Kirn in the Nahe valley

Kirn is a pretty little town in the upper Nahe area with a remarkable old center containing half-timbered houses from the 16th and 18th centuries, a historic market square and a city hall built in 1769 (a former Piarist cloister). First mentioned in records from the year 841, Kirn is dwarfed by the Kyrburg (10th century). It was once the seat of the Wildgrafen counts, and later, the counts of Salm-Kyrburg. The Kirner 'Dolomites' (they are, however, granite) in the Hahnenbach valley are a popular destination for climbers.

About 2 kilometers downstream from Kirn lies the nature preserve "Hellberg" with the most imposing boulder scree north of the Alps. The Hellberg was formed in the Permian period about 285 million years ago, in a time of much volcanic activity, as an impressive intrusion block under the earth's surface. Throughout the following millions of years, it was gradually exposed. Weathering of the extremely hard rock happened only very slowly. Due to the very steep slope, the boulders and debris are constantly in motion. The shady north-facing site makes this an extremely cold and inhospitable place for plant life. In the upper, almost non-vegetated area, only lichen can survive, while in the lower lying areas, large areas of moss, Blaugräser, Traubensteinbrech as well as many other types of alpine plants can be found. Those who wish to find out more about the geology of the region can visit the "Geological Information Path" near Hochstetten-Dhaun (nearby). The individual phases of the earth's history, for example of the Kirner area with a selection of minerals typical to it, are shown along a 3.5km path.

An excursion to be recommended is one to Wartenstein castle in the Hahnenbach valley. Although it is only possible to get there by climbing on foot, the view from the terrace over the Steinkallenfels and into the Nahe valley makes it worth the effort (the picture above only gives a slight impression). Another good hike would be from Kirnsulzbach to Bremerberg, whose steep rock faces lead 150 meters above the Nahe valley to the summit. From there one not only has a wide view of the Nahe valley, but also finds the remains of a Celtic ring wall.