Hiking with the trail sponsor: Personal insights into the Hiwwelt Tour Zornheimer Berg

The dream of your own hiking trail

Fruit trees, vineyards, views and history. The Hiwweltour Zornheimer Mountain  impresses with its scenic and thematic variety. This makes it a very special experience for trail sponsor Hiltrud Hollich. Together with Elke Tautenhahn, Gerhard Kneib and Robert Becker, she has been largely responsible for creating the hiking trail around the charming wine village of Zornheim in recent months.

Hollich has been dreaming of an attractive hiking trail around Zornheim for many years. She regularly goes walking and knows her surroundings inside out. She would like to show this beautiful spot to many more people. When the opportunity finally arose to develop a certified circular hike in Zornheim as part of the expansion of the Hiwweltouren family, the local community administration set to work with a lot of verve and joy.

The result is something to be proud of! The Hiwweltour Zornheimer Berg is 6.8 km long. This corresponds to an average of 9,669 steps. The hiking trail leads through orchards and the species-rich biotope Rohrwiesen, up into the vineyards and along the former Selzstellung. Again and again you can look to the Odenwald and the Donnersberg, to the Hunsrück, the Taunus and up to the skyline of Frankfurt.

The Selzstellung: a place steeped in history

Hiltrud Hollich very much appreciates this variety, which also never ceases to amaze hikers. The former Selzstellung is her favorite spot, and she doesn't have to think twice about it. Even more impressive for Hollich than the fantastic view of the hilly landscape of Rheinhessen is the history of this rather inconspicuous place.

Before and during the First World War, one of the most important western defensive fortifications was built in Rheinhessen: the Selzstellung. It was built in preparation for a conceivable theater of war and included more than 350 modern fortifications, storage areas, waterworks and telecommunications stations. Fortunately, the expected war in the vineyards did not take place. After the end of the war, the Selzstellung was blown up, and today it is often forgotten. However, large chunks of concrete can still be found underground, and these sometimes present local winegrowers with great challenges when they want to plant a new vineyard.

Hiltrud Hollich is co-author of the book "Bollwerk Mainz", which deals intensively with this topic. For this, she traveled all the way to Berlin and researched the background and details of the Selzstellung in the political archives there. So it's no wonder that the Hiwweltour Zornheimer Berg passes by the site of the former Zornheimer Stellung and that we learn about its special history.

Educational and entertaining companions

In general, you can learn a lot on this Hiwweltour. Ten information boards explain and illustrate interesting facts along the hiking route; for example, the origin of the "Hiwwel" (Rheinhessen for hill), the Jubilee Forest, which was planted in 2016 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Rheinhessen, the wild bees and of course the Selzstellung. The detailed and entertaining information boards are unique in the Hiwweltour family. People in Zornheim are rightly very proud of this.

Hike with wine experience

Zornheim is also proud of the opening of the Hiwweltour on September 2, 2017. The whole community as well as numerous guests celebrated a big party at the Ruhkreuz. The path sponsors symbolically received a wooden box with a hammer and a sickle, which can be used to look after things on the Hiwweltour. Those who wanted to could take part in guided tours on the Hiwweltour. The community of interest "Weinerlebnis Zornheimer Berg" poured Zornheimer wine and there were numerous Rhine-Hessian delicacies.

Since 2022 there is also a wine bar at the Ruhkreuz. The Wine pavilion at the Ruhkreuz is located directly at the start or end point of the Hiwweltour. The one or other glass is certainly a great reward for the ups and downs of the route.

Charming and active: the wine village of Zornheim

There is also always something going on in Zornheim itself. The focal point is the beautiful Lindenplatz, which was completely redesigned just a few years ago. The large "Three Graces Fountain" immediately attracts all eyes. Three bronze women tread grapes to must with their feet, while five bacchantes watch them attentively. These symbolize the five Zornheim vineyards: Vogelsang, Mönchbäumchen, Pilgerweg, Guldenmorgen and Dachgewann.

And there is something else that immediately catches the eye at Lindenplatz: the bakehouse with its large oven. On various days of the year, freshly baked bread, delicious cakes or crispy tarte flambée are available here - baked voluntarily and on a donation basis by Zornheim residents.

When exactly the bakehouse is open, you can find out at the Website dhe municipality of Zornheim.

There you will also find many other events that take place throughout the year in the wine village and on the Hiwweltour. So you can, for example, again and again even with Hiltrud Hollich or other Zornheimers go hiking and walking and get many more personal insights into the Hiwweltour Zornheimer Berg.