The Soonwald is one of the largest contiguous areas of forest in Germany. Its altitude (400-600 m; the highest peak is Ellerspring at 657 m), its low population density, and its distance from the large transportation routes of our time make it an ideal recreation area for people seeking peace and quiet. This wooded area is well developed. It has over 800 km of circular hiking paths with observation towers at the most beautiful spots, which afford spectacular panoramas. You can hike here for hours without ever meeting another human being, although traces of more than two thousand years of human history can be found everywhere. There are, on the heights of mountain ridges, ancient Celtic hilltop forts, surrounded by gigantic stone walls which easily exceed several hundred meters in length; there are ancient Roman long-distance roads, constructed some 2,000 years ago at a standardized width of 5 to 6 meters and protected by watchtowers at regular intervals; and there are the remains of luxurious Roman villas. In addition, we find medieval fortresses and castles from the glory days of the political might of Sponheim and Kurtrier. And, there are churches and monasteries in the architectural style typical of Hunsrück with ingeniously painted surfaces and galleries; evidence of a very special race of people, who despite difficult living conditions and scant resources created their own works of art over hundreds of years. A race of people who, incidentally, you still encounter today on the farms of the elevated plains or in the village guest houses.

• Rheinböllen
• Stromberg —home of the 'German Michel''
• Pilgrimage Church Spabrücken
• Simmern
• Kastellaun
• The ruines of Castle Balduinseck
• Gemünden
• Kirchberg
• Nunkirche Church —landmark of the Hunsrück
• Rochusfeld nature preserve
• Ravengiersburg and the Hunsrück Cathedral
• The old Roman road near Dill
• Ellerspring (657 m) and Wildburg Heights (629 m)
• Alteburg (620 m) with Celtic hilltop fort

A picture book worth looking at: Uwe Anhäuser, Kultur-Erlebnis Hunsrück; Idar-Oberstein: Dr. Gebhardt & Hilden, 2000
Wanderführer: Wolfgang Bartels, Hunsrück; DuMont Buchverlag, 1996 und Norbert Forsch, Hunsrück; Deutscher Wanderverlag, 2000
Ergänzende Literatur: Landesgeschichtlicher Exkursionsführer Hunsrück; mit Beiträgen von A. Bauer, B. Lipps, W.H. München, E. Schaaf und K.H. Weichert, Herausgeber: Hunsrückverein e.V., Arbogast Verlag Otterbach, 1993

Rhaunen at the foot of the Idarkopf (746 m)

The Celts called the Idarwald mountain range "Id-ar", which basically means "forested heights above the country". This name seems quite appropriate for the completely forested knoll of Idarkopf (746 m) and for the highest point "An den zwei Steinen" (766 m). The Idarkopf, which is covered with a whole string of archaeological finds, is also said to be the "sacred mountain" of the Celtic tribe of Treverians, who were resident here during the Latène Age (500-20 BC). A notable find in the neighboring forested area are the remains of pre-Christian temples, one of which is a Sirona sanctuary, where a well preserved statue of the Celtic goddess Sirona has been found. Sirona was regarded as the goddess of healing springs and of the heavenly stars and was also known by the name Dirona (= star). The area around Idarkopf was most certainly already settled in pre-Celtic times, as evidenced by the nearby Menhirs (upright standing stones) from the Stone Age and Bronze Age. Among these Menhirs is the prehistoric "King's Stone" at the western end of Rhaunen, directly on the road to Stipshausen. Its origin and significance are, however, obscure. The very long history of settlement in Rhaunen is probably explained by the fact that this location at the foot of Idarkopf is climatically well protected, lying in the shallow valley basin of Idarbach creek. No fewer than 7 small streams flow together here. In the Middle Ages Rhaunen acted as a small economic center for the surrounding community and, at the same time, a "Dingstätte" (place of assembly) was established where the high court for this region convened. The jewel of this town is the old city hall, built in 1723. The upper floor is supported by four massive oak columns and entirely faced with slate. This quite unusual construction creates an open entrance hall on the street. The center of Rhaunen is dominated by a church with a Romanesque steeple with a square base from the 12th century, whose helmet-roof with four small corner turrets is from an even earlier date. In the interior of the church is the earliest organ (1723) made by Johann Michael Stumm (1683-1747), an organ builder who was famous far beyond his immediate area from neighboring Sulzbach, who established a very successful dynasty of organ builders lasting many generations.

