The Palatinate Forest with its bizarre rock formations is a hiker's paradise and has countless medieval castles. Altdahn and Berwartstein are among the most impressive.
In the Middle Ages hundreds of castles and fortresses were built in the Pfalz, Palatinate in English. Palatinate is derived from the Latin palatium = palace. Then the Pfalz was an important center of royal and imperial power. Frederick I Barbarossa (the red bearded one) fortified the region when he became Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany in 1152.
Many fortresses were destroyed during the 30 Years War and the preceding peasant uprising. The ones still standing were ruined by Napoleon's French troops. There was no way they could withstand modern artillery.
The Palatinate Forest covers over 180.000 hectares and is the largest continuous stretch of forestland in Europe. Together with the adjacent Vosges mountains in France it forms a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The Wasgau region in the Southern Palatinate Forest (Pfaelzer Wald) is known for its bizarre formations of red sandstone cliffs. Rock climbers compare the area to the Elbe Sandstone Range in Saxony. Thousands of miles of well-maintained trails promise a hiker's paradise. A network of huts offers refreshments and simple meals.
Opening hours and tours:
Altdahn-Grafendahn-Tanstein and Neudahn are open and accessible throughout the year.
At the Berwartstein daily guided tours are offered between March and October. Weekends only from November to February.
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