The Palatine Ridgeway runs in a semi-circle initially north around the Donnersberg, the highest mountain in the North Palatine Uplands and the whole Palatinate, then through the valleys northwest of the massif. The start point in the east is Winnweiler, and the finish point in the west is Wolfstein station. Opened in spring 2011 the hiking trail runs entirely within the North Palatine Uplands. Its waymark and logo, like the other two paths, is a hillside in a rectangular field, but with the difference that it is in blue and white, and has a stylised cloud and the name of the path.
Character
The path, with its climbs and descents, runs through one of the most important tourist attractions of the Palatinate: the large, forested, hill range of the North Palatine Uplands. The route has 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) of uphill and 3,200 metres (10,500 ft) of the downhill gradient. Its lowest point is at 148 metres (486 ft) in the small town of Meisenheim and its highest point, at 687 metres (2,254 ft), is the summit of the Donnersberg. In addition, the trail runs in places through the valleys of the Alsenz, Moschel, Glan and Lauter, which belong to the river system of the Rhine tributary, the Nahe.