Palatinate Forest photo tour

Day 1

We start our journey at the train station in Basel around 9:30 AM. From there, we travel by minibus through the Rhine Valley heading north. Passing through Freiburg, Offenburg, and Baden-Baden, we reach Karlsruhe. From there, we continue via Landau into the Palatinate Forest. Our first photo stop and lunch break are planned in Annweiler am Trifels. The romantic town of Annweiler, with its historical town center and numerous half-timbered houses, awaits us. From a parking lot in the vicinity, we have a fantastic view over the Trifelsland. In front of us, three hills rise with the castles of Trifels, Anebos, and Scharfenberg. A medium telephoto lens is ideal for capturing this scene.

We then drive via the B10 to Ruppertsweiler, where our hotel is located. After checking in, we head out to our sunset spot. If the weather allows, we will take a short hike to the Buchkammerfelsen. From here, we have a stunning view over the Palatinate Forest near Busenberg.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2

For the sunrise, we’ve chosen a rock across from our sunset spot from the previous day. On the Sprinzelfelsen, there are beautiful weathered pines, and with some luck, we might see a thin mist over the valley. After sunrise, we return to the hotel for breakfast.

Our destination for today is the Altschlossfelsen near Eppenbrunn. These rocks are made of sandstone, and their reddish color is more reminiscent of the national parks in the American Southwest than a remote corner of the Palatinate Forest. The numerous rocks offer various interesting photographic motifs, and we won’t return from our excursion until early afternoon. For the late afternoon and sunset, we have several options. However, we will plan the remainder of the day based on the weather.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 3

For today’s sunrise, our subject is the Teufelstisch (Devil’s Table) in Hinterweidenthal. This well-known sandstone formation in the Dahner Felsenland is a sought-after photographic motif. However, at sunrise, there won’t be many tourists, and we can photograph the rock from various angles in peace.

After breakfast, we head out to the Rumbergtürme, another fascinating rock formation. Small and large rock towers here are waiting to be photographed. There are still other interesting rocks in the region, and depending on time, we may visit some of them. For sunset, we will return to the area around Annweiler am Trifels, where there is a nice viewpoint that will allow us to photograph the hilly landscape perfectly.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 4

Today we head back to the Busenberg area. For sunrise, we have another great photo spot in mind: the Schlüsselfelsen. After breakfast, we will take a hike to another photo spot in the area. We will decide which location to visit based on the weather and our previous explorations.
Around midday, we will say goodbye to the Palatinate and head home via the Northern Vosges. With many great photos in hand, we will arrive in Basel late in the afternoon. The suggested program is just a framework. We will base our excursions on the weather and the fitness level of the group!

Looking forward to an exciting short trip to a lesser-known area of Germany!
You can see more pictures of this unique area in my Portfolio