Scenic start at the Bismarck Tower
The Hiwweltour Bismarck Tower begins with a highlight - literally. The parking lot and starting point of this tour is located right next to its namesake, the Ingelheim Bismarck Tower on the Westerberg.
The 33-meter-high tower was completed in 1912, when Bismarck worship was at its peak. All over the country, buildings were named after the first German Chancellor or erected in his honor - including in Rheinhessen.
We are still at full strength, so we decide to climb the many steps inside the tower right at the beginning of our hike. We are rewarded on the platform of the tower with a fabulous panoramic view: The roofs of the red wine town of Ingelheim lie at our feet, behind them flows the Rhine and on the horizon stretches the Rheingau. In the other direction, we look out over the hills of Rheinhessen with its forests, meadows and - of course - vineyards. Every single step up here was worth it!
Between GAGA and history
Right next to the tower, the approximately ten-kilometer-long hiking trail begins, which leads us into a secluded forest after a few meters. The next stop is the GAGA Pavilion (named after its builder, the founder of the company Gebrothers Avenarius Gau-Algesheim). Here we can once again look wonderfully into the Rhine Valley and the Rheingau, a practical board explains what exactly there is to discover where.
The soft nature trail then leads further into the forest. We pass a former infantry position of the Mainz bulwark. Small signs point to a connecting trench that is still visible today. An information board explains the historical background. First Bismarck and now this position from the First World War. The Hiwweltour Bismarck Tower is a hike through German history. Exciting!
In the vineyard
The forest thins out. Hedges and copses now line the hiking trail. We take a short break on a bench that invites us to linger with its wonderful view of Gau-Algesheim. The Catholic parish church of St. Cosmas and Damian can be seen particularly well from here.
We are very happy when we reach the first vineyards a short time later. The vines hang full of grapes and let us dream of delicious wines. The hiking trail leads through the middle of them to the outskirts of Gau-Algesheim. Here, an access path offers the opportunity to pay a visit to the wine town with its historic marketplace and church worth seeing.
We follow the trail further through the middle of the vineyards. Again and again we pass lush fruit trees and old dry stone walls. A romantic picture! The cows on the side of the path also fit in, absolutely unimpressed by us, grazing in all comfort.
Along the Welzbach
Cozy is the right keyword. The Hiwweltour Bismarckturm has now arrived in the Welzbach valley and takes us along the quietly babbling brook in a very relaxed way. So close to the water, the animal world is particularly lively. Frogs croak, insects hum and buzz - we even pass a beehive at a safe distance and watch the lively activity with interest.
A little later we reach a game preserve. The deer and hinds eye us much more skeptically than the cows did earlier. When they realize that they have nothing to fear, they quickly take care of their own business again. A small scuffle of two fawns, for example. We also continue our hike, still quite idyllic along the Welzbach.
Where there is water, mills are usually not far away. We are approaching Appenheim and thus also the 100 guilder mill. The historic mill at the foot of the Hundertgulden vineyard is a restaurant with a beautiful terrace. The location, about halfway along the Hiwweltour Bismarck Tower, is perfect for a little refreshment. However, we do not stop here today, because we have another destination for our rest already in mind.
The hundred guilder feast at the table of wine
High up in the vineyard, we recognize white tents, many people and the rising smoke of sizzling meat on the grill. The Hundertguldenfest of the Appenheim winegrowers is in full swing. In the summer months takes place at the table of wine every second Sunday of the month a bar takes place. At the end of the season, they celebrate a big party, the Hundred Guilder Picnic, like today. Before we get there, however, we have to manage the climb. But we have a great incentive!
As we toast the miles covered so far with a well-deserved glass of white wine, we meet Stefan Runkel from the Winery Eberle-Runkel and Klaus Gres from the Winery Gres. They explain us the peculiarities of the vineyard Hundertgulden.
The soil beneath our feet contains limestone formed from coral reefs of the former primordial sea of this region. As a result, Rieslings in particular are particularly well-balanced in terms of minerals. Klaus Gres praises the "saltiness" of the wines thanks to the corals. We can only confirm that the wine tastes excellent - especially with this unique view of Appenheim and the Rhine-Hessian hill country.
Since history is a recurring motif on the Hiwweltour Bismarckturm, we learn from the two winemakers that the vineyard Hundertgulden was mentioned very early and Hildegard von Bingen was probably a great lover of the wines grown here. Understandable!
We stay at the festival for a while. Winemakers, locals from Appenheim, and random hikers passing by are all having a lot of fun. The 100 Guldenmühle provides catering, the grill is also in full swing and the wine is being diligently poured. We are not allowed to taste too much, after all, there is still a good stretch of the Hiwweltour Bismarck Tower ahead of us.
Through the enchanted forest
The hiking trail continues to gain altitude via a steep staircase path. The nature around us is lush and becomes more and more dense until we are hiking in the forest again, this time in the nature reserve of the Gau-Algesheimer Kopf.
We make a small detour to the "salamander holes". This important biotope with groundwater deposits is an important habitat and is home to various newt and dragonfly species in particular. We actually see dragonflies in the further course of our hike. Again and again they fly in front of or next to us.
Two cozy hiking loungers again offer a wonderful panoramic view of the Rheingau. Although we have taken an extensive break at the festival, we can not help but linger a little here too. What a pleasure this Hiwweltour Bismarck Tower is!
The trail leads deeper into the forest, which radiates a very special atmosphere with gnarled trees and untouched nature, almost enchanted.
Back to the Bismarck Tower
The last meters of the day finally lead us along the edge of the forest, past wide paddocks and orchards, until we finally stand in front of the Bismarck Tower again.
How good that we were already up there! The legs are now a bit heavy after all. Apart from that, however, we are excellent, because the Hiwweltour Bismarck Tower had everything you could want from a hike in Rheinessen: varied vegetation, gorgeous views and of course a good glass of wine in nice company!
