On the border of France in the south-west of Rhineland-Palatinate sits the hilly Südwestpfalz. Located in the highlands of the Pfälzer Wald (the Palatinate Forest) it is part of the extensive UNESCO biosphere reserve along with the neighboring Vosges Mountains in France. Together they create one of the largest forests in Europe, and it looks amazing with a blanket of snow! :-)
Südwestpfalz Map
Towns & Villages in the Südwestpfalz
- Althornbach
- Battweiler
- Bechhofen (Pfalz)
- Biedershausen
- Bobenthal
- Bottenbach
- Bruchweiler-Bärenbach
- Bundenthal
- Busenberg
- Clausen
- Contwig
- Dahn
- Darstein
- Dellfeld
- Dietrichingen
- Dimbach
- Donsieders
- Eppenbrunn
- Erfweiler
- Erlenbach (Dahn)
- Fischbach (Dahn)
- Geiselberg
- Großbundenbach
- Großsteinhausen
- Hauenstein
- Heltersberg
- Hermersberg
- Herschberg
- Hettenhausen
- Hilst
- Hinterweidenthal
- Hirschthal
- Höheinöd
- Höheischweiler
- Höhfröschen
- Horbach (Pfalz)
- Hornbach
- Käshofen
- Kleinbundenbach
- Kleinsteinhausen
- Knopp-Labach
- Krähenberg
- Kröppen
- Leimen (Pfalz)
- Lemberg
- Ludwigswinkel
- Lug (Pfalz)
- Maßweiler
- Mauschbach
- Merzalben
- Münchweiler a.d.R.
- Niederschlettenbach
- Nothweiler
- Nünschweiler
- Obernheim (Kirch.)
- Obersimten
- Petersberg (Pfalz)
- Reifenberg
- Riedelberg
- Rieschweiler (Mühl.)
- Rodalben
- Rosenkopf
- Rumbach
- Ruppertsweiler
- Saalstadt
- Schauerberg
- Schindhard
- Schmalenberg
- Schmitshausen
- Schönau (Pfalz)
- Schwanheim
- Schweix
- Spirkelbach
- Steinalben
- Thaleischweiler-Fröschen
- Trulben
- Vinningen
- Waldfischbach-Burgalben
- Wallhalben
- Walshausen
- Weselberg
- Wiesbach
- Wilgartswiesen
- Winterbach (Pfalz)
There is a network of mountainbike routes throughout the woodlands, as well as well-marked walking and hiking trails and even several climbing bases. The rock in some regions is a beautiful red sandstone, with high cliffs and makes for great scenery. There is also plenty of wildlife to be found hiding in the territory.
There are also many great towns and cities in or bordering on the Südwestpfalz including Zweibrücken and Pirmasens — the latter is famous for its shoe-making.
This magnificent city, with its historic Altstadt is perched in the mountains and holds the source of the river Lauter — the natural divide between Germany and France along the southern edge of this state down to the Rhine.
