The flow begins with the first turn of the cranks: pristine forest, bizarre rock massifs, unspoilt nature. Anyone looking for sporty trails in the Palatinate Forest mountain bike paradise will not be disappointed. The nature reserve offers the perfect tour for everyone on around 900 kilometres of trails. Patrick Wiedemann has compiled 25 mountain bike tours in this book, accompanied by photographer Adrian Greiter.
Just leafing through the book makes you want to visit the Palatinate Forest. This is the largest contiguous forest area in Germany, which was also recognised by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in 1992. The extraordinary red rock formations of the mottled sandstone cliffs make you think of more southerly latitudes and almost doubt that you are in Germany.
After a short introduction with trail rules, equipment and a short training session on riding technique, all bike tours are presented on four pages with an altitude profile, duration, a classification of riding technique, fitness, experience and landscape as well as an address for the sat nav and places to stop for refreshments. An overview map shows the route. Book buyers can download the GPS data free of charge.
We are pleased to present two selected Mountain bike tours in the Palatinate Forest in more detail:
MTB tour 3: Schoppen tour
59 kilometres and 1100 metres in altitude are covered on the Schoppen tour by mountain bike, which has many highlights and starts at the train station in Schopp.
A forest path and a trail descent take you first to the Pfälzerwaldhütte Schmalenberg. The longer ascent that follows leads to the next stop, Wilenstein Castle, which is well worth a visit.
The tour continues past the idyllic Sägmühlweiher pond on a wide path and short trails to Johanniskreuz. Once there, you can take a break at the House of Sustainability, an information centre with changing exhibitions and a Palatinate forest shop.
The route then follows the slope along the flowing Geburtstagsweg and the neighbouring country road to Finsterbrunnertal, which is the starting point for a long single trail. The varied route continues to Queidersbach and from there it finally leads through dense forest back to the starting point.
A special tip from the author is the Trippstadt Bike Park, which is located directly on the mountain bike route of this tour.
MTB tour 21: Dahner Trailrunde
The Dahn trail circuit is characterised above all by its breathtaking scenery and consists of challenging serpentine trails and narrow paths against an impressive rocky backdrop.
There are many legends and myths surrounding the numerous rock formations and rocky outcrops in the Dahn region - including the Jungfernsprung, the landmark of Dahn, which is circumnavigated on this tour. A virgin is said to have jumped from the top of the rock while fleeing from a robber baron who wanted to take her innocence. Her skirt saved her life because it caught her like a parachute and a spring sprang up at that very spot - or so the legend goes.
The trail tour through the Dahner Felsenland starts in Efweiler. From there, the route leads along the largest castle massif in the Palatinate: the ruins of Altdahn Castle. The route alternates between forest and field paths before reaching the large Eyberg, from the summit of which there is a fantastic view from the observation tower. The view as far as the Northern Vosges is well worth the climb.
The path leads downhill over serpentine tails with many tight bends in close succession. Good riding technique is required here. Once you reach the bottom, you can enjoy regional specialities during a break at the Pfälzerwaldhütte.
Then it's back up to the Neudahn castle ruins, where you can once again enjoy the beautiful view before a spectacular downhill awaits. Root and rocky sections lead to the final descent, a flowing trail in the pine forest.
With this book, Patrick Wiedemann proves that the most beautiful destinations are often right on your doorstep and that it is definitely worth discovering the Palatinate Forest on a mountain bike holiday: Click here for the book
And here it goes to the Podcast episode "Miles and Lines" on Spotify with the author of the Palatinate Forest Bike Guide:
