Rodenbach’s culinary hike features nature, food specialties

A culinary hike will take place for the eighth time in Rodenbach Saturday and Sunday.

It is known as the biggest culinary hike in the Westpfalz and will lead walkers on mostly paved trails to eight stations where they can taste culinary specialties and wines.

“After the culinary hike was a big success last year and we lured more than 6,000 hikers, there was no doubt about organizing another hike this year again,” said Christoph Molter from the organizing event team.

Interested walkers can start at 11 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.

“We are happy to welcome visitors from all over to this scenic route in the western part of our beautiful Pfalz,” said Anja Pfeiffer, Weilerbach Union Community mayor. “They not only can enjoy the diverse colors of fall but also the diverse dishes and wines caterers will serve.”

Regional butchers and caterers will offer their specialties, such as salmon filet made on a Finnish Kota grill with a honey mustard dip, Mediterranean red wine meat, barbecue specialties, pulled pork sandwiches and flammkuchen. Sweet delicacies include French toast with vanilla sauce and cakes.

Vintners from nearby regions will serve a variety of wines and prosecco. Event participants who would like to taste different wines should buy a wine pass with wine glass for €7 at one of the two information stands. The wine pass is the ticket to the event.

“Visitors with a wine pass will be able to taste wines at a reduced price of €1.50 at each wine station. They can have their wine passes filled out at each station, and after presenting it at one of the information stands, they will receive a present,” Molter said.

Visitors who do not drink alcohol do not need to buy the wine pass.

Children can jump on a bouncy castle, get their faces painted and take part in other activities in the children’s paradise.

“Let’s forget about the everyday life and enjoy the nature and fine specialties,” said Ralf Schwarm, Rodenbach’s mayor. “I wish our guests some nice relaxing hours on this hike.”

Participants can park their vehicles in the parking lots in the Industriegebiet Nord on Hans-Geiger Strasse in Kaiserslautern, the industrial area between Vogelweh and Weilerbach along state road L367, and start their route there following the signs.

Passengers can board city busses on bus route 101 at the Kaiserslautern Rathaus or on bus route 140 at the Hautpbahnhof to be driven to the center of Rodenbach. Busses will drive every hour. For details, visit www.swk.de for route 101 or www.saarpfalzbus.de for route 140.

The hike can start anywhere along the route.

For directions, a map and additional information, visit www.kulinarische-wanderung.de.