h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As with most things in Germany, this is all very organised. There is a Pfälzerwaldverein - a society which organises hikes and publishes maps, awards medals for diligent hikers and marks the walks in the woods. This is very useful and you can just stop at any car park and choose a route from the map displayed there. You then follow the "number 3" or the "yellow square" or various other symbols which are painted on rocks or trees on the way and getting lost is almost impossible.

It is lovely to walk or drive through the woods especially in the Autumn. The raised altitude and the mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees provide a plentiful supply of good quality fresh air, and there is so much nature to keep children occupied. Younger children can collect chestnuts or pine cones or blueberries, depending on the time of year. They can do bark-rubbings or any of the usual activities that you can think up or remember from your Scouting days. There is also a lot of history involved in this part of the world, being on the border to France, and there are many old castles and forts which suddenly appear between the trees. Some of these are reconstructed and do guided tours, many are just stones which the kids can clamber about on. (This is sometimes forbidden for safety's sake - watch out for signs).

You don't need any equipment, although the Germans do tend to do things thoroughly and kit themselves out with special knickerbockers, shoes, and even the authentic socks to look the part. Needless to say, good shoes, not too new, with a good tread on them, are vital, however.

There are lots of huts en route which offer a good hearty meal and a half-litre glass of the local wine or beer very cheaply. Of course, you can take your sandwiches in a backpack and sit at one of the many tables provided. These often are particularly found at the tops of hills, with a beautiful view over the woods, the vineyards and the Rhine valley (not so nice, all industry) - and on a clear day right across to the woods and mountains on the other side of the Rhine valley, the Odenwald.

I can recommend no particular walk, but it is worth spending a week in a guest house in a little village and just taking a different route every day. This gives you a chance to try out the wines in the evening, too. If you are a congenial type, you will have no problem finding some locals or fellow visiting hikers to chat with.

You can do little strolls of 2-3 km, or you can walk the length of the forest, taking in 20-30 km a day.

Some time I intend to write a whole entry on the Palatinate, having lived here since 1976, so look out for it!

Geographically, we are talking here about a part of Germany which is West of the Rhine (The French are always surprised to hear that there is some of Germany West of the Rhine), bordering on Alsace in the West, the Rhine to the East, the Eifel to the North and France to the South. Look out for Ludwigshafen, the home of the BASF, Karlsruhe and Kaiserslautern as a rough guide to the extrremities. South of Karlsruhe you then start on the Black Forest, to which most of the comments above also apply.