Schwollen: Hiking, Fountain Festival and Sauerbrunnen

Hiking and trails in Schwollen

Schwollen is located in the Hunsrück uplands. The municipality includes around 200 hectares of forest and well-signposted hiking trails, which are suitable for both short walks and longer hikes. You can also jog and cycle on the signposted trails. This allows you to plan activities involving different levels of exertion: a short walk, a longer hike, jogging or cycling. Routes and signs may change; check both locally if you are planning a specific route.

The Fountain Festival and local life

The Fountain Festival brings together the local mineral water companies and the Sauerbrunnen spring in Schwollen. This multi-day festival takes place in the village square and community hall. It also features homemade cakes prepared by women from Schwollen. The connection to the springs and the local cake-making tradition give the festival two distinctive points of reference. The Christmas market adds its own seasonal touch, with wooden huts and Christmas goods. Dates, programmes and goods on offer may change; check the latest event information before your trip.

The village has a bakery that also sells groceries, as well as the Landgasthaus Böß. As local services and opening hours may change, check the current offerings and opening hours when planning your visit.

Trail sculptures and Roman traces

The 2.5-kilometre Götterallee/Sironaweg runs between Leisel and Schwollen. Sculptures of Roman deities line the route, which also passes the Heiligenbösch Church. The church was once a pilgrimage church and is now a parish church. It stands on the ruins of an extensive ancient villa complex. Another Roman landmark is the Siesbach Roman tomb, which dates to around 175 AD and can be reached on foot from Schwollen via Kirschweiler Straße. Along the trails, you can encounter a range of historical themes—from sculptures along the route and the history of the church to a Roman tomb with a known date.

More to explore in the wider Birkenfeld destination

Part of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park lies within the Birkenfeld collective municipality. The Birkenfeld State Museum has permanent exhibitions on the Celts and Romans; Birkenfeld and the Wittelsbachs; ironworks in the Birkenfeld district; an old classroom from around 1930; and the Oldenburg period. So, in the wider Birkenfeld destination, you can choose from several different historical perspectives as well as nature-related themes.

The 1-kilometre Obere Nahe Water Discovery Trail in Hoppstädten-Weiersbach has four access points. It introduces the diversity of aquatic life in the Upper Nahe, including barbel and gudgeon, as well as waterbirds such as kingfishers and dippers, and dragonfly species such as the common demoiselle and the river clubtail. The nature discovery trail “In the Land of Kites, Storks and Co.” has a different focus: it comprises 18 stations around Niederhambach, Schmißberg and Rimsberg. At Schmißberg, these include an aviary with the stork pair Lotte and Bernie, as well as information about the habitats of red kites, black storks and other species. The two examples have different emphases: one focuses on life along the Upper Nahe, the other on birds and their habitats.

Discover more destinations: Heimbach, Frauenberg, Idar-Oberstein, Allenbach, Bundenbach, Leisel, Brücken, Achtelsbach.

View the wider travel guide: Birkenfeld.