Stage 03 Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Trail: Kirn - Monzingen
- Brief description
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Kirn – St. Johannisberg Collegiate Church / Skywalk – Brunkenstein reuins – Dhaun Caste - Simmertal – Weiler - Monzingen
The traces of an eventful history spanning over a thousand years can still be found today in the preserved historical buildings of Kirn and the other trail stations.
- Difficulty
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medium
- Rating
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- Starting point
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market square, 55606 Kirn,
- Route
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Kirnevang. Stiftskirche0.1 kmSankt Pankratius0.6 kmSt. Johannisberg5.5 kmLandhaus St. Johannisberg5.5 kmHochstetten-Dhaun6.1 kmLandhaus Felsengarten10.2 kmStella Biergarten & Scheune10.6 kmEvangelische Kirche Simmern unter Dhaun10.7 kmSimmertal11.0 kmWeiler bei Monzingen14.3 kmHotel/Restaurant Stadtmühle18.3 kmAlt Monzingen18.4 kmMonzingen18.4 km
- Best season
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JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Description
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Worth seeing in Kirn are the many half-timbered houses, the Protestant church, the town hall - formerly built as a Piarist monastery, the Salm-Kyrburg winery and the Kyrburg; the town’s landmark. Today Kirn is known far beyond the borders of Rhineland-Palatinate thanks to the Kirn private brewery Ph. & C. Andres. For this reason, an information board on the market square is also dedicated to the topic of “Beer and other drinks with Hildegard”.
The trail is characterised by forest, unobstructed views and the thrill of the Nahe Skywalk in St. Johannisberg as well as the wine landscape of the upper Nahe. A total of nine information boards provides information about Hildegard, and her work and life in the Middle Ages.
Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Trail
Hildegard of Bingen, abbess, poet, theologian, naturalist and healer lived in what is now the Nahe holiday region throughout her life.
The 137-kilometre Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Trail passes various stations in the life of this probably most famous personality of the Middle Ages. The trail starts in Idar-Oberstein and continues via Niederhosenbach, the family seat and possible birthplace of Hildegard of Bingen, to Bad Sobernheim. Not far from here is the Disibodenberg monastery ruins, where Hildegard spent almost 40 significant years of her life. The Pilgrimage Trail ultimately ends in Bingen am Rhein. Here, the Rupertsberg vaulted cellar still bears witness to Hildegard of Bingen’s last place of work: in 1150, the saint founded the Rupertsberg monastery, which was the place of her work for 29 years. The last stops on this ecumenical pilgrimage trail are the Hildegard shrine in the pilgrimage church of St. Hildegard Rüdesheim-Ebingen and the Abbey of St. Hildegard Ebingen.
58 information and meditation boards along the entire route provide information about Hildegard as a person, her work and life in the Middle Ages. Hikers approach the spiritual side of Hildegard of Bingen through meditation boards that follow Hildegard of Bingen’s visionary images from her main work of “Scivias - Know the Ways” and give stimulus for meditation. The boards are written in both German and English.
The pilgrim’s passport can be stamped at Naheland-Touristik GmbH, tourist information offices, catering and accommodation establishments, various way stations and finally at St. Hildegard’s Abbey in Eibingen.
Brief résumé of St. Hildegard of Bingen
1098: Birth Hildegard of Bingen, presumably in Niederhosenbach near Herrstein
1112: enters the Disibodenberg monastery near Bad Sobernheim, together with Jutta of Sponheim
1136: Hildegard of Bingen becomes, after the death of Jutta of Sponheim, the second Magistra in the Disibodenberg monastery
around 1150: founds her own female monastery in Bingen am Rhein
1165: Foundation of a second female convent in Eibingen, today’s pilgrimage church of St. Hildegard Rüdesheim-Eibingen
17 September 1179: Hildegard of Bingen dies in Bingen am Rhein
10 May 2012: Canonisation of Hildegard of Bingen by Pope Benedict XVI
7 October 2012: Elevation to Doctor of the Church
- Directions
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In Kirn we are in the western Nahe region, which is mainly a Protestant area, and this motivates us to take a look at Hildegard as an early Protestant (Board 11). From the market square in Kirn, the trail leads out of the town and follows the Rhine-Nahe Wine Trail ("Rhein-Nahe Weinwanderweg") on the heights until it crosses the vitality tour Wildgrafen Trail.
We follow our path, which leads together with the vitality tour to the Nahe-Skywalk to St. Johannisberg. From here we have a fantastic view of the Nahetal Valley and of an old quarry. In the Protestant collegiate church of St. Johannisberg, located at the same site, the Hildegard meditation invites visitors to reflect on the origins of man and his soul (Board 12). The view of the mining industry at the Skywalk, in turn, offers an opportunity to look at Hildegard’s book on metals (Board 13).
The trail now leads us to Hochstetten-Dhaun and further on, running in parallel with the vitality tour Wildgrafen Trail, up to the heights and deeper into the forest. Brunkenstein ruins can be found in the middle of the forest. The info board is about Hildegard’s book on reptiles and invites you to look at toads, snakes, dragons and other primeval or legendary creatures (Board 14).
An access path leads out of the forest up to Dhaun Castle. Whilst there, the occupation with Hildegard’s music, which can already be heard on all meditation board, might be of interest (Board 15). From the castle courtyard you have a beautiful view of the Simmerbach and Nahe Valley. Back on the Hildegardof Bingen Pilgrimage Trail, the route continues downhill over the Simmerbach stream to Simmertal. Down in Simmertal, at the old town hall, there is an information board dealing with Hildegard’s correspondence and therefore also with her commitment to politics (board 16). – From Simmertal, the route returns to the Rhine-Nahe Wine Trail via Weiler to the stage destination in Monzingen.
- Highest point
- 349 m
- Endpoint
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Soonwaldstraße, 55569 Monzingen
- Height profile
- © outdooractive.com
- Equipment
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Hiking footwear recommended!
Our tips for carefree hiking fun:
Hiking is the perfect sport. With the right clothes and shoes, it's twice as much fun. Functional clothing, poles and breathable backpacks are good choices when hiking. But good footwear is indispensable. Sturdy jogging or leisure shoes are at best only suitable for short distances on flat paths. For longer walks, we recommend sturdy hiking boots with non-slip soles. Also remember to take sunscreen and a drink. A litre of water is best.
- Safety instructions
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Hiking footwear recommended!
- Tips
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A place for a rest and meditation is around the collegiate church in St. Johannisberg.
- Additional information
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Naheland-Touristik GmbH
Bahnhofstraße 37, D-55606 Kirn
Telefon: +49 (0) 6752/137610
Fax: +49 (0) 6752/137620
Mail info@naheland.net
Local Adress:
Tourist-Information Kirner-Land
Kirchstraße 3, D-55606 Kirn
Telefon: +49 (0)6752/135-155
Mail tourismus(at)kirner-land.de
Information Point Kirn city,
Pavillon auf dem Marktplatz, D-55606 Kirn
Telefon: +49 (0)6752/135-155
Mail tourismus(at)kirner-land.de
- Directions
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A61 in the east, Bad Kreuznach junction, B41 to Kirn.
A62 in the west, Birkenfeld junction, B41 to Kirn.
- Public transportation
- Parking
- Author
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The tour Stage 03 Hildegard of Bingen Pilgrimage Trail: Kirn - Monzingen is used by outdooractive.com provided.