Hunsruck is a famous low mountain range located in Rhineland-Palatinate Germany. It has beautiful river valleys of the Moselle in the North, Nahe in the south and is bounded by the Rhine in the east. Also, the Hunsrück has the majestic Taunus mountain ranges on the eastern side of the Rhine. You will find that to the south of the Nahe is the Palatinate region.
The region has many hills, and they are no higher than 400 meters above the mean sea level. The tallest mountain range in the region is the Erbeskopf, which has a height of 816m. There are several chains of high peaks within the Hunsrück like the Black Forest, the Bingen Forest, and the Soonwald. If you’re an adventure lover, you cannot afford to miss out on visiting this region. You can enjoy trekking and other mountain sports with your friends who share the same love for thrill and adventure.
There are many beautiful towns located in Hunsrück. Some of them are Morbach, Kirchberg, Idar-Oberstein, Simmern, and Kastellaun. There is also a fast growing low-fare carrier and cargo airport located in the region known as the Frankfurt-Hahn airport. So if you’re planning a holiday vacation with your family, this is one of the best places you can ever be with your family.
Climate
You will find that usually climate in Hunsrück is rainy, and also the mist rises in the morning making it a bit chilly. In the mountains, the slate is still mined. The region has become Germany’s important onshore wind power region since 2010 as it has many major wind farms situated near Ellern and Kirchberg. In the year 2015, a new national park has been set up and inaugurated. Also, nature-based tourism has increased in the recent years here. The region had experienced huge emigration during the mid-19th century mainly to Brazil. You can visit this place all round the year.
Culture
Culture is a very important aspect in Hunsrück. It is an experience to cherish forever. You can discover various small-scale events like the farmer’s markets, Nature One-a festival of electronic music which is a large event here. There are countless museums and castles you can visit and explore the history of the region. There are few Roman elements in the Hunsrück with some Roman attractions on the Moselle, in Saarland, in the Eifel region and also in Luxembourg. People are very amiable in this part of the world and you can trust the local people if you need help of any kind.
History: Cold War to present
Most of the Hunsrück region became a part of the Rhineland-Palatinate, in the year 1946, with some areas around Nonweiler going to the Saarland. Until the 1990s, the Hunsrück was a place of numerous military airfields, command positions, ammunition dumps and also missile sites. Few of the famous ones were Hahn air base and Pydna Missile base.
As a result of the NATO double track decision, in the year 1986-87, around 96 cruise missiles which were fitted with nuclear warheads were stored at Pydna. The “Hunsruck Declaration” that was declared on this occasion needed completely opposite of the security policy during 1986. It was read out because it was during this period that one of the largest demonstrations had taken place in the history of Hunsrück. Almost 200,000 people, most of them not from Hunsrück peacefully protested against the deployment of the missiles. The cold war ended after two years, and the missile base was closed in the year 1993 as the Kastellaun garrison authority acquired the land.
The US airbase which was situated at Hahn was shifted by the German authorities and became a civilian facility called the Frankfurt-Hahn Airport in the year 1993. You will notice that the airport has expanded steadily since 1993.
Since then, this place has undergone a lot of transformations and has seen a steady increase in the number of tourist footfall every year. So, if you want to spend your vacations at a beautiful place, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city; this is the ideal place for you.
Attractions around Hunsrück
The place is popular among travelers as the Hunsrück region enjoys a unique setting with rivers Nahe, Moselle, Rhine and Saar enclosing it. It is one of the most beautiful low mountain ranges found in Germany. You will find plenty of river valleys, forests, and meadows here.
The half-timbered houses and the cozy hospitality of the city are admired by visitors to the cities Simmern, Kirchberg, and Kastellaun. There are plenty of tourist destinations which can be explored by the visitors and are sure to take your breath away.
The Hunsrück: hiking
The Hunsrück is one of the best hiking holiday destination in Germany. Hiking through the moorland, across the wooden walkways over the big piles of quartzite blocks gives you a view of the Germany’s beautiful long-distance trail. You will notice that the adventure walkers would follow the footsteps of the Romans and Celts to explore the ancient settlement sites in the Hunsrück hills. Mighty castles, babbling brooks and several romantic places like Kastellaun or Herrnstein are few of the places where the visitor is sure to be reminded of the long-gone days, and will enable you to explore the ruins of various medieval fortifications as you stroll down the lanes lined with beautiful timber-framed buildings.
The main characteristic of the region is undoubtedly its small villages having many lovely inhabitants. The locals here are referred to as Hunsrigger, and are defined by an old dictionary as thieving and sneaking people. It is interesting to note that this definition may have originated from the talent people had shown when they were selling cattle in the local markets. We find that people here mostly do not work anymore in the agricultural sector. They are warm, open minded, friendly and hostile. All the villages in this region show togetherness and at the same time, you will find some local rivalry with various neighboring villages or areas.
The German language spoken in this region is a Moselle Franconian dialect. You will find older locals using this dialect. The younger generations speak German with a slight influence of Hunsrigger Platt. Most of the people today are capable of communicating in English here others use hands and feet to express themselves!
Activities
You have a lot of options when it comes to outdoor activities in Hunsrück. You can go bike riding on one of the several bicycle routes or even plan an extended hike through the beautiful landscapes of the region. Also, there are many local festivals which are worth visiting and give you a lovely picture of the village life there. In short, this place has on offer something for everyone. So for nature and adventure lovers, there’s a lot of mountain sports while for the water sports lovers, there are many rivers in the vicinity.
As there are many rivers nearby, it gives one various opportunity like boat cruises on the Moselle, visit castles in the Middle Rhine Valley or just simply enjoy the traditional wine festival.
If you are an electronic music lover, there is a Nature One festival which is organized on the former missile base called Pydna which is located near Kastellaun on the first weekend of August.
The Lott-Festival is another open air festival which is hosted around the same time in Raversbeuren. You will get to enjoy a broad set of different music and is also popularly known as “Woodstock” of the Hunsruck.
Food
Food in this region is considered to be that of a poor man’s food. If you ever get the opportunity, it is worth trying. Some of the Hunsrücker specialties are:
– “Dibbekooche” a pot cake which is a dish mostly made of grated potatoes and are baked in a big pot with various kinds of meat;
– a dish called “Kappes un Erwes,” is made with cabbage and mashed peas and potatoes;
You will notice that restaurants serving these foods are tough to find. But at the time of various festivities, these foods are served, and you will get to taste them. You can relish these amazing cuisines with your friends and family on your next vacation to this place.
Plan your next vacation with your friends and family to this beautiful Hunsrück and enjoy nature, culture and have an adventurous trip worth cherishing forever. You won’t regret it, I promise!