Another sidetrip worth making is to nearby Bundenbach with the reconstructed Celtic Altburg Fortress, which was built between the third and first centuries BC and, until the Roman conquest, served as a local center for the inhabitants. During archaeological investigations 35 years ago they were not only able to ascertain the construction of the fortifications, but also drew up a complete plan for the interior construction of this Celtic fortress. On the basis of these finds, today you can view five reconstructed residential buildings and five reconstructed granaries on stilts. Not far from here also lies the Herrenberg slate quarry with its rich collection of fossils in Hunsrück slate from the Devonian Period, 350 to 405 million years ago. In the stone slabs of this quarry are the world-famous fossils of the Bundenbach Slate, including sea lilies, starfish and jelly fish, whose soft parts have partially been preserved in fossilized form. Collectively, more than 60 different varieties of plant life and 240 different kinds of animal life from the Devonian Period have been discovered here.

The Hochwald with its dense forests surrounding the 818 meter high Erbeskopf (the highest mountain west of the Rhine in Germany) is a fertile source of sagas and heroic tales. Many researchers of local history suspect that here in this pristine area of the Hunsrück plays one of the central scenes of the medieval Nibelungenlied.

In this place, according to the saga, Hagen von Tronje slew the noble hero Siegfried at the behest of Brunhilde. In fact, Drohnecken castle at the foot of Erbeskopf mountain is thought to be a possible family seat of Hagen von Tronje. Hagen's friend Hunold is thought to come from the nearby Hunolstein castle. Moreover, the towns of Worms and Alzey —the most important locations in the Nibelungenlied— are little more than a day ride on horseback from the Hunsrück mountain range.

• Birkenfeld
• The museum at Birkenfeld
• Hermeskeil
• Thalfang and Dhronecken castle
• 'Berger Wacken' and Hunolstein castle
• Wildflowers of the Hunsrück
• Erbeskopf
• The "Hunnenring" on the Dollberg (620 m)
• Züsch at the Primstal reservoir
• The source of the Nahe near Selbach
• Lake of Bostal

A picture book worth looking at: Uwe Anhäuser, Heimat am Idarwald; VG Rhaunen, 2001
Hiking Guides: Wolfgang Bartels, Hunsrück; DuMont Buchverlag, 1996 und Norbert Forsch, Hunsrück; Deutscher Wanderverlag, 2000

The Mosel river with its length of 545km, isn't even half as long as the Rhine. It has its source in the southern Vosges, from where it winds through the area of Trier in order to reach a branch of the Hunsrück.

From there, until it meets the Rhine at Koblenz, it flows through the deeply cut, winding valleys of the Rhenish slate mountains, creating a natural boundary at the north of the Hunsrück. The Mosel valley is an important wine growing area with famous names such as Bernkastel, Traben-Trarbach, Zell and Cochem.

• A little trip along the Mosel from Trier to Koblenz
• Trier
• Trittenheim —birthplace of Johannes Trithemius
• Bernkastel
• Nicolaus von Kues, philosopher of the ending Middle Ages
• Cusanusstift
• Traben-Trarbach
• Zell
• Historic cloister Marienburg
• Cochem
• Koblenz

Guide book: Reinhold Schommers, Mosel; DuMont Buchverlag, 2001

The Rhine has covered two thirds of its 1320 km long trip from the Swiss Alps (canton Graubünden) to the North Sea by the time it meets a branch of the Hunsrück near Bingen. Starting here, it flows through the slate mountains of the middle Rhine region. The traveler passes through a very narrow 300m deep ravine where the Hunsrück is a natural boundary. Then he traverses the fascinating landscape of Hunsrück on his way downstream.

