Rotweinwanderweg (Red Wine Hiking Trail), Ahr Valley

The Rotweinwanderweg begins at Altenahr Bahnhof, on the Ahrtal regional rail line, with the trailhead signposted a short walk from the platform and no permit needed to walk the route. The full trail runs about 35 kilometres from Altenahr to Bad Bodendorf, usually split into three stages of 3-4 hours each, with repeated but gentle climbs through the vineyard terraces above the valley floor bringing the high points to around 300 metres; the path is well-groomed gravel and dirt track through the vines, technically easy with no scrambling, though some terraced sections are steep enough to warrant sturdy footwear rather than casual shoes. The route runs mostly in the open across south-facing vineyard slopes with limited shade, alternating with short wooded stretches between villages. Key landmarks include the wine villages of Mayschoss, Dernau, and Bad Neuenahr, each with tasting rooms and cafes directly on or just off the route, along with regular viewpoints back over the river and its terraced Spätburgunder vines; any of the intermediate train stations at Dernau, Mayschoss, Bad Neuenahr, or Bad Bodendorf serve as a convenient turn-around or stage-end point. There are no refuge huts on the trail itself, but the string of villages along the route means water, food, and accommodation are available at frequent intervals, unlike more remote sections of Rhineland-Palatinate's other long-distance trails.