The holiday rental is located in a modernised sandstone house that is over 125 years old. It is situated on the edge of the town centre. Three restaurants, two bakeries with coffee shops, a butcher shop,
a supermarket, and the German Shoe Museum are all within a 5-minute walk of the
holiday rental.
The holiday rental is suitable for couples, families with children, hikers, cyclists, mountain bikers,
climbers, nature lovers, fans of Palatinate cuisine, culture enthusiasts, and more.
There is a bike shelter in the courtyard, and barbecue facilities are available.
Round out an eventful day in the garden behind the house, with a view of Neding and a good
glass of Palatinate wine or another drink in the company of your loved ones.
The health resort of Hauenstein is located in the southwestern Palatinate, in the heart of the Palatinate Forest—Germany’s largest contiguous forest area—on the northern edge of the Wasgau region, which merges into the Northern Vosges to the south. Since 1998, it has been the German part of the cross-border Palatinate Forest–Northern Vosges Biosphere Reserve.
Hauenstein, which currently has about 4,000 residents, was once Germany’s largest “shoe village.” In the 1950s, there were still about 35 shoe factories here. About 50 years ago, shoe production was gradually phased out due to cheaper production abroad. Hauenstein’s first shoe factory was founded in 1886 by the brothers Karl-August and Anton Seibel. Currently, there is still one remaining: the “Gläserne Schuhfabrik” (Transparent Shoe Factory), which is managed by their great-grandson Carl-August Seibel. There, visitors can observe the shoe-making process up close.
Sights, recreational activities, and day trip destinations in and around Hauenstein:
- German Shoe Museum
- Wasgau Oil Mill
- Schuhcity shopping district. Open from March through October, including Sundays and holidays
- Transparent Shoe Factory
- Wasgau Outdoor Pool (set in a stunning location, nestled among rocks and forests)
- Hike to the Paddelweiher with its lovely beer garden, the source of the Queich River, and the Pfälzerwald “Haus Dicke Eiche”
There are 7 premium hiking trails in Hauenstein and the surrounding area
Mountain bike trails—2 of them in Hauenstein—for various fitness levels and skill levels
- Cycling: shorter and longer loop routes around Hauenstein all the way to Alsace
- Teufelstisch Adventure Park (where children can play and run around to their heart’s content)
- Silz Wildlife and Hiking Park—equally enjoyable for young and old alike
- Seehof Natural Swimming Pond (right next to Berwartstein Castle)
- Johanniskreuz House of Sustainability
- Tours of Berwartstein Castle (once home to robber barons) or Trifels Imperial Castle, as well as the castle ruins at
Falkenburg, Altdahn, Drachenfels, Landeck, Wegelnburg, etc.
- Palatinate Wine Route
Other excursion destinations:
- Bad Bergzabern with its thermal baths – 20 km
- Weißenburg in Alsace, just beyond the German Wine Gate. Enjoy this Alsatian gem
, with its charming old town, historic half-timbered houses, and romantic alleyways,
just across the German-French border—30 km
- Bitsch – Historic Citadel – 48 km
- Pirmasens – Dynamikum, interactive technology museum – 22 km
- Landau – Zoo 25 km
- Speyer – Imperial and St. Mary’s Cathedral (the world’s largest Romanesque cathedral), Technology Museum, Historical
Museum of the Palatinate, beautiful old town – 50 km
Directions by car
Coming from Frankfurt or Koblenz, take the A 65 near Ludwigshafen towards Karlsruhe. At Landau, take the LD Nord exit onto the B10 towards Pirmasens.
Coming from Karlsruhe, take the A 65 and the LD Nord exit onto the B10.
Hauenstein is located about 25 km west of Landau