Discover Donnersberg District

In Donnersberg District, you can focus your trip planning on a range of themes: hiking, mining history, experiences at Eiswoog or winegrowing. At 687 metres, the Donnersberg is the highest elevation in the Palatinate. It covers around 2,400 hectares, is almost entirely forested and stretches diagonally for up to 7.5 kilometres. The landscape, culture and specific activities each offer their own way to experience the region.

Hiking and viewpoints

The Donnersberg is a popular hiking destination. The Ludwigsturm circular trail is 6.7 kilometres long, starts at Haus Linn in Dannenfels and leads to the Ludwigsturm. The 26.9-metre-high stone tower has 142 steps; from the top, views extend across the North Palatinate Uplands, the Palatinate Forest, the Black Forest and the Vosges. The Ludwigsturm is currently closed for renovation work. Take this closure into account when planning your outing.

Another hiking option is the Wildenstein Ruins circular trail: it is 7.9 kilometres long and leads to the ruins. This makes the stated route 1.2 kilometres longer than the circular trail to the Ludwigsturm; the destinations are also different. Falkenstein Castle ruins offer a different historical point of interest: they stand on a former volcanic vent and were first mentioned in historical records in 1135. The ruins and their surroundings provide the setting for the annual Christmas market and the Falkenstein summer tours.

Celtic history and mining

On the Donnersberg, a Celtic oppidum dating from around 130 to 60/50 BC was enclosed by a Celtic wall approximately 8.5 kilometres long. Today, the Celtic Ring Wall consists of its earth-covered remains. The Celtic Village on the Donnersberg in Steinbach features a traditionally built farmstead settlement that gives visitors an impression of Celtic housebuilding techniques. Expert-led tours and changing hands-on activities are part of the programme, giving visitors the chance to test their creativity and skill. The Celtic Village is currently temporarily closed for renovation work.

In Imsbach, two attractions tell the story of mining. The Weiße Grube visitor mine reveals traces of 600 years of mining across an extensive tunnel system. These include medieval mining areas and later workings excavated with explosives. The Palatinate Mining Museum explains the region’s ores, rocks and fossil fuels, as well as the extraction and processing of iron, manganese, copper, cobalt, gold, silver and mercury. Its permanent exhibition, Terra Crystallum, displays around 400 minerals from around the world.

Eiswoog, trails and railway

At Eiswoog, you can go boating, try water treading and swim, as well as hike around the lake on a trail with a nature trail. A paved, accessible path passes a viewing platform offering open views across the lake. Eiswoog is located in the Palatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve and is considered a natural spectacle throughout the year. From Eisenberg, it can be reached by train, by bicycle through the forest or by car.

The Stumpfwaldbahn is another attraction at Eiswoog. It runs along an approximately 4-kilometre narrow-gauge track between Kleehof and Eiswoog, using converted former mining locomotives. Passengers can board at Eiswoog, at Bockbachtal station near Kleehof or at Ramsen West. For cyclists, Eiswoog is also a stop on the Barbarossa Cycle Route, which crosses the Palatinate from the Rhine at Worms via Kaiserslautern to Glan-Münchweiler near Kusel.

Cycling and wine

A mountain-bike singletrack in the forest near Sippersfeld features root sections and chunks of red sandstone. There is a more challenging and a gentler line around these obstacles.

The Zellertal is one of the northernmost wine-growing areas in the Palatinate. There, you can enjoy regional wines and discover wineries. Weingut Bremer offers wine tastings, a restaurant and an event venue in a historic winery. As opening hours may change, check them before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Zellertal, Obermoschel, Kirchheimbolanden, Kerzenheim, Dannenfels, Kalkofen, Münchweiler An Der Alsenz, Lohnsfeld, Schweisweiler, Oberndorf, Wartenberg, Rockenhausen, Göllheim, Sippersfeld, Gauersheim, Mannweiler-Cölln, Lautersheim, Eisenberg (Pfalz), Alsenz-Obermoschel, Börrstadt.

See the overview of the wider region: Rhineland-Palatinate.