Along this way he sees world famous places such as Bacharach, Kaub, or St. Goar with the overwhelming rock of Loreley. He sees Boppard with its impressive Rhine loop and picturesque Rhens. At Koblenz, at the mouth of the Mosel in the Rhine, he has reached the most northerly point of the branch of the Hunsrück. It isn't far from here and the Rhine widens, with all the narrows left behind. The low plains now determine the flow of the Rhine to the North Sea.

• A little trip from Bingen to Koblenz
• Bingen
• Bacharach
• Pfalzgrafenstein: the Pfalz in the Rhine
• Oberwesel
• St. Goar with Loreley
• Loreley and the 'Romantic Rhine'
• Boppard with the Rhine loop
• Rhens
• Koblenz

Hiking guide: Wolfgang Bartels, Hunsrück; DuMont Buchverlag, 1996 und Norbert Forsch, Hunsrück; Deutscher Wanderverlag, 2000

The region of the Nahe Valley-Hunsrück, the historic Nahegau, is divided into three administrative districts: to the east lies the district of Bad Kreuznach with its administrative seat in the city of Bad Kreuznach, to the north is the district of Rhein-Hunsrück with its administrative seat in Simmern, and to the west is the district of Birkenfeld with its administrative seat in the city of Birkenfeld. To the north there are also the districts of Cochem-Zell and Bernkastel-Wittlich bordering the Mosel river. Although the form these districts have today only dates from the administrative reform of the Rhineland-Pfalz region in 1969/1970, their origins can be found 200 years earlier. First under the French ruler Napoleon and then, after the reconstruction of Europe by the Viennese congress, under the Kingdom of Prussia. In fact, in the year 1798, under French rule (1798-1814), the feudal system with its class privilege, serfdom and drudgery was eliminated, and, to ensure the division of authority, administrative and judicial powers were separated. All religious faiths received equal rights, and in 1804 these rights were implemented by a unified code of law, the Napoleonic civil code (Code civile Napoléon). As a result of an act of the Viennese Congress, the final act of 9 June 1815, the Prussians were awarded the area north of the Nahe. On 14 May 1816, the "royal government" in Koblenz officially announced the newly formed "districts" as administrative units, so this date is considered the official "birthday" of these districts.

• District of Bad Kreuznach
• District of Rhein-Hunsrück (Simmern)
• District of Birkenfeld

It should be mentioned that the historical "Nahegau" only encompassed the eastern part of the District of Birkenfeld. The border ran along the Heimbach, a few kilometers west of Baumholder, along the Nahe up to Siesbach, just before Idar-Oberstein, along the Siesbach almost to the Erbeskopf, and from there over the ridge of the Idar forest to the Idarkopf. A look at the map here also shows that the mouth of the Nahe near Bingen (belonging to the district of Mainz-Bingen) and the northwestern part of Hunsrück (belonging to the districts of Cochem-Zell and Bernkastel-Wittlich) complete the region.

Along with the federal and state duties dictated, the district administration is also responsible for schools, social welfare, youth welfare offices, building development, land utilization, and fire protection. In addition, it deals with waste management as well as the maintenance of local streets. Above and beyond these central administrative tasks, the district also provides for the economic development of the community and region. In this respect, the expression "sustainability", as well as sustainable development, plays a central role, since its professed goal is to ensure the "continuance of a balance in the relationship between nature and its ability to regenerate, on the one hand, with its claims by humans, on the other". Alongside its obligatory duties, the district also takes on so-called "voluntary" duties, depending upon the tax income. Among these are the maintenance of adult evening classes, music schools, museums, theaters, sports fields, and swimming pools.