Sunny hike on the Hallgarter – Riesling Loops

Sonnenrunde is the motto of this Riesling loop. The sun 🌞 didn't show up today, but I didn't get wet either. 🤷‍♀️ I hope I managed to capture the sunny side of this tour in pictures. This was my 11th Riesling loop and this is one of the top 4, after Rauenthal, Kiedrich and Lorch. 🤩

Riesling Loop Rheingau 🍇🏞 ~ Hallgarter Sonnenrunde 🌄 🅿️  Hallgarten Cemetery The tour started at the Hallgarter Cemetery in foggy November weather. At the beginning you walk in the vineyard, which greets you with its beautiful autumn leaves. From the vineyards, you now go steadily uphill into the forest area of the Susberg. Despite the fog, you have wonderful views towards the Rhine, the benches on the Hendelberg invite you to take a rest. From now on you mostly hike downhill, and at the end you go through the wine-growing town of Hallgarten, which is the namesake of the hiking tour. Even though there was no sunshine, it was a great and varied tour through the vineyard and forest

Today our second Riesling loop. Since light rain was reported from 3 p.m., we set off early. As we drove off, we were still thinking about whether we should go back into the house to pack our sunglasses. But the question was put to rest on the trip to the Rhine Valley. The fog hung down on the Rhine. Even at the start in Hallgarten it was still foggy, we could only imagine the beautiful views described on this tour. But the fog in the vineyards also had something mystical. It was a nice lap that we want to repeat again soon when the visibility is good.

A very beautiful circular hike with plenty of variety and panoramic views. Forest, vineyards, and a lovely wine tasting stand at the end.

The Riesling loop “Hallgarter Sonnenrunde”. Today's short hike takes me to the Rheingau on the Riesling loop “Hallgarter Sonnenrunde”. From Wiesbaden I drive along the main road into the Rheingau. After Hattenheim I turn right towards Hallgartener Zange to park my vehicle at the cemetery. The path goes up from the cemetery towards Hallgarten, just before the beginning of the village the path turns left into the vineyards. The path then takes me left to the west through the vineyards, I move away from the town of Hallgarten and walk down the Rhine through the vineyards. Unfortunately, it's February, so the vineyards aren't beautifully green yet, but you can imagine how wonderful it must be when the vines are here in all their abundance, covered in leaves and grapes. A little later I pass a beautiful chapel, the Grunder Chapel. The path takes me further west. We continue uphill on the farm road, the path is very easy to walk, even though it is slightly uphill, which should be possible for every beginner. After a few meters the path turns to the right. However, the Riesling loop goes straight along a path. Annoying that it rained this morning 😂. Accordingly, the path is very muddy and I immediately sink into the mud with my boots. The path continues downhill through the vineyards. Here we go up in a valley to the right until I arrive at the Jewish cemetery. I pass the cemetery and continue uphill into the vineyards, to the left of me the full Solderbach streams along the way. At the end of the Pfafe, turn right again up a concrete road, towards Wedding Forest. I now cover a few meters in altitude in a very short time in order to slowly walk back towards Hallgarten via the higher loop. Shortly behind the parking lot at the Wedding Forest, the path turns right back to Hallgarten. Here the Riesling loop connects with the legendary Rheinsteig, which leads from Wiesbaden to Bonn over 322 km. This reminds me that I still have to finish writing my report on the Rheinsteig I completed, but there are 21 stages for which I haven't dictated key words on my cell phone yet. So that would still be a task for a week-long vacation. The path goes steeply uphill past a small shelter with a rest bench. The floor is slippery, my lungs are pumping, I notice that I'm no longer in shape. It's time to go hiking more regularly again, even over longer distances. I continue to trudge along the edge of the forest, further through the forest and then come out below the vineyard slope that is above Hallgarten. There is a fantastic residential area up here, you have a fantastic view of the Rhine plain and the vineyards in between. Anyone who owns a house here can count themselves really lucky. Although it's certainly not really appropriate for the age. I cross the road and continue east through the vineyards. Here I pass a beautiful area with weekend cottages or gazebos, which have a wonderful view over the Rheingau and the Rhine from up here. I then walk back to Hallgarten in a loop below the gazebos, make another curve here and there through the vineyards and come out again at the first houses in Hallgarten in bright sunshine but at a cool 11° C. However, before I walk through the village again to Hallgarten, the Riesling loop sends me steeply down the muddy mountain again. I slip, my boots get muddy, and I have trouble keeping my balance as I walk down the mountain. But then I come back to a tarred road and walk straight to Hallgarten, through the cute town center, and then come out below the town at the cemetery, the parking lot and my car. A nice, relaxed round, with a few small climbs and a few small, challenging descents, but overall a very good and comfortable hiking trail.

Nice little tour through the vineyards with a panoramic view and a cozy conclusion in the Tannenhof in Hallgarten

Ok, it wasn't really hiking weather today, so in retrospect it wasn't really hiking weather at all. But as they say in my homeland: Wat mutt, dat mutt. Since I have an appointment with other Riesling loop enthusiasts for a Riesling loop tomorrow, I really wanted to do my 12th and 13th loops so that it would be the "last" and the "queen loop" tomorrow, so to speak. I hiked the 12th loop in Assmannshausen first, but I didn't know that drizzle wasn't bad weather. The weather app also said that there would be gaps in rain (certainly, but where?). From Assmannshausen we continued by car to Hallgarten, approx. 20 km away, to Riesling Loop No. 13 - the Hallgarter Sonnenrunde. At first I was annoyed that, for once, I didn't have a second pair of hiking boots in the car - the first ones were wet - after 1000 meters I was happy, wet is wet. - - and I need dry shoes tomorrow. Ok, so it was more like the Hallgart rain and mud round. As recommended, I parked at the cemetery and walked the tour clockwise. I already knew part of it from a hike last year and you can see in the pictures how beautiful it is when the sun is shining: https://www.komoot.de/tour/717716575. At the parking lot I asked myself whether I should really get out now. I thought to myself that it wouldn't be that bad - on my side of the Rhine in Rheinhessen it didn't look that bad, I could even see the station in Essenheim. Ok, it didn't get that bad - it got worse. But then I had to get through it - and also through the 5 km of constant rain and the paths that were sometimes really muddy and therefore slippery. But I can't cancel loop 13. I actually think that this tour is really nice - there are great views, there are beautiful forest sections - so basically everything you need is there - except for the rain. You can find my other Riesling bows here: https://www.komoot.de/collection/2437723/-14-riesling-schleifen-rheingau And the official description: https://www.outdooractive.com/de/route/hike/wiesbaden-rheingau/riesling-schleife-hallgarter-sonnenrunde/66881924/ WIESBADEN RHEINGAU: Popular circular hiking trail Right at the beginning the path leads past the Revoluzz garden shed. The “Hallgarter Circle” met here and prepared the first national assembly in 1848. The Jewish cemetery of Oestrich-Winkel, the oldest remaining one in the Rheingau, is hidden in a small forest in the middle of the vineyards. We go up to the wooded Susberg, a small hill below the Hallgarter Zange. Benches above the Hendelberg altitude invite you to have a picnic with an overwhelming view. The “Schröter Mother of God” in the small church is the pride of the Hallgarter community. The Gothic Madonna made of fired clay dates from around 1417. The Hallgarter Weinschröter, who had to transport the barrels from the cellars to the wagons, chose her as their patron saint.

Nice round with wide paths, small highlights, refuge and great view of the Rhine.