Get to know Forst an der Weinstraße through its wine sites, wine estates and village history. A walk through the vineyards and a tasting with local winegrowers offer a different perspective from a visit to the village church or Bismarck Cave. When planning your trip, you can focus on wine and trails or on the history of the village.

Explore the wine sites on foot and by bike

The Jesuitengarten invites you to take a walk through the vineyards. The Große Lagenwanderung is a circular trail about 3 kilometres long through Forst’s wine sites. The circular routes also include the Kirchenstück, Freundstück, Ungeheuer and Pechstein wine sites. The vineyard walks offer views towards the Haardtrand, the Palatinate Forest, the Rhine Plain and the Odenwald. This way, walking between the wine sites goes hand in hand with sweeping views of the surrounding landscape.

The German Wine Route cycle path also passes through Forst, between Wachenheim and Deidesheim. Whether on foot or by bike, the routes offer different ways to explore the area. At around 3 kilometres, the Große Lagenwanderung gives you a concrete idea of the length of a circular walk; the other wine sites mentioned give the vineyard trails a particular connection to local winegrowing.

Discover wine with local winegrowers

Forst’s wineries and historic wine estates offer tastings hosted by the winegrowers themselves. This gives you another way to explore the region’s wine in addition to walking: one option focuses on exploring the wine sites on foot, while the other centres on tasting and talking with the winegrowers. Either can shape your stay, without requiring you to follow a set itinerary.

Village history and geological features

The village church offers a glimpse into the area’s long history. By the 15th century at the latest, a church dedicated to Saint Margaret stood at the current church site. The present village church was consecrated in 1723; its 40-metre-high red sandstone tower was built in 1767. These dates distinguish between the earlier church on the site, the consecration of the present building and the later construction of the tower.

The Hanselfingerhut play is an annual event in the village calendar: it is performed on Laetare Sunday, three weeks before Easter. In 2016, the play was included in a German register of intangible cultural heritage. It adds a living tradition tied to a specific date in the calendar to your experience of Forst.

Geology and commemorative culture are also part of the area’s local heritage. The Pechsteinkopf is the only exposed deposit of younger volcanic rock in the Palatinate. Bismarck Cave was created at the edge of the forest in 1885 as a memorial to Reich Chancellor Bismarck. These two sites take you beyond winegrowing and local history, highlighting geological features and a specific historical remembrance.

More culture in the wider destination

In the wider destination of Bad Dürkheim, Deidesheim offers its own points of interest: the Museum of Wine Culture documents the relationship between people, wine and winegrowing. A 2.3-kilometre walking tour leads through Deidesheim’s historic town centre. So, alongside the vineyard trails in Forst, you can also visit a museum focused on wine culture or take a walk through a historic town centre.

Find a holiday apartment for your stay

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Forst, you can base your choice on the topics that interest you most: wine sites, tastings with winegrowers, village history or cycling. Check the individual listing to make sure its location and availability suit your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Lambrecht, Grünstadt, Hettenleidelheim, Weidenthal, Wachenheim an der Weinstraße, Laumersheim, Bad Dürkheim, Neidenfels.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Bad Dürkheim.