Winter Magic on the Bergstraße: Hiking, Castle & Mulled Wine 🎄🥾✨

Our tour starts in Bensheim-Auerbach with the sports part, so we can get warm quickly in the cold winter air. We take the direct ascent up to the "Balcony Edge" of the mountain range. As we go higher we will get great views of the Rhine plain and Starkenburg Castle.

At Schloss Auerbach we'll take a moment to catch our breath. The old ruin has a special vibe in winter, especially the famous pine tree that stands strong against the elements on the bare shield wall. It's a quick "summit break" with a view before we start our relaxed descent.

We will pass through the silent beech forest down into the sheltered valley basin of the Staatspark Fürstenlager. The air is usually calm down here, and the historic buildings lie before us like a small village. This is our actual destination.

The Artist Christmas Market (Künstlerweihnachtsmarkt) is a key part of our traditional Christmas hike – this is a must on this tour! We head straight for the mulled wine stand after passing stalls featuring genuine craftsmanship – no kitsch here! Here, we finally have time to relax with a mulled wine or other hot drinks and have a chat.

When the cold starts to bite, we only have a short way to go to the "Alte Dorfmühle", a restaurant located in an old mill in Bensheim-Auerbach, where we will enjoy a warm dinner at around 5 pm.

• Total length: 12 km
• Uphill: 350 m
• Downhill: 350 m

== Meeting point / Ticket ==

At the train station in Frankfurt at track 10 (Frankfurt Hbf) at 10:45.

Our train RB67/68 starts from platform 10 at 11:06 and we arrive at Bensheim-Auerbach Bahnhof at 11:54. We take the train RB67/68 back at 19:04 from Bensheim-Auerbach Bahnhof platform 1 to Frankfurt Hbf and will be there at 19:48.

For most people sharing a "Gruppentageskarte" (Group ticket) will be the cheapest option (if you don't have a Deutschlandticket) to cover the costs for the transport. The ticket costs 42,10 € and is valid for up to 5 people. At the meeting point we will figure out the ticket situation and buy tickets according to our needs. Don't buy a "Gruppentageskarte" in advance. We will share the total costs of the Tickets needed by the number of people that want to have a spot on it. If you prefer to travel with an individual ticket, of course you can do that.

For people coming by car: We meet at 11:54 at Bensheim-Auerbach Bahnhof. Please be there in time!

More information about the hiking route under the following link: https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/2628839286
For your favorite hiking smartphone app: https://buff.ly/tSVmqFM
Google Maps: https://buff.ly/ynDNg4E

== IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT "RSVP YES" AND "NO SHOW" ==

We have to put some simple rules in place to ease the planning and organizing of hikes and to allow more people to attend. Please don't RSVP YES to simply hold your spot on the event and then drop out at the last minute or simply not show up having decided to do something else that day. Doing so you are not letting other people attend the event, not attending yourself. Repeated history of NO SHOWS could lead you to be bumped to the waiting list or to be removed from the group. The RSVP time is usually closing 1-2 days before the event, in order for people on the waiting list to have time to prepare for attending. Out of respect for others please update your RSVP Status from YES to NO if you will not make it to participate, before the RSVP deadline. If you have to cancel your attendance after the RSVP time has closed, please send a message to the Organizers, so that people from the waiting list can jump in.

== Safety disclaimer ==

The organizers in this group aren't professional hike leaders. You are responsible for your personal safety. Please try and stay as safe as possible, use proper clothing and footwear, have water with you, be alert to the environment, watch out for outdoor dangers and stay on the trail always.