Wine and stories in the "Woifässje
Rommersheim is romantically situated, surrounded by vineyards in the middle of the Hiwweltour Neuborn. You enter the small village via the main road and after a few meters we notice the Ullmer winery. The farm gates are open, in a ladder truck lie colorful pumpkins and on one of the walls are written wise words:
"Tending a vineyard is hard enough,
to care for a wine even more.
And finally, mer net umsunscht says,
ah wine to drink is e Kunscht."
Klaus Ullmer takes us to his cozy estate tavern "To the Woifässje". We sit in the former cowshed, which has been lavishly remodeled and is a nice port of call for Hiwweltour hikers on weekends. In addition to winegrower coffee and wines from our own cultivation, we offer hearty dishes from the Rhine-Hessian cuisine in the evenings. All garlic lovers among you will get their money's worth at the "Woifässje", because garlic cultivation is a private passion of the winegrower. And not his only one!
The history of his homeland is another of Ullmer's great passions. Not least because of this he was Culture and wine ambassador. As such, he makes the wine region Rheinhessen on various tours with all the senses to experience. In addition, he can tell wonderful stories. Starting with the history of the place name.
New old name
Rommersheim was not always called that. The village used to bear the name Eichloch. "If you pronounce it with Rhine-Hessian dialect, it doesn't sound very distinguished," Ullmer explains to us. We can guess why. On January 15, 1931, Eichloch was finally renamed Rommersheim - not a name chosen by chance.
Only a few hundred meters away from today's Rommersheim there used to be a village with this name, only it no longer exists. Why exactly "Rumersheim" became deserted is uncertain. Klaus Ullmer tells us the most common theories: Thirty Years' War, plague, water shortage, even poisoned well water - or expulsion by the French. To this day, there is something mysterious about this story.
The eye of God
The Rommersheim church is located in the center of the village. On the church square a swamp oak rises into the air. It was planted in 1871 and is thus already almost 150 years old. The impressive tree crown offers a shady spot especially on warm and sunny days.
If you would like to visit the church - even though the door is locked - Klaus Ullmer is again the right person to contact. He has a key and will gladly show you the church, which was built between 1733 and 1751. You can simply ask in his yard!
Ullmer first shows us a US dollar and points to the top of the pyramid. We are curious to hear what story he will now tell us. "There are only a few Protestant churches with an eye of God," he explains. The artfully designed eye is mounted directly above the altar and "looks" into the interior of the church. A real special feature and perhaps also a little mysterious, after all, this symbol in particular is often associated with various secret societies. Rommersheim surprises us more and more!
Mystic Griffin Mountain
Klaus Ullmer knows and appreciates all the beautiful places and views on the Hiwweltour Neuborn. But his favorite place is and remains the Greifenberg. At least once a week you can meet him up here, mostly with his dog. Ullmer appreciates this place not only because of the tranquility and the fantastic panoramic view of the hilly landscape of Rheinhessen. He is also fascinated by the "mystique" that this place exudes.
In the 1970s, three adjacent sarcophagi were excavated on the hilltop. They date from the 4th century AD and thus from a time when the Romans settled in Rheinhessen. One sarcophagus can be visited in the Sulzheim cemetery, the others are in the Museum of the city of Alzey.
The Roman graves, however, are only one aspect of the fascination. For years, Klaus Ullmer has been investigating the question of whether a robber baron's castle once stood here. He says there is circumstantial evidence, but no proof (yet). In search of answers, he has already been to the state archives of Speyer and Darmstadt in search of clues and studied old documents for this purpose - so far without success.
Klaus Ullmer is not giving up on uncovering the secret of the robber baron's castle on the Greifenberg one day. And who knows - perhaps you will discover something during your hike on the Hiwweltour Neuborn the decisive hint... ; -)
The recommended period for the Hiwwelt tours is from March to October.
4 Responses
The Hiwweltout Neuborn is really varied with very different charming landscape impressions even if the vineyards and the panoramic views are impressive almost at all points. Highly recommended, as this is also not too strenuous, although we have missed Corona conditioned the stop for a Schoppen in Rommersheim or in the romantically located Waldgaststätte Neuborn. But bal it is again problem-free possible and on the tour a besinderer charm
Hello, W Wagner, thank you for your opinion on the Hiwweltour Neuborn. All Hiwweltouren were examined, in order to become Prädikatswege, whether the ways are varied, the landscape impressions delightful, etc.. Nice to hear that it has succeeded here too. We also miss the stops very much, after all they are essential components of a successful tour, and what distinguishes our tours from those in other regions. But we are all the more happy about the great views, the beautiful picnic areas along the routes. But our backpack is now just a little bit fuller ;-). We look forward to better times.
The Hiwweltour Neuborn is a beautiful route, but should only be walked on dry paths. Many places are now, when it is still wet, very muddy. You can hardly walk because the hiking boots hang very quickly full of mud. At a steep place a coming up is hardly possible, if there were not the wires of a vineyard halt. Here something should be improved urgently. The title Prädikatswanderweg this tour does not deserve.
Hello Norbert Östreicher,
Thank you for your comment.
Our recommended walking period for the Hiwwelt tours is from March to October. In winter it is sometimes difficult to walk in some places, due to the weather conditions and the altitude profile of the trails. However, since our aim with the Hiwwelt tours is to enable hiking on trails that are close to nature, we do not want to make any adjustments to the trail surface. This is also not conducive due to the certification criteria. However, we are in constant dialogue with the municipalities, as we naturally also strive for the best possible hiking experience in winter. We are also happy to take your advice and add the recommended walking period here in the blog post. We hope you continue to enjoy hiking in Rheinhessen.