Großwinternheim
Großwinternheim is the proposed starting point of the Hiwweltour Westerberg. It is therefore a good idea to take a short walk through the wine village before or after the hike.
Particularly beautiful is the Evangelical Church, also called "Selztaldom". The cathedral was built in the late 19th century using regional building materials such as limestone and sandstone, among others, and is actually not a cathedral at all. The church is popularly nicknamed because of its imposing and majestic appearance. By the way, you can also see it wonderfully from the Hiwweltour, if you stand on the opposite Westerberg and look down into the valley.
We stroll a little more through the old alleys before we set off in the direction of the Hiwweltour. On the walls, old photos give an impression of village life in days gone by, and fresh fruit is sold on home-made stalls by the roadside. Really charming!
Schwabenheim on the Selz
If you are hungry during or after the Hiwwelt Tour, Schwabenheim offers a wide range of gastronomic delights with many Rhine-Hessian specialties. In addition, you will find the largest marketplace in Rheinhessen here - and that alone is worth a little detour (access road to Schwabenheim at the level of the Gartenwiese nature reserve).
We walk across the listed Schwabenheim market square and look at historic buildings from the 18th century, the baroque town hall with the Laubenhalle, a more than 150-year-old chestnut tree and the cast-iron market fountain with the young man, affectionately called "Paulchen".
In the middle of the market square there is also the Protestant Church, whose 33-meter-high tower is also a striking monument that can be used as a guide on the Hiwweltour Westerberg.
Bubenheim
Not far from Schwabenheim is Bubenheim, which was first mentioned in a document in 766. You can also visit the wine village by taking a detour from the Hiwweltour Westerberg (access road at the Walter-Zoth-Hütte).
Bubenheim is a small village with many squares, which were created to promote the village community of about 900 Bubenheimers and to create places for active exchange. On one of these squares you can find a fountain, which is also the landmark of the village. The "Weedemännchen", a lively Bubenheim personality with an almost unquenchable thirst drinks wine from a goblet and stands on a barrel base with the names of the two local vineyards: Honigberg and Kallenberg.
We walk along the main street, look at the two churches and peek through the open gates of the old wineries. Again and again, tractors and harvesting machines cross our path. Bubenheim clearly lives for viticulture, you can feel that here at every corner.
Ober-Ingelheim
If you are traveling around the Westerberg, then a visit to Ober-Ingelheim is a must. In addition to the market square and many half-timbered houses, we are particularly impressed by the medieval town center and the old castle church, surrounded by an old defensive wall. Who would have thought to find all that here?
The Protestant castle church from the 15th century is listed as one of the best-preserved fortified churches in western Germany. Worth seeing are the restored choir windows inside the church and the vault paintings - both also from the 15th century. In the cemetery in front of the church, noblemen from Ingelheim and the surrounding area have found their final resting place. Many old gravestones give the place a very historical character.
Really impressive is also the fortification surrounding the castle church. Parts of the defensive walls and a 17-meter-high Malakoff Tower have been restored and are open to the public. Those who wish can take the signposted city wall tour with 17 stations once around the historic castle church grounds.
Ober-Ingelheim, its castle church and the fortified walls can also be seen from the Hiwweltour Westerberg from. The view of the many surrounding villages and their respective distinctive churches, all so different from one another, makes this hike in Rheinhessen something very special.
