Waldberg: Hiking, Pilgrim Route and Chapel

Discover Waldberg via paths with special stops and through the history surrounding the chapel and Felix of Cantalice. Exercise, a playful stop and cultural traces add different touches to your holiday days. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, the routes and themes you have planned can help you choose a suitable starting point for your stay.

Hiking routes with special stops

The Schmankerlrunde offers a clearly defined route for a hike: it is a moderately difficult circular hike starting from the market square in Windigsteig, 8.66 kilometres long, with a stated duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Its circular route, distance and duration give you specific points of reference when planning a day of hiking.

At the fire station in Waldberg, visitors can play games including “Fox and Hen” and “Mill” on oversized game boards. The games add a playful touch alongside the hiking route. Regional specialities are another option available locally: at the Schmankerlhof Dangl in Waldberg, guests can enjoy a range of regional specialities.

Another route idea is the Meister Lampe's Forest and Meadow Nature Trail. It starts at Waldberg near Windigsteig and is about three kilometres long. Along the way, there is a stop where the language of bees is explained. The two stated route lengths distinguish the nature trail’s approximately three kilometres from the Schmankerlrunde’s 8.66 kilometres. This means you can choose between a nature trail with a bee station and a longer circular hike with games and culinary stops, depending on your plans for the day.

Another route leads to a viewpoint with panoramic views after passing through Waldberg. Along with the named stops on the nature trail and the Schmankerlrunde, this route offers an additional reason to explore Waldberg on foot.

Chapel, Stone Statue and Felix Pilgrim Route

Waldberg Chapel was built in 1834. In front of it stands a stone statue of Felix of Cantalice, erected in 1739 by the then owner of Schwarzenau Castle, Franz Adam Count Polheim. The two dates place the statue and chapel in a chronological relationship: the statue was created 95 years before the chapel was built. In Waldberg, you can encounter two different historical dates at one specific place.

The Felix Pilgrim Route No. 10 is also named after Felix of Cantalice; one section passes through Waldberg. The name visible on the stone statue is thus also associated with a pilgrim route that passes through the village. If you are interested in historical connections as well as route planning when hiking, you can take these details into account when choosing your routes. The Schmankerlrunde can be compared as a specific hiking option based on its stated length and duration; for the Felix Pilgrim Route, the main points here are its namesake and its course through Waldberg.

Choose a holiday apartment to suit your days away

When looking for a holiday apartment, it is worth comparing your planned activities with the respective starting points. The Schmankerlrunde starts at the market square in Windigsteig, while the Meister Lampe's Forest and Meadow Nature Trail starts at Waldberg near Windigsteig. This way, you can choose your accommodation based on the actual routes you want to explore, rather than deciding solely by the name of your destination.

To help decide what to focus on, consider what you would like to shape your stay: a moderately difficult circular hike with a specified duration, a shorter nature trail with a stop about the language of bees, the chapel and its history, or the connection to the Felix Pilgrim Route. These different themes can help you plan your holiday days and look for a suitable holiday apartment, without treating the routes as if they were the same.

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