Rapeseed fields, basilika and stream valley: hiking on the Wendelinus-Rundweg

Spring in the Sankt Wendeler Land on the Wendelinus-Rundweg: rapeseed glows yellow, blackthorn blossoms white – and the basilica stands in the morning light.

There are tours you plan, and tours you don’t forget afterwards. The Wendelinus-Rundweg near Sankt Wendel im Landkreis St. Wendel belongs in the second category for me – not because of spectacular peaks or rushing rivers, but because of this very particular mix of cultural history, wide agricultural landscape and quiet valley hollows that you pass through here in a single morning.

What to expect on the Wendelinus-Rundweg

The route moves through a landscape you wouldn’t necessarily expect in the Saarland: open plateaus between Oberthal and Niederkirchen, where the rapeseed fields burn with colour in late April. Add to that orchards with half-open blossoms, blackthorn hedges standing as a white frame against the hilly countryside, and again and again unobstructed views far across the Sankt Wendeler Land. The light in the early morning falls flat across the fields – exactly when there is no haze yet and the long-distance view is clear.

The other face of the tour is shown by the Ostertal-Bachtal: a near-natural valley hollow with riparian woodland, old mill sites and a stream that winds its way between alder and ash trees. When wisps of mist hang over the water early in the morning and the sun is just catching the tops of the trees, that is one of those moments you bring a camera for.

Wendelinusbasilika: Best visited shortly after sunrise

The starting point in Sankt Wendel is already worth a visit on its own: The Wendelinusbasilika is the most significant Gothic church building in the Saarland and is particularly impressive in the morning light – when the old town is still quiet and the warm light grazes the sandstone façade. Those who photograph should arrive early, before the tourist buses come. The basilica is a pilgrimage church of supra-regional importance, and you can feel this history throughout the rest of the route: field chapels and old wayside crosses appear again and again, sometimes in the middle of flowering spring meadows, sometimes at the edge of a patch of woodland.

Late April: Why right now

I’ll say it directly: late April is the best time for this tour. The rapeseed blossom, blackthorn blossom and fruit tree blossoms all fall within one and the same week here – that doesn’t happen so neatly every year, but when it works out, the landscape is hard to beat. The beech green is fresh and luminous, the air still clear. And because the days are already long, you can go out again in the evening after dinner for blue-hour shots without having to set the alarm for four o’clock.

Practical information for the tour

• Getting there and parking: Sankt Wendel is easily accessible via the A62. There are car parks at the city park or near the basilica; the latter are usually easy to find free early in the morning.
• Route length and difficulty: The Wendelinus-