Two routes for leisure hikers

In the Southwest Palatinate, spring draws you outdoors – into the fresh air, into your hiking boots, onto the trails. Mens sana in corpore sano, as the Romans used to say.

Few seasons inspire movement quite like spring around Kloster Hornbach. As the sun climbs higher and the temperatures grow milder, you’ll feel naturally drawn beyond the monastery walls – and we’re happy to share two routes that are particularly close to our hearts.

That hiking makes you happy is more than just a feeling. As you walk, your body releases endorphins – your own natural “feel-good” messengers. The word itself comes from Greek and translate to “inner morphine”. They ease stress, lift your mood, and work wonders. Combined with fresh air, gentle exercise, and daylight, it becomes a powerful recipe for well-being – one that the Palatinate’s spring landscape practically serves right outside the der monastery door.

The Paradiesgarten trail is a certified premium hiking route of around eleven kilometres. It leads you through the charming tri-border region connecting the German Palatinate Forest, the Bliesgau region, and the French Northern Vosges, offering about 236 metres of elevation – just enough to get your circulation going and your muscles working with ease. Plan for around three hours to complete the tour. The highest point sits at roughly 332 metres, rewarding you with sweeping views across borders. The route ends as you return via the Pirminius Church, named after Saint Pirminius, who founded the monastery nearly 1,300 years ago. Here, past and present meet as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

For a more relaxed yet active afternoon, we recommend the loop to Becherbach pond. This route covers around six and a half kilometres and takes about two hours. It begins right outside the monastery gates, leads you through the historic town entrance, and then gradually climbs toward the Gimpelwald hut. From there, the trail continues via Conrädchen, Fischerhütte, and the Spitzbubenfootbridge before returning to Hornbach. Back at Kloster Hornbach or the Boutiquehotel Lösch, treat yourself to a glass of Palatinate wine and savour the lingering sense of well-being. Solvitur ambulando, as the Latin saying goes – “it is solved by walking.“ We couldn’t agree more.