Laufersweiler: History and Nature

Laufersweiler offers two distinct themes to consider when planning your trip: Jewish history and the landscape around the “Folken” juniper heath. If you are looking for a hotel in Laufersweiler, you can decide whether you would like to focus your stay on the sites of remembrance, a hike, or both. The Kappleifelsen Tour leads through meadows and forests to Kappleifelsen and passes right by the heath; you can explore the town’s history at the Catholic church, the former synagogue, and along the Path of Remembrance.

Jewish History and Sites of Remembrance

Laufersweiler’s Catholic church was built in 1842, after its predecessor was destroyed by a fire in 1839. Laufersweiler’s former synagogue is the only one in the Rhein-Hunsrück district that is still recognizable as a synagogue.

The ground floor of the former synagogue houses a memorial room with a museum on the Jewish history of the Hunsrück and a permanent exhibition. Titled “They Were Part of Us,” it explores the development and destruction of Jewish life in the region. Since 2014, the former synagogue has also housed the Forst-Mayer Study and Meeting Center for Rural Judaism.

The memorial ensemble includes the Jewish cemetery, the Path of Remembrance, the Path of Jewish Poetry, and an artistic memorial. When planning your visit, please note that the former synagogue does not have regular opening hours; it opens for events and by appointment. As opening arrangements may change, check in advance whether a visit is possible.

Juniper Heath and Trails

The “Folken” juniper heath is maintained as an open cultural landscape with Skudde and Pomeranian sheep. The characteristic juniper heath vegetation is thriving again in Laufersweiler. The Kappleifelsen Tour passes right by the heath and follows the Hirschbach and Idarbach streams through meadows and forests to Kappleifelsen. There are two information boards about the landscape along the route.

The Path of Remembrance is an approximately one-hour circular walk with information about Laufersweiler’s Jewish past. The Unterdorf village square is also linked to the Kappleifelsen Tour; it is opposite the old town hall. You can choose between a circular walk focused on history and a tour that takes you along streams, through meadows and forests, and to Kappleifelsen.

Rhein-Hunsrück as a Regional Destination

As part of the broader Rhein-Hunsrück travel destination, the Rhein-Hunsrück district encompasses large parts of the Hunsrück, which is part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains, as well as the left-bank part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Large parts of the Hunsrück plateau and the quartzite ridges to the south, such as the Soonwald, also lie within the district; in the Middle Rhine Valley area, the Rhine also forms the district’s eastern boundary. The district has numerous hiking trails, including the certified Soonwaldsteig premium hiking trail. Extensive, well-developed and signposted cycle paths also run along the Rhine and through the Hunsrück. Before setting out on a specific hike, check the current route and certification status of the Soonwaldsteig; for a cycling trip, check the conditions of the relevant trails.

Parts of the Hunsrück-Mittelrhein municipal association and the city of Boppard in the Rhein-Hunsrück district belong to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was recognized in 2002. The Museum of Regional History in Kastellaun explores the region’s development from the Middle Ages to the Cold War through themed exhibitions, information panels, and original documents.

Discover more destinations: Rohrbach, Weiler, Mengerschied, Damscheid, Niederburg, Dillendorf, Alterkülz, Spesenroth.

View the broader travel guide: Rhein-Hunsrück.