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Soonwald: Pristine forests and natural habitats preserved
The Soonwald is one of the largest contiguous forest areas in Germany. Because of
its altitude (400-600m; the highest peak is the Ellerspring with 657m), its low
settlement density and its distance to the great traffic flows of our time, it is
an ideal recreation area for people seeking peace and quiet. With over 800 km of
circular hiking trails, the forest areas are well developed and observation towers
at the most beautiful places offer spectacular panoramic views.
You can hike here for hours without ever meeting another human being, although
traces of more than two thousand years of human history can be found everywhere.
On the high mountain ridges, there are ancient Celtic hilltop forts, surrounded
by gigantic stone walls; there are ancient Roman long-distance roads,
constructed some 2,000 years ago at a standardized width
of 5 to 6 metres and protected by watchtowers at regular intervals; and there
are the remains of luxurious Roman villas. In addition,
we find medieval fortresses and castles
from the glory days of the political might of Sponheim and Kurtrier. There
are churches and monasteries in the architectural style typical of Hunsrück
with ingeniously painted surfaces and galleries; evidence of a very special
breed of people, who despite difficult living conditions and scant resources
created their own works of art over hundreds of years.
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Hiking Guides
Wolfgang Bartels: Hunsrück; DuMont Buchverlag, 1996
Norbert Forsch: Hunsrück; Deutscher Wanderverlag, 2000
Noteworthy illustrated book
Uwe Anhäuser: Kultur-Erlebnis Hunsrück; Idar-Oberstein, 2000
Photo: Four-towered castle of Gemünden, «Soonwald» Forest
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