start if the Rotweinwanderweg (Red Wine Trail). I found it a little difficult to get a lot of info on the trail but was encouraged by what I found.
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| This sign is a little more exotic than the standard Rotweinwanderweg notices but this one marks the formal start of the trail in Altenahr |
For all you budding hikers don't be worried! Simply get off the train in Altenahr, walk to the left hand side of the station and there you will see the first of many Rotweinwanderweg (Red Wine Trail) signs. They are simply everywhere along the trail so there are no real navigation issues to worry about. Follow the signs and they will guide you to your destination.
The other thing you can't fail to miss as you head up the main street of Altenahr is the ruined 13th Century castle that dominates the main hill at the end of town. The trail takes you on a circuitous route to the castle but it does eventually get you there.
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| The route may be a little circuitous but with paths like this, it is difficult to complain! |
Alternately, you can climb straight to the castle and then head off to the trail. But in either case, you must check out the castle! What remains only hints at the scale of the complex it must have been. Remnants of the chapel are still in place and the views from the summit back down the valley are stunning. This was still early in the morning and the sun hadn't poked through the clouds yet. As such, the mists were swirling in the valley and providing an eerie backdrop to the town below.
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| The village of Altenahr lies in the valley below the ruins of Burg Ahr, dominating the rocky tor at the left of the picture |
The castle began its life in 1244 but had a series of renovations through until the 1400's. The ruins suggest immense power and control over the valley and its inhabitants. A continuous and imposing edifice, reminding the locals just who really was boss!
Back on the trail and we head off toward Mayschoss.
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| Mayschoss appears through the edges of the forest on the Rotweinwanderweg |
Although it is called the Rotweinwanderweg (Red Wine Trail), there are no signs of grapes so far; instead we are in forest. As I said earlier, autumn is upon us and the trees are beginning their transition from green to golden yellows and russet reds. But the foliage is still heavy enough to shield the village below. But I know it is there as the Sunday morning church bells peal their entreaty to the Mayschoss locals; reminding them that the sermon will begin in 10 or so minutes.
The village then peeks through and the vines begin to reveal themselves. For the rest of the trail, it is grape vines that dominate the terrain.
The trail is lovely in that it winds itself around the hills, about one half to town thirds up the side of the hill. This provides a wonderful view of the local villages, the river and the railway line but comes at a physical price. You're rarely walking on level ground; it's either up or down so the walk can be heavy going.
As I'm about to leave the Mayschoss valley, the church bells have stopped but a brass band is now wailing away, providing an enthusiastic rendition of 'Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home' with just enough tuba to give it a real ‘oom-pah band’ feel. I can't see the band but the acoustics of the valley deliver the song as clear as the church bells earlier.
The other neat part of a wine trail is that I must have passed seven or so wine vendors along the trail. Actually, to be fair and accurate, I stopped at three of them and passed the other four!
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| Local wineries set up tents like these all along the Rotweinwanderweg; a wonderful break from walking and a more robust form of rehydration than just water! |
I tried a non-alcoholic sparkling red which was nice and refreshing, having just come up a serious ascent along the trail. The other two red wines I had were sweet but good; really hitting the spot after a little exercise. 100ml samples seem to go for between 1.5 and 2 Euro.
The trail is a delight. Each corner provides a new vista over a different village. Grapes were still being picked even today and I got to see some of the machinery used to haul the tubs of grapes up to the trails. It seems that the grapes themselves are still cut by hand so there's no getting around the difficulty of negotiating the steep slopes that dominate the terrain but at least they're able to drag the tubs up mechanically.
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| Here's a look over Dernau; note the leaves on the trees along the road near the left of the photo; the colours don't really cut through in the photo but I can assure you that autumn is now 'on' in the Ahr valley |
I made it as far as Ahrweiler (the subject of an earlier blog) and headed down and caught the train back to Bonn. The little guide I downloaded suggests that I covered about 20km of the total 35km for the Rotweinwanderweg (Red Wine Trail).
This is not an easy walk. As the photos suggest, there is plenty of undulation on the journey. Apart from a few sections where the trail narrows to single file, it is invariably wide and paved about half of the time. There are no stairs but there are also few sections where it is flat. You're usually going up or down! But these views are sensational.
The other neat part is that you follow the Ahr river which the railway also follows. Walk until you get tired and then simply catch the train back to your car or (like me) back to Bonn.
One of the great day walks I have done; enjoy the views, the history and, of course, the wine!
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