© Gemeinde Perl

Moselsteig Trail Stage 01: Perl – Palzem

  • start: Perl: Maimühle, directly adjacent to the railway station
  • destination: Palzem: Railway station
  • difficult
  • 23,85 km
  • 7 hours
  • 600 m
  • 380 m
  • 145 m
  • 60 / 100
  • 80 / 100

Hiking in one of the best neighbourhoods.

The first stage – or quite possibly the final stage – of the Moselsteig Trail cannot fail to inspire visitors with its proximity to nature, open countryside and its unique views over three countries: Germany, Luxembourg and France. The landscape constantly changes and, with the ancient forests and the wide-open fields of the Saargau– made even lovelier in early summer by the magnificent wild orchid blossom – offers a contrast to the endless vineyards of the Moselle Valley. Sinkholes known as dolina, large karst funnels close to the path, are a fascinating feature of this section of the trail, providing impressive evidence that the landscape here was predominantly formed from limestone. Both Perl and Palzem are two charming destinations for hikers – one still in Saarland and the other in Rhineland-Palatinate.

General information

Directions

The first stage of the Moselsteig Trail starts at the Maimühle (May Mill), only a few steps away from the Perl railway station. On the next 6 km the Moselsteig Trail - with small interruptions - is accompanied by the Saar-Hunsrück Trail. Start off through the May Mill site, cross the Bahnhofstrasse and continue on a path to the traffic circle. You will quickly leave the hustle and bustle of the traffic behind you and hike uphill across meadows and past fruit trees to reach the outer residential areas of Perl.

The Moselsteig Trail continues uphill on quiet residential roads and reaches its first official starting point and the first highlight of this section: the exclusive three-country view (Dreiländerblick). Here, you can have a foot in two countries at the same time (Germany and France) and enjoy the view! And Luxembourg, on the opposite side of the Moselle is also within your grasp. The following section is a true border trail. The many border stones clearly show how the Moselsteig Trail meanders between Germany and France. The trail continuously offers stunning views towards France, and plant lovers can admire the orchids in summer. This quickly lets you forget the strenuous steep incline of the path. Once you’re at the top, you will arrive at the Hammelsberg mountain hut. A beautiful resting place where you can let the first impressions of the day sink in.

The next section is not as strenuous. The Moselsteig Trail now continues, either level or slightly descending, as a path through a forest of mainly pine trees. Once you reach the edge of the forest, you continue uphill. The path runs through hedges and shrubs and after a long path of steep steps, it continues along the slope. The viewing point opens up the view to the west: beyond Perl and right to Luxembourg. The hedges and shrubs have given way, and once the path reaches the top, it winds through a magical beech forest with giant trunks. You will leave the forest on a tar road and hike across a meadow and arable island, passing a row of fruit trees, to the other edge of the forest. The Moselsteig Trail now follows this and, on a meadow path, leads to a covered picnic area. A fantastic resting area in the midst of nature!

After a break, you carry on, past a row of old fruit trees, back to the forest. Soon, you will reach the B 407, which the Moselsteig Trail crosses directly. (If you want to shorten the route, you can also descend here to the Rabüschek parking area). You now hike steeply downhill to the Pfaffenbach Valley. Here, the Saar-Hunsrück Trail finally leaves the Moselsteig Trail. The Moselsteig Trail continues downhill on a forest trail to the valley. This section has a slight slope and you will quickly manage it without much strain. At the edge of the forest, the trail also crosses the motorway which runs over a bridge here. After a short distance on the road, you continue on a dirt road to the edge of the forest at the other side of the valley. The path now ascends slightly, passes orchard meadows and finally reaches the outskirts of Wochern. Follow the Nikolausstraße downhill to the town centre at the church. You can also take a short break at the pretty square away from the thoroughfare!

After a few meters you will have left the small town again and are hiking through meadows filled with fruit trees, through fields and woodland. The ruins of the Siegfried Line defence facilities are only a few hundred meters away after you cross the road to Tettingen. Are you up to a little sight-seeing? On the other side of the road you straight back to the forest. After crossing a small valley, the path arrives at the outskirts of Tettingen. You cross the road and slowly follow the up and down of the path, through the pasture grounds of the at Winterthur. A downhill tar road takes you to the edge of the forest and the Moselsteig Trail takes you back into the forest.

