Losheim am See – In May 2005, the success story of the popular Losheim hiking trail began with the opening of the "Felsweg," which owes its name to the scenic route along and over fascinating rock formations between Scheiden and Waldhölzbach. At that time, the Felsenweg was the first premium hiking trail in the Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate and, with 73 experience points, the premium hiking trail in Germany with the highest number of experience points. At the same time, in September 2005, it was awarded the title of Most Beautiful Hiking Trail of the Year in Germany in Düsseldorf. In the first year, more than 500 hikers visited per week – the starting signal for a real hiking boom in the Saarland.
The next trails created in the municipality and the region in 2006 were the Stausee Tafeltour, the Saarschleife Tafeltour, and the Schluchtenpfad, followed by additional premium hiking trails annually from 2007 onwards. All these trails have been very successful and, through their high-quality concept, attract large tourist target groups and local recreation seekers. Important partners included the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Saarschleifenland Tourismus GmbH, both of which actively supported financing and marketing. Without them, the realization of the trails would not have been possible. In 2007, the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig long-distance hiking trail was opened, and the eponymous hiking office was established with its headquarters in Losheim am See. In 2009, the brand Traumschleifen Saar-Hunsrück was created, and in 2012 the premium hiking region Saar-Hunsrück was established, featuring the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig and 111 Traumschleifen.
In the last three years, the hiking offerings in the region have been supplemented with "Traumschleifchen" (dream loops), making short attractive circular hikes possible. The Felsenweg has been continuously developed and serves as the guiding path for the development of premium hiking trails in the southwest. With each recertification conducted every three years, the trail has significantly improved.
“At the beginning of June this year, the next recertification of our most popular hiking trail was due, and we were highly motivated to bring the Felsenweg back to the top of Germany’s premium hiking trails through enhancement measures,” explains Mayor Helmut Harth. “In advance, about 20 percent of the route was rerouted to allow for an even more attractive trail layout. This increased the share of paths, which are always particularly exciting for hiking enthusiasts. Additional information boards, high-quality seating areas, and a charmingly designed refreshment station were also added. These improvements have raised the trail’s experience score from 96 to now 100 points. This closes the loop. The Felsenweg is now once again the number one premium trail in Germany, with the highest score of all trails outside the Alps.”
The mayor of Losheim sees this outstanding award as confirmation of the commitment of all involved and is delighted with the fantastic result: “I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has passionately dedicated themselves over the past six months to making our Felsenweg again Germany’s best hiking trail in 2022. All participants planned and implemented the improvements in a cooperative working process. It is their merit that we can now enjoy this great recognition. The most important contributor was Losheim forester Ralf Simon with his team. Also to be mentioned are the municipal operation employees Swen Deutsch as trail warden, Jürgen Lauer, and Isabelle Stachel. Furthermore, a very special thank you goes to Achim Laub, who, as one of the founding fathers of the premium hiking trails throughout the region, has significantly shaped hiking tourism in Losheim am See and continues to advise us to this day. This time again, he contributed valuable optimization suggestions during a joint hike. I am convinced that this award for the Felsenweg, as well as the parallel award for the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig, will attract widespread attention beyond the region and that the considerable effort will more than pay off through additional hiking guests, while also benefiting the living and recreational quality for our citizens.”
The official award of the Felsenweg by the German Hiking Institute will take place as part of the official welcome at the Draussen am See Outdoor Festival on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at 1:30 PM in the presence of Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger.
