In Rheinböllen, you can choose between hiking trails, a wildlife park and historic sites as different focal points. The Puricelli Circular Trail provides a specific route: the 12-kilometre trail starts and ends at the community centre. Those interested in longer hikes or distinctive landscapes will find further inspiration on the Soonwaldsteig and at Hochsteinchen.

Hiking the Puricelli Circular Trail

The trail passes the Luther Bell Memorial, the Protestant parsonage, Puricelli Abbey and the Marienkapelle. The old cemetery is also part of the route; historic gravestones have been preserved there. These stops give the hike a cultural focus. The route also features a viewpoint overlooking Rheinböllen towards Ellern and a naturally formed biotope.

An optional detour leads to an approximately 400-year-old oak designated as a natural monument. Its trunk circumference measures more than 5.50 metres. The circular trail also reaches the car park of the Rheinböllen Wildlife Park. From there, hikers can choose to visit the park as an additional stop. This allows the route to be combined with historic sites and natural features, without making a visit to the wildlife park a required part of the hike.

Wildlife Park and Visitor Services

More than 35 animal species live at the Rheinböllen Wildlife Park. These include bison, brown bears, wolves, kangaroos, otters, llamas and raccoons, as well as several domestic animal breeds. The park is considered largely accessible; as visitor information may change, it is advisable to check the operator’s latest information before your visit.

The Wald-Bistro serves regional specialities and snacks. Its terrace overlooks the lake. The offerings may change here too, so it is worth checking the operator’s latest information before your visit.

Architecture and the History of Rheinböllen

The chapel of Puricelli Abbey was built in 1887 and 1888 in the neo-Gothic style. Its neo-Gothic mosaic floor is considered unique in Rhineland-Palatinate because of its size and colouring. When exploring the town’s history, it is also worth distinguishing early accounts from dated rights: Rheinböllen is said to have had a marketplace within its walls as early as the 12th century; market rights are documented for the period from 1314 to 1347.

The Rheinböllerhütte ironworks are part of the area’s industrial history. Under the Puricellis, the ironworks experienced a period of economic prosperity in the 19th century. Thus, in Rheinböllen and its surrounding area, architectural, market and industrial history complement the hiking options.

Hochsteinchen and the Soonwaldsteig

Hochsteinchen is a 648-metre-high rock formation on the eastern edge of the Großer Soon. There, visitors can climb a steel observation tower that is a listed monument. The 18-metre-high tower has two platforms, offering views towards the district of Bad Kreuznach and the neighbouring Palatinate. The Hochsteinchen Tour starts and ends at the Schanzerkopf car park. There is also a rest area with a shelter at Hochsteinchen.

The fourth stage of the Soonwaldsteig offers a longer hiking option: it runs from Ellerspring to Rheinböllen at the Rheinböllerhütte. Along the way, the stage crosses the Glashütter Wiesen nature reserve, with its rare flowers and summer grasses, and borders the Katzenkopf nature forest reserve, an old beech forest. When choosing between a local circular walk, a tour and a long-distance hiking stage, you can take the different focal points and routes into account in your planning.

The wider region: Rhein-Hunsrück

As a broader travel destination, the Rhein-Hunsrück district encompasses large parts of the Hunsrück plateau and the quartzite ridges to its south, including the Soonwald. In the Middle Rhine Valley, the Rhine also forms the district’s eastern boundary; the district additionally includes large areas of the Hunsrück, part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains, and the part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley on the left bank of the Rhine. There are numerous hiking trails throughout the district. The regional offerings also include extensive, well-developed and signposted cycle paths along the Rhine and through the Hunsrück. Check the conditions on your specific route when planning.

Discover more destinations: Dill, Ney, Mengerschied, Maisborn, Laudert, Gemünden, Argenthal, Dommershausen.

Back to the main travel overview: Rhein-Hunsrück.