A board in one of the orchard meadows explains the geological features of the region. The limestone shows the typical karst phenomena. A little further in the forest, you will find a sink-hole. Rest on one of the loungers at the edge of the forest and enjoy the vista; far to the west, right up to Luxembourg. The path now continues uphill and passes the access routes to Sinz (good bus connection) and to Nennig (railway station) with its unique Roman mosaic.

Once you have arrived at the top, the Moselsteig Trail soon meets the national road, which you cross on a level section. Continue through the forest, and pass the Lonnenbach at the edge of the forest. The Moselsteig Trail now runs along the course of the river for a short distance and then ascends to the edge of the forest. After crossing a small tar road you will pass the flat ridge. Up to now the view was only open to the south. Now the path leaves the forest completely at a resting place and opens up the view to the west, and you can admire the Moselle Valley!

Equipment
  • Sturdy hiking footwear
  • Weatherproof hiking gear
  • Picnic lunch 
Tip

Take the time to soak up the wonderful views over the village of Wochern. Lovingly renovated old farmhouses frame the square with its renaturated stream: the intricate old timber doors are worthy of special attention.

Getting there

Starting point: Perl A 8 (Perl exit) or via the B 419

Destination: Palzem via the B 419

Parking

Perl: At the railway station.

Dreiländereck (border triangle)/Hammelsberg: There are only very few parking spaces available at the start of the main Moselsteig Trail.

Palzem: There are some parking spaces available in the square with the Moselsteig Trail information board in Bahnhofstraße.

Public transit

You can reach the stage locations Perl (train station) as well as Palzem (train station) by train (RB 82).

There are regular connections. Please note that during the school vacations of Rhineland-Palatinate / Saarland, at weekends and on public holidays there may be restrictions on the frequency! Please check the daily timetable on the website of the Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT): www.vrt-info.de

 

Literature

Literature (only available in German):

"Moselsteig" - Offzieller Moselsteig-Wanderführer von ideemedia, 14,95 €

Authors: Ulrike Poller, Wolfgang Todt, publisher: ideemedia, 300 pages with around 300 images, altitude profiles, QR codes and GPS Tracks (in German), Format 11,5 x 23 cm, ISBN: 978-3-942779-21-0, 14,95 €

 

"Official Moselsteig Trail hiking maps" in pocket format:

The entire route is divided into 3 maps:

Leisure Map Moselsteig - Map 1: Perl - Trier (Stages 1 - 4), ISBN: 978-3-89637-419-6

Leisure Map Moselsteig - Map 2: Trier – Zell (Moselle) (Stages 5 -14), ISBN: 978-3-89637-420-2 Leisure Map Moselsteig - Map 3: Zell (Moselle) – Koblenz (Stages 15 -24) ISBN: 978-3-89637-421-9

Individual maps: €5.90

Set of 3 maps: € 14.50 (ISBN: 978-3-89637422-6)

 

"Premium-Set"

Premium set consisting of the official hiking guide including set of 3 hiking maps. Publisher: ideemedia, ISBN: 978-3-942779-24-1, 26,95 €

 

The hiking guides and the maps are available in bookstores or on the website https://www.visitmosel.de/wandern/service-infos-tipps under the heading “Ordering brochures”.

Maps

Leisure Map Moselsteig Trail - Map 1: Perl - Trier (Stages 1 - 4), ISBN: 978-3-89637-419-6

Additional Information

Mosellandtouristik GmbH

Kordelweg 1, 54470 Bernkastel-Kues; Phone: +49 (6531) / 97330

www.moselsteig.de

 

Tourist information office Perl

Trierer Straße 28, 66706 Perl; Phone: +49 (6867) / 660

www.perl-mosel.de

 

Saar-Obermosel-Touristik e. V.

Graf-Siegfried-Straße 32, 54439 Saarburg; Phone: +49 (6581) / 995980

www.saar-obermosel.de

Pavings

  • Unknown (97%)
  • Hiking Trail (3%)

Weather

This tour is presented by: Mosel. Faszination Urlaub, Author: Mosellandtouristik GmbH

Next steps
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