Join me, in freezing temperatures, on a short winter photo-hike to Adelberg Mountain, near Annweiler am Trifels, in the Palatinate Forest. An icy wind blows and my fingers go numb from the cold when I take photos. But the great view and the spectacular motifs make up for all the strains.

First ascent to Krappenfelsen

The hike begins at the car park of the junior gymnastics club (Turnerjugendheim Annweiler) (1), exactly above the Löwenherz tunnel. From there we follow a narrow path uphill towards the signposted Krappenfelsen (2). This striking rock with a viewing platform is, after 1.2 km, the first destination of our tour. It lies on the eastern flank of Adelberg Mountain and therefore offers a perfect orientation for sunrise photos. But the view is also excellent in other respects: to the east, there is Orensberg Mountain (also definitely worth a visit) and the Rhine plain, and to the south the town of Annweiler and its imposing Trifels Castle. I recommend taking photos from the viewing platform itself, as well as from the rock as part of the scene.

Uphill onto Großer Adelberg

To get an impression from higher above, we zigzag up another 120 meters of altitude to the mountain Großer Adelberg (3). There is a flying site of the South Palatinate Paragliders Club with a fantastic view to the east. Even the ruins of Neuscharfeneck Castle are clearly visible in the distance. I couldn’t stay here for long because the wind immediately drove the icy cold into my limbs.

Großer Sommerfelsen

From the mountain Großer Adelberg, we finally descend gradually along a wide forest path to the mountain Kleiner Adelberg, 100 meters lower in altitude. The southwest-facing ridge of the hill, with the Sommerfelsen rock (4), is the spectacular highlight of the photo-hike. The rugged sandstone rocks in the foreground and Trifels Castle in the distance are perfect for staging interesting photo compositions. Here you will also find a small and cozy refuge, where you are somewhat shielded from wind and cold while having breakfast.

Finally, after a total of 6.2 km, the trail leads back down to the car park.

If my winter photo-hike to Adelberg Mountain inspired you to own photographs, or if you want to recommend other great places in the Palatinate Forest, please leave a comment down below and/or share this blog post with your friends. Thank you!

• Wikipedia entry about Adelberg Mountain: Wikipedia
• Homepage of the City Annweiler am Trifels: Homepage

Here you can download a detailed PDF Sheet of this photo-hike for printing. It contains a description of the location and tips on how to get there. The file contains both an English and a German version.