Digital detox - with all your senses on the Hiwweltour

Smartphone fasting - my secret wish or the new trend?

If your New Year's resolutions haven't worked out, now is the right time to start afresh - time for good intentions during Lent!

Practicing 40 days of abstinence in everyday life or cultivating healthy habits that have a lasting positive impact on our quality of life, such as "doing more sport", "giving up sweets, coffee or meat", "dealing better with stress", "spending more time with friends" and "less time on the cell phone" - the list of good intentions could go on and on.

The latter does not always have a place on the top ten list of "good intentions". In recent years, cell phone use has quickly become an almost indispensable priority in our everyday lives. It has an enormous impact on our daily structure and our mental health.

"Digital detox" - the trend against constant media exposure gives the child a name. We can now find tips from health insurance companies and on video platforms on how to take digital time-outs; there seems to be a longing for mobile phone-free time. If you are thinking about distancing yourself from a habit that you feel uncomfortably dependent on, I encourage you to "go hands-free" during the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, for example.

Who is in control of whom - that is the question here

The permanent digital availability and its advantages are of course undeniable: Always being available, getting a quick response from the search engine and, of course, never missing a message or the latest information. But do we even want this, or is it absolutely necessary?

The various self-experiments of digital time-out show that it can also work "without".

How can we implement our "good intentions"?

Regardless of the resolution - the aim is to outwit your inner bastard in the long term.
If you have more than one resolution, you should create a small list of priorities. It can help to pin them up in one place so that you don't lose sight of them and to formulate small and realistically achievable goals. Goals that are easy to achieve will motivate you to persevere.

It's best to plan fixed times in your calendar for implementation. If I have fellow travelers on my journey, mutual exchange and encouragement help. So make an appointment right away. And when I have reached a small intermediate goal, I reward myself. A treat for everyday life and off to the next stopover!

Offline about the Hiwwel in Rheinhessen

I would also like to follow the "digital detox" impulse and show you why a Hiwweltour can be particularly beautiful without a cell phone.

Nowadays, the cell phone stays switched off in the rucksack, only available for emergencies - or maybe even at home, like it used to be; hard to imagine, but I'll try.

Signposted parking spaces for hikers are a plus when I arrive by car. I might even consider taking local public transport today.

All 9 Hiwwelt tours are marked with the distinctive "h" on a blue-green background as a signpost. As long as you follow the markings, it is impossible to get lost. The circular routes are marked in both directions, so there are always new views and discoveries to be made. The handy hiking guide of Rheinhessen-Touristik GmbH can be used as a good guide with a list of all certified circular hiking trails in Rheinhessen. The exact route, an elevation profile, public transport stops, places to stop for refreshments and, of course, a description of the route can be found in the free brochure.

Time for sensory experiences in nature

Hiking has always been one of the best ways to harmonize body and mind. Being mindful of nature and slowing down while walking, without having to keep an eye on the vital data on your smartwatch, can be quite relaxing. If you want to know how long it is until you reach your destination, you will find information on the signs about the next view and the parking lot or rest area.
Maybe I'll strike up a conversation with like-minded people or listen to nature. Birds and insects accompany me on the tour in all seasons.

3 Hiwwelt tips for a digital detox hike

Through the lovely valley and up the Hiwwel

On the Hiwweltour Westerberg the path runs along the banks of the Selz for a very long time. The steady babbling of a stream triggers relaxation and the consistency allows us to get into a good walking rhythm. Horse lovers enjoy the trail with a variety of companions who accompany us for a while at the paddock. These moments of pleasure also caress the soul.

The focus today is on experiences close to nature, varied routes, a healthy snack and good conversations without digital distractions. Today I'm offline. Sometimes walking is the right pace!

Inner contemplation on the Hiwweltour Zornheimer Berg

Only slightly off the Hiwweltour Zornheimer Mountain is a very special stopover - a place of power with a far-reaching view. The wooden and glass chapel can be seen from afar and offers visitors space for contemplation, peace and meditation every day from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Depending on the incidence of light, the light paints colorful lines on the wooden floor of the tent-shaped chapel above the wine-growing community of Zornheim.

A hike along this route promises far-reaching views of the Selz valley all the way to the Donnersberg. The countless fruit trees in full bloom are a particular attraction in spring. The busy buzzing of the bees is created by the beating of their wings (up to 200 times a second), with which they communicate with their fellow bees.

In good weather, the Hasenberg offers views as far as the Taunus and the species-rich biotope along the route is home to frogs, dragonflies and other creatures.

Pure nature - enjoy without digital distractions.

In the summer months, I reward myself for the almost seven-kilometre pleasure tour with a stop at the Wine pavilionwhich is open at weekends. With a good Rheinhessen wine, I enjoy the view at sunset on the sun lounger.

Premium hiking to the Trullo

It is not for nothing that the Hiwweltour Aulheimer Valley 2022 took 2nd place in the "Germany's most beautiful hiking trail" competition organized by the magazine "Wandermagazin" in the day tour category.

The special highlight of my tour is the trullo on the Adelberg.

A sunrise with a dream backdrop and my day couldn't get off to a better start. I ponder my thoughts: what are my goals, what should I leave behind, what should I keep? The beautiful rest area at the trullo is the perfect place to rethink some things - without any distractions. A digital detox in the morning or, of course, in the quiet evening hours.

There are plenty of highlights to discover on this premium trail at any time of year or day. The varied route runs past the SCHAUSteinbruchthrough a sandstone quarry, past the Hiwwelrast Bornheimer Kuckucksturm, the Oswaldhöhe and the Lonsheimer Turm, over the andesite quarries and past the Geistermill. An excellent tour for all nature lovers.