The Palatine Ridgeway (German: Pfälzer Höhenweg) in the North Palatine Uplands of Germany is long and has seven recommended day stages. It is the third longest Prädikat path in the Palatinate region after the Palatine Wine Trail and Palatine Forest Trail. The long distance path was opened in the autumn of 2010.[1] One year later, in September 2011, it was given its status as a Prädikat path.[2]
The Palatine Ridgeway runs in a semi-circle initially north around the Donnersberg, the highest mountain in the North Palatine Uplands and the whole Palatinate, then through the valleys northwest of the massif. The start point in the east is Winnweiler, and the finish point in the west is Wolfstein station. Opened in spring 2011 the hiking trail runs entirely within the North Palatine Uplands. Its waymark and logo, like the other two paths, is a hillside in a rectangular field, but with the difference that it is in blue and white, and has a stylised cloud and the name of the path.
The path, with its climbs and descents, runs through one of the most important tourist attractions of the Palatinate: the large, forested, hill range of the North Palatine Uplands. The route has of uphill and of the downhill gradient. Its lowest point is at in the small town of Meisenheim and its highest point, at, is the summit of the Donnersberg. In addition, the trail runs in places through the valleys of the Alsenz, Moschel, Glan and Lauter, which belong to the river system of the Rhine tributary, the Nahe.
Some of the stations and sights are managed comprehensively by various interest groups.[3] [4]
Chapel of the Cross
Weiße Grube visitor mine
Keltenwall, Ludwigsturm and Donnersberg Transmitter
Ring of castles around the massif: Falkenstein Tannenfels, Wildenstein, Hohenfels und Ruppertsecken
Turmuhren Museum
Ruins of "Moschelland Castle"
Historic Altstadt
Castles of Alt-Wolfstein and Neu-Wolfstein