Simply the Best

We walk along the outskirts of Ober-Ingelheim, past the Uffhubtor gate and the old power station. A small yellow sign with a book symbol and the inscription "Ingelheimer Auslese" leads us in the direction of Mainzer Berg. The term "Auslese" comes from viticulture. The winegrowers hand-pick the best grapes for an Auslese. Auslese is a distinction, an honour - just like this route! It offers hikers the best of Ingelheim.

It's high summer in the Ingelheim vineyards. Butterflies fly by. White and black banded snails sleep on dry grasses. The grapes are not yet ripe, but in a few weeks the leaves will glow yellow-red and the grapes will hang heavy and sweet on the vine.

We walk through the vineyards and get closer to the Ingelheim district of Großwinternheim with every step. The Selztal Cathedral towers imposingly above the rooftops. It is not actually a cathedral, but the locals have given the striking Protestant church with its octagonal tower this nickname. The view of Großwinternheim, the Selztal valley and the Westerberg opposite casts a spell over us. No wonder that part of the Panorama Trail runs parallel to our hiking route - a not too strenuous tour around the picturesque district.

Passing pretty half-timbered houses and hidden vineyards, we walk further into the old village centre. The people of Großwinternheim are proud of their history, as boards with black and white photographs from times gone by hang on some of the houses. Everyday scenes of a winegrowing village, showing the arduous but also cheerful life of yesteryear.

The red and white estate was always in view from the Mainzer Berg, now it is in front of us. We walk along an old cobbled road past paddocks, barns and bales of straw. Then we enter the grounds of Westerhaus Castle. Built by noblemen in the 16th century, the von Opel family acquired it as a country residence around 1900. Today it is run as a winery by Countess and Count von Schönburg, now in the fourth generation.

We look forward to our first real break and find a shady spot in front of the castle. The view from up here is breathtaking. Over a glass of wine, we look back with satisfaction on the first part of our hike. Half time!

Several circular hiking trails run along the plateau of the Westerberg, including the Hiwweltour Westerberg hiking trail in Rheinhessen. It is one of two Hiwweltours that run through Ingelheim territory and, together with the Hiwweltour Bismarck Tower, attracts hikers from near and far to Ingelheim. The word Hiwwel means hill in the Rhineland dialect and is characteristic of the gently undulating landscape.

Once at the bottom, it is only a few hundred metres to Ober-Ingelheim. We pass through the Ohrenbrücker Tor gate and pass Kloster Engelthal, a former Cistercian monastery - today a pretty winery with a restaurant. Vine-covered vineyards nestle close together in the narrow streets of the old town and various restaurants invite you to round off the hike with a glass of wine and culinary delights. It is a beautiful last section of a varied hike.