Camping in Hunsrück

Camping in the Hunsrück region is all about enjoying nature and unspoilt country life. The long low mountain range stretches across the centre of Rhineland-Palatinate and northern Saarland. It enchants with unspoilt forests, picturesque meadow valleys, castle ruins steeped in history and idyllic half-timbered villages.

An almost enraptured silence, interspersed with the chirping of birds, and deep hospitality convey a feeling of security that the people of the Hunsrück like to call Gehaichnis. Varied hiking trails and mountain bike routes as well as diverse cultural delights also await holidaymakers.

Special features of camping in the Hunsrück

The campsites in the Hunsrück are ideal for nature lovers and active holidaymakers. The comfortable camping mobile home park in Lingerhahn, for example, is located on the edge of a spruce and pine forest and offers unique views over the Hunsrück heights, an idyllic swimming pond and a varied sports and leisure programme for the whole family.

From the modern camping park in the castle town of Kastellaun, you have direct access to the dense network of cycling and hiking trails in the Hunsrück, while the 5-star campsite in Mörschied is the ideal starting point for discovery tours along the German Gemstone Route. You can also enjoy pure nature when camping at the Argenthaler Waldsee lake or by a pristine mountain stream in Thalfang. There are also peaceful motorhome pitches in Kirchberg and in Deuselbach on the Erbeskopf, the highest mountain in Rhineland-Palatinate at 816 metres.

How to get there

The sparsely populated region in the south-west of the Rhenish Slate Mountains is crossed by two motorways: the A1 and the A61. The A1 motorway starts in Heiligenhafen on the Baltic Sea and runs in a south-westerly direction to Saarbrücken. It crosses the Hunsrück between the Moselle valley and the capital of the Saarland. This also applies to its extension, the A62 motorway, which runs from the Nonnweiler junction to Pirmasens.

If you are coming from Trier on the A602 motorway and join the A1 at the Moseltal motorway junction, you will pass the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park on the way to your holiday destination. The A61 motorway, in turn, stretches from Nettetal not far from the Dutch border in a south-easterly direction to the Hockenheim motorway junction and runs between Koblenz and Alzey along the eastern edge of the Simmerner Mulde.

On the A61 motorway, the Moseltal viewpoint rest stop offers fantastic views over the Moselle and the wine terraces of the region. From the Rheinböllen exit, continue on the B50 federal road, which leads to Simmern and Kirchberg, among other places. The A61 and A62 motorways provide access to the Hunsrückhöhenstraße B327. In addition to the well-developed B9, B41 and B51 trunk roads, the Hunsrück often has winding, sometimes narrow roads.

Destinations in the Hunsrück

During a camping holiday in the Hunsrück, you can discover various charming regions with numerous attractions.

Moselhunsrück

In the Moselhunsrück, you can not only go on a hike to the rushing waterfalls of the Ehrbachklamm gorge or stroll through the enchanting half-timbered old town of Kastellaun. The early medieval Ehrenburg castle, situated on a rocky spur near Brodenbach, also attracts visitors with courtly feasts, jugglers' nights and family-oriented castle tours. In the Mörsdorf stream valley, the 360 metre long Geierlay suspension rope bridge, the longest of its kind in Germany, anchored 100 metres above the ground, offers pure thrills.

Simmern hollow and Soonwald forest

The Powder Tower in Simmern was considered escape-proof until the notorious robber Johannes Bückler, also known as Schinderhannes, made a sensational escape in 1799. Bückler's story and that of the region is well worth seeing at the Hunsrück Museum in Simmern. Historical bicycles can be marvelled at in the wedge-shaped local history house in Kirchberg. A walk through the juniper heaths near Woppenroth is also worthwhile.

Southern Hunsrück

The reservoir not far from Kell am See is ideal for fishing and pedal boating. The 155 km Hunsrück cycle path also runs through the recognised climatic health resort. The small town of Hermeskeil is home to the Rhineland-Palatinate Fire Brigade Museum and an interesting aviation exhibition with over 100 helicopters and aeroplanes from all over the world. In the Celtic Park near Otzenhausen, visitors can visit one of the most impressive Celtic fortifications in Europe.

Activities and excursions

The best way to get to know the rolling hills of the Hunsrück is on foot or on two wheels. A trip on the Hunsrück railway from Boppard am Rhein up to Emmelshausen is also an adventure.

Enjoy nature while hiking and cycling

The Hunsrück boasts a variety of long-distance hiking trails, including the 410-kilometre Saar-Hunsrück-Steig, the Soonwald-Steig and the former Roman Ausoniusweg. Various so-called dream loops, i.e. circular hiking trails, lead through the spectacular Baybachklamm gorge or Altlayer Schweiz, which is characterised by bizarre rocky cliffs.

The magic of the wilderness can be experienced on hikes and mountain bike tours through the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park, which is characterised by rustic forests, mysterious moors and an abundance of species. The park stretches over 10,000 hectares and is home to black storks and the largest population of wild cats in Europe.

On the trail of knights and damsels

The castles of the Hunsrück region take you on a journey back in time to the Middle Ages. The ruins of Baldenau Castle, built in the 14th century by Balduin of Luxembourg, are located in the upper Dhron Valley and are now the only moated castle in the Hunsrück.

Grimburg Castle is located in the Wadrill Valley on the Saar-Hunsrück Climb and serves as a venue for recitals, festivals and castle plays. The ruins of Hunolstein Castle and Dhronecken Castle in Thalfang are also worth discovering.

Gastronomy

The potato is often the main protagonist in the traditional cuisine of the Hunsrück. Grumbier or Grumbeer is the name given to the popular tuber in the region and is often served as a hearty potato sausage, a savoury filled strudel or grated and baked as dibbelabbes.

The Hunsrück stuffed dumplings with creamy bacon sauce are considered a real feast. These are served alongside a variety of other potato specialities at the annual Saar-Hunsrück Potato Days in October, where culinary delights are rounded off with guided hikes and atmospheric potato fires.

Other typical Hunsrück specialities include roast pork straight from the grill, herb dishes and braised and roasted game. The local rivers, lakes and natural fish farms produce delicious char and trout. You should definitely try the cider known as Viez.

Best time to travel

The following is definitely part of geography lessons in Hunsrück schools: the Moselle, Nahe, Saar and Rhine rivers surround the Hunsrück. Partly steep valleys border the region, which is located in a westerly wind zone and is characterised by a temperate climate. Winters are mild and summers are rather cool. In the months from June to August, average maximum temperatures of around 21 degrees Celsius are measured.

The Hunsrück is already an attractive destination in spring. This is when the extensive rapeseed fields between the Moselle and Nahe rivers are in bright yellow splendour. But the colourful autumn season is also hiking season. In winter, with a bit of snow luck, you can even enjoy skiing and tobogganing in the Hunsrück, for example on the Dollbergen near Neuhütten or on the Erbeskopf with its three downhill pistes.