By Vicky · Published May. 2nd, 2023 · Updated Jan. 7th, 2024
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The Harmersbacher Vesperweg Hike leads from Oberharmersbach up through meadows and forest to great views over the Kinzig valley below.
Harmersbacher Vesperweg Hiking Map
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Location
The Harmersbacher Vesperweg Hike starts from the tourist information in Oberharmersbach. There’s a small car park in front of the office, or a larger car park a few hundred metres away in town.
Tips
- There are several huts along this hike serving food and drinks. The Vesperstube Harkhof is one of the biggest and best, and is open all year round Tue-Sun. Note, most places in this region are cash only (no card).
- This hike is a so-called ‘Pemiumwanderweg’, or Premium Walking Route, and you can pick up a leaflet at the tourist information (open weekdays, sometimes only in the mornings from 9am or 9:30am).
- The hike is fairly well signed, sometimes as the Harmersbacher Vesperweg and sometimes as a Genießerpfad (Gourmet Trail).
- Have small change for the walk as you can buy cold drinks and beer along the route, leaving the money in honesty boxes.
- Kempfenhof Guesthouse is a lovely place to stay very close to the hiking route!
- For other hikes nearby try the Buhlbach Lake and Lotharpfad Hike or Burgbachwasserfall Walk. For shorter walks, try the Hademar Waldwichtel Trail or Brandenkopf Walk. Alternatively, check out our Germany Hiking Page.
Harmersbacher Vesperweg Hiking Route
From in front of the tourist information, the route heads up the valley towards Riersbach train station. At the first junction, turn right up the hill, following the signs (for Vesperweg and Genießerpfad). The route heads up through a meadow and into a little woodland. Bend left, then stick to the lower track (it’s easy to accidentally continue on the upper track).
At the next junction turn right up the hill and you’ll soon reach another junction in the woodland. Here you’ll find a little wooden cabinet full of refreshing drinks that you can buy (there’s an honesty box inside so have small change).
From here, take the trail to the right and you’ll soon leave the forest. At the corner is a great view over the Kinzig valley below, along with a very long tree trunk carved into fun sitting areas. It’s a great place to rest for a while!
Viewpoint at the Top
After some more climb you reach roughly the top of the hike and continue through meadows full of wildflowers with great views over the valley below. The route then leads into woodland and to an area of benches and another self-service cold-drinks tree. Here you’ll see beers laid in a trough of cool, running water to keep them chilled. Again it’s an honesty box system so have the correct change.
Just before the next small road, turn left to reach another junction. At this viewpoint are two benches and a hammock. Yet another good place for a rest. You have an opportunity here to detour towards Vesperstube Langenberg. This is a traditional restaurant with good food and nice views (open 11:30am-8pm, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays). To reach this hut, take the left route, or head straight onward to continue on the main Harmersbacher Vesperweg hike.
The path continues on the edge of the forest, and soon there’s a lovely view at the “panorahmen”, or panoramic wooden frame. At the next corner, there’s another great view of the wildflowers and valley below. Shortly after this view, you’ll reach the Schmusehisli, a cute wooden cabin and a bench and another view.
From here, it’s not far to the Kreuzsattelhütte, a small wooden hut serving food and drinks (open May to October inclusive, Sundays and public holidays only, from 10am to dusk). Turn left at the hut to walk along a track through the forest, a section of easy quick hiking.
Vesperstube Harkhof
The next feature on the route is the Vesperstube Harkhof. This is a great restaurant serving drinks and traditional Schwarzwald food with a lovely location in the middle of a grassy bowl of wildflowers. It’s very popular, especially on sunny weekends (open Tue-Sun 11am-8pm, also open on holiday Mondays).
If you don’t plan on visiting Vesperstube Harkhof, you can keep to the top path which avoids a small amount of climb. The route now continues into some forest and begins gradually descending. Towards the end of the forest, take the path to the right heading steeply downwards. This skips the longer way zigzagging down the track.
Just after you leave the forest again is another viewpoint with a nice bench. After this it’s more downhill through the forest before you come out at the top of an open meadow with the track winding down through the middle.
At the next bend in the track, there’s a little pavilion slightly hidden on your left. A small path detours here and there are great views down the valley all the way to Oberharmersbach. Return to the main track to keep going as you zigzag down to the bottom of the valley.
After heading a little way through the backstreets of the town, you’ll come to the edge of the little railway running through the valley. Now a gravel path follows the tracks here. This will lead you all the way back to where you started, and the end of the Harmersbacher Vesperweg Hike.
Guidebooks to explore more of Germany
For other hikes nearby try the Buhlbach Lake and Lotharpfad Hike or Burgbachwasserfall Walk. For shorter walks, try the Hademar Waldwichtel Trail or Brandenkopf Walk. Alternatively, check out our Germany Hiking Page for more great hikes nearby and for walking tours of the famous Bavarian cities.
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