Moselsteig Side Trail: Graf Georg Johannes Weg

Well signposted path, steep in places. Really beautiful in autumn!

Me, no - We first say WOW and again WOW .... This side trip is a real pearl in the Moselle region and definitely a top recommendation. And that despite the fact that we are in the "not-yet-green season" and the Hunsrück forests look more like "grey-brown-black" from the many vantage points. What will it be like later in the year... Moselland Tourism writes about this tour: "The namesake of this Moselsteig detour - Count Georg Johannes - is the most famous offspring of the Veldenz counts, not least because he married a daughter of King Gustav I of Sweden in 1563. The tribal history of the Veldenz counts is therefore a recurring theme on this approximately 14 km long detour. The seat of the former count, Veldenz Castle with its ruins, can also be admired from many vantage points along the way. A stone wall around 90 meters long, which is also impressive along the way, bears witness to a former Celtic refuge. The start and end point of the tour is the romantic town of Veldenz. The hiking trail winds along the mountain flanks of the Veldenz stream and Hinterbach. The stream is crossed twice." In my opinion, listing all the highlights, including the rocks and viewpoints, would go beyond the scope of this article, but I would still like to address one point: From the Josefinenhöhe, named after Empress Josephine Beauharnais, Napoleon's first wife, (if you choose this direction at the end of the tour), the fascinating landscape of a glacial valley of the Moselle spreads out before you (with an explanatory panel) and from this "premium balcony view" you can actually trace a historical river course that formed a double loop, almost a figure of eight. And in addition to the explanatory panel, there is (by the way) a rest area with a bench and drinks station.... 🌞👍👍🥾🥾👍👍🌞🌲🌳🌲😍😊

☀️🚶🏻‍♀️🐕 Count Georg Johannes is the most famous descendant of the Counts of Veldenz, his story is highlighted on the many panels that can be found all along this route.. I started the hike from the center of the village of Veldenz, which I crossed following its stream, then arriving towards the mill I had a first glimpse of the castle of Veldenz on its rock in the center of the valley, it was the seat of the old count.. Then I started to climb on a gentle and progressive slope up to the rock of the round hammer "Runder Hammer Felsen" on which I enjoyed a beautiful panorama on the valley.. Then other panoramas followed one another all along this section from the rock of the long hammer "Langer Hammer Felsen" to the belvedere "Lohe und Leder", I could admire the beautiful valley of Hinterbach and also the castle of Veldenz from different angles.. Then I went back down and walked in the pretty valley along the Hinterbach stream accompanied by the melodious sound of its many small waterfalls.. I passed in front of an old coffee mill and also in front of the Thielen mill where once one could eat but which today seems abandoned.. From there I started to gain height again and following the forest path I arrived in front of the pagan wall "Heidenmauer", a large rock as well as a stone wall of about 90 meters, vestige of a Celtic refuge.. Going down I walked along the Kalmbach stream in its valley until the entrance of Thalveldenz.. On the next section I could admire the castle more closely.. Still closed at the moment, it will open its doors to visitors from the month of April.. On the end of the route I passed next to very large slate rocks, mineral very present all along the hike, and I could also still enjoy superb points of view, in particular on the rock "Rittersturz" and a magnificent panorama from the belvedere "Josephinenhöhe"..

Beautiful, varied and path-heavy hike!

Finally, I got lucky with the weather on the third attempt 🤠. A beautiful circular tour. Mostly paths through the forest and along streams. Plenty of nice places to sit. So, bring some provisions. Especially since there are no places to stop for refreshments 🤷.

Today I headed to Veldenz to take a closer look at the Moselsteig detour, the Graf Georg Johannes Weg. What a beautiful trail! Lots of forest, narrow paths, and fantastic views. The trail has it all. Halfway through the route, it had already sneaked into the top spot of my favorite trails 🤭🙏 Rating: exceptional. Thanks to @Elmar for this tip 🙏🙏👍👍

A dream through the Moselle valley. For better orientation, I followed the signs exactly.🥾👍 The route is "up and down", on paths and paths, root paths and scree. Behind every climb there was something to discover.

Did a nice, varied tour with @Wo ist Andreas🥾