Via Ferrata Rhine-Hunsrück

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87.7 km
1,986 m
03h30
Hard

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Route information

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Last verified: 12 June 2025
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Description by the author

1700 meters of altitude have to be overcome on very quiet roads. Only in Emmelshausen is it crowded, and the (beautiful) cities on the Rhine can also be busy (Bacharach, Oberwesel and St. Goar). But as soon as the Rhine Valley is abandoned, the streets become quiet again.

The roads are of good quality (only the road between Breitscheid and Steeg (Bacharach) is quite bad over a length of 1 km).

The Rhine Valley is located at an altitude of 70-80 m, and the Hunsrück at an altitude of 450-520 meters, which means that you can reach this area.
Climbs with 400 - 450 meters of altitude. The climbs that remain near the Rhine Valley have less difference in altitude (100 - 300 meters) but are often
much steeper (sometimes up to 17%).

The route starts (counterclockwise) in Emmelshausen and leads over the Schinderhannes cycle path, a well-paved
Cycle path over a former railway line. The cycle path goes up and down, but as it is a railway line, the gradients are limited to 3%. The cycle path is abandoned in Lingerhahn, followed by a short climb to Maisborn. Over the Hunsrück heights it goes to Wiebelsheim. After a short ascent, the long descent follows via Breitscheid to Steeg (Bacharach). In the section of hairpin bends, the road is quite bad (over a length of 1 km). The following climbs follow:

* Rheinböllen forest car park, a very gradual climb (max. 7%) via the fairly quiet Landesstraße 224 (L224) with very good road surface, which runs through the forest almost all the time.
* Winzberg, a climb through the vineyards via a very narrow road with good road surface and gradients of up to 14%.
* Langscheid, a difficult climb with percentages up to 12%, in Henschhausen even 16% over a length of 100m. The ascent from Bacharach is 1.5 km over cobblestones. In the climb you will have a view of a series of 4 consecutive hairpin bends.
* Spitzer Stein, a climb through the vineyards via the K94 with a beautiful view of the Rhine, then via the K95 to Urbar (max. 11%) and finally via the K97 to the top. Please note: The descent to St. Goar is steep and winding (up to 17%).
* Hungenroth, a very gradual (up to 7%) and long climb (10.5 km) on a quiet road with very good road surface. A large part of the ascent leads through the forest, the last kilometer you have a view over the Hunsrück. You can also take a steeper variant via Werlau and Karbach, but then the climb immediately starts with 16% and in many places gradients up to 10%!

You can cycle to Emmelshausen via farm roads to avoid the busy connecting road Emmelshausen - A61.

The route is easy to extend: for example from Oberwesel to Damscheid (steep climb) and descending again via Niederburg to a little further in Oberwesel: This adds up to 350 metres in altitude and 10.5 km.

Route origin

Route description

Region

Statistics

Difficulty level: Hard (83/100)

Length: 87.7 km

Duration: 03h30


Total ascent: 1,986 m

Maximal slope: 10.15 %

Average slope: 2.26 %

Net ascent: -1 m

Total descent: 1,987 m

Difficulty level according to the author: 7/10

Roads and subsoil

Paved roads: 87.7 km (100 %)

Cobblestones: 1.67 km (2 %)

Bike paths: 12.9 km (15 %)

Scenery

Car free roads: 11.8 km (13 %)

Noise pollution

Amount of traffic


Natural area

Urban area

Water rich area

Characteristics

    Themes

      Groups

        Start and end of the route

        Closest address to start: K 96, Emmelshausen, Duitsland
        Closest address to end: Rhein-Mosel-Straße, Emmelshausen, Duitsland

        Navigate to starting point

        Places of interest

        1. Emmelshausen

          0 · City
          Emmelshausen is a town in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the …
          Wikipedia
        2. Hunsrück-Mittelrhein

          0 · Administrative centre
          Hunsrück-Mittelrhein is a Verbandsgemeinde in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis, Rhineland-Palatinate, …
          Wikipedia
        3. Schwall

          0 · Municipality
          Schwall is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective …
          Wikipedia
        4. Leiningen

          0 · Municipality
          Leiningen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of …
          Wikipedia
        5. Mühlpfad

          0 · Municipality
          Mühlpfad is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective …
          Wikipedia
        6. Pfalzfeld

          0 · Municipality
          Pfalzfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of …
          Wikipedia
        7. Lingerhahn

          0 · Municipality
          Lingerhahn is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of …
          Wikipedia
        8. Maisborn

          0 · Municipality
          Maisborn is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective …
          Wikipedia
        9. Laudert

          0 · Municipality
          Laudert is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective …
          Wikipedia
        10. Château de Stahlberg

          0 · Château
          Wikipedia
        11. Manubach

          0 · Municipality
          Manubach is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective …
          Wikipedia
        12. Stahleck Castle

          0 · Castle
          Stahleck Castle is a 12th-century fortified castle in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley at Bacharach …
          Wikipedia
        13. Bacharacher Hof

          0 · Hotel
          mireille.hodister@gmail.com
        14. Wernerkapel

          0 · Kapel
          Wikipedia
        15. Bacharach

          0 · Gemeente
          mireille.hodister@gmail.com
        16. Bacharach

          0 · Municipality
          Bacharach is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to …
          Wikipedia
        17. Capture of Bacharach

          0 · Event
          The Capture of Bacharach took place on October 1, 1620 at Bacharach, Electorate of the Palatinate. …
          Wikipedia
        18. Schönburg

          0 · Fortress
          The Schönburg is a castle above the medieval town of Oberwesel in the UNESCO World Heritage Site …
          Wikipedia
        19. Oberwesel station

          0 · Trainstation
          Oberwesel station is on the West Rhine Railway between Koblenz and Mainz in the UNESCO World …
          Wikipedia
        20. Oberwesel

          0 · Dorp
          mireille.hodister@gmail.com
        21. Wernerkapel

          0 · Kapel
          Wikipedia
        22. Oberwesel

          0 · Municipality
          Oberwesel ) is a town on the Middle Rhine in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, …
          Wikipedia
        23. Urbar

          0 · Municipality
          Urbar is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective …
          Wikipedia
        24. Rheinfels Castle

          0 · Fortress

          Rheinfels Castle is a castle ruin located above the left bank of the Rhine in Sankt Goar, Germany. …

          Wikipedia
        25. St. Goar

          0 · District
          mireille.hodister@gmail.com
        26. Sankt Goar

          0 · Municipality
          Sankt Goar is a town on the west bank of the Middle Rhine in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in …
          Wikipedia
        27. Sankt Goarshausen

          0 · Municipality
          Sankt Goarshausen is a town located in the Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Nassau on the eastern shore of …
          Wikipedia
        28. Wilhelm-Hofmann-Gymnasium

          0 · Sportzentrum
          Wikipedia
        29. Hungenroth

          0 · Municipality
          Hungenroth is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of …
          Wikipedia
        30. Dörth

          0 · Municipality
          Dörth is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective …
          Wikipedia

        Comments

        Activities

        Nearby

        Routes nearby

        Lodging nearby

        Services nearby

        Emmelshausen
        Hunsrück-Mittelrhein
        Schwall
        Leiningen
        Mühlpfad
        Pfalzfeld
        Lingerhahn
        Maisborn
        Laudert
        Château de Stahlberg
        Manubach
        Stahleck Castle
        Bacharacher Hof
        Wernerkapel
        Bacharach
        Bacharach
        Capture of Bacharach
        Schönburg
        Oberwesel station
        Oberwesel
        Wernerkapel
        Oberwesel
        Urbar
        Rheinfels Castle
        St. Goar
        Sankt Goar
        Sankt Goarshausen
        Wilhelm-Hofmann-Gymnasium
        Hungenroth
        Dörth
        0 km5 km10 km15 km20 km25 km30 km35 km40 km45 km50 km55 km60 km65 km70 km75 km80 km85 km88 km74 m511 m
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