Multi-day hike through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley

Eleven scholarship holders from nine countries met in the youth hostel at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and, accompanied by Ute Baumgart from the office, hiked for three days through the World Heritage Middle Rhine Valley along the Rhine Castle Trail.

The second day of hiking began with a visit to Rheinfels Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in Germany. Its imposing ruins make up only a small part of the former fortress buildings. Here the group was led through deep, very narrow and dark passages far into the rock and learned a lot about the German Middle Ages along the way. Always above the Rhine, they followed the path to Oberwesel.

After attending the local Sunday service, which was co-organised by the KAAD group, they continued the hike accompanied by Manuel Andrack, who not only gave a lecture on the history of hiking and the system of hiking trails, but was also able to provide information about viticulture - accompanied by a small wine tasting - as well as about the geology and history of the Rhine Valley, and was available for questions from the participants throughout the day. His lecture was integrated into the hike, so that all breaks were filled with new parts of the lecture.

The final event was an evening high above the Rhine at Stahleck Castle, where the group could enjoy the evening and the end of the strenuous hike with a glass of wine together with Manuel Andrack and Ute Baumgart.