Keschdezeit in the Palatinate: Hikes in the Land of Sweet Chestnuts

Keschde is the local term for sweet chestnuts in the Palatinate. The Romans once brought this type of tree to the region. Nowadays, the fruit is closely tied to the culture and lifestyle of the area, inspiring people to hike.

Romans introduced the sweet chestnut to the Palatinate along with wine, probably to supply their troops with 'the bread of the poor' and keep them cheerful with drinks. Since then, chestnuts have thrived in the Palatinate Forest. There are even special hiking trails inviting visitors to collect them in the fall and, in many places, to try them.

The most famous is the approximately 60-kilometer-long Keschdeweg that leads from the Palatinate Forest near Hauenstein over Annweiler am Trifels to the German Wine Route. The trail runs with the forest always on your left, in four stages to Neustadt an der Weinstraße. There are also numerous smaller loop tours ideal for day trips. Here we introduce you to five of them.

In the fall, when the small spiky packages open and reveal their fruits, numerous hikers in the Palatinate go on tours to collect them. The same can be said on the six-kilometer-long Loop Tour near Maikammer where eager collectors can hardly lift their gaze.

The journey begins at the parking lot Breitenberg on Kalmithöhenstraße. The loop starts with a narrow forest path that winds through a pine forest until reaching the first chestnut trees. The second part runs along the edge of the forest over the Palatinate Keschdeweg, offering fantastic views over the Rhine plain. The final third of the tour takes hikers uphill through a mixed forest, also home to many chestnut trees.

Near the end of the tour, the path runs under Kalmithöhenstraße through a small pedestrian tunnel. After a final small ascent, the parking lot comes into view.

The Keschde Erlebnisweg is especially suitable for families: over about six kilometers, young and old hikers can learn a lot about the spiky fruit at twelve stations. The loop is also stroller-friendly and takes about two hours.

The starting point is the hiking parking lot Ahlmühle above Annweiler, where the first information board about Keschde and a small play station invite visitors. It consists of wooden logs stacked like in a game of Mikado. In the Wald-Typen station, looking through a window reveals how the forest has changed over time.

At another station, eager visitors can learn what all can be made from chestnut wood, such as hammocks that can be tested right away: Hanging in tree canopies - truly an experiential path.

Tip: The free SÜW Experience App enhances the tour with audio stations and films. Once downloaded, the app works offline.

King Ludwig I of Bavaria once built a residence in the Palatinate based on Italian design: Schloss Villa Ludwigshöhe. Today, the building, intended as a summer residence, remains a focal point high above the community of Edenkoben on the Wine Route. The work of painter Max Slevogt (1868-1932) now has a permanent place in its rooms.

The eleven-kilometer-long Hiking Trail tracing King Ludwig's steps starts at the castle. It winds in large loops through the sweet chestnut forest up to the Schön Punkt, an observation point where King Ludwig I is said to have enjoyed views of the Rhine plain.

A better view of the landscape can be found at the ruins of Rietburg Castle. The path climbs past the wildlife park behind the castle to the Ludwig Tower, the highest point of the hike. From there, it descends past Kohlplatz, through the Triefenbach Valley to Hilschweiher and finally slightly uphill to the starting point at Schloss Villa Ludwigshöhe.

Even the chestnut trails aren't complete without wine. There's a Gourmet Tour that combines the Palatinate Keschdeweg with a wine exploration. The nearly eleven-kilometer loop starts at the St. Annagut wine tavern in Burrweiler, winding through the village's narrow streets before continuing through the vineyards.

A relatively short Loop Hiking Trail follows the geological and ecological educational trail in the renowned Kastanienbusch vineyard. Over a stretch of 3.5 kilometers, eleven stations explain how ecological, geological, and viticultural factors work together.

The starting point is the hiking parking lot at the Birkweiler Kastanienbusch. Birkweiler is a wine-growing town known for one of the most famous vineyards along the Southern Wine Route, Kastanienbusch. Besides the exquisite wine, the Hohenberg observation tower is also popular (always accessible). In good weather, you have a wide view over the Rhine plain to the Odenwald, the Black Forest, the Vosges, and over the Queichtal to the Palatinate Forest.

The educational trail continues over the Kolchenbach and a grassy path where informational boards on the geology and terroir of Kastanienbusch are found, followed by others on sandstone and work in the vineyard. The last station of the educational trail, leading back to the starting point, is the wetland habitat allowing diverse vegetation from silver poplars to marsh marigolds. Toads, newts, dragonflies, and many insects also feel at home here.

In the fall, various activities and events bring the chestnut to life in the Palatinate: Gourmet tours by bike or culinary chestnut hikes, chestnut markets offering roasted chestnuts, chestnut bread, chestnut sausages, chestnut honey, chestnut beer, and even chestnut pralines.

Coinciding with the harvest time for sweet chestnuts, the Palatinate Chestnut Days are held annually from October 1 to November 15. From Neustadt an der Weinstraße over Edenkoben, Maikammer, St. Martin, Landau, Leinsweiler, Bad Bergzabern, Annweiler am Trifels to Hauenstein, culinary creations from chefs featuring the fruit are highlighted, along with Palatinate wine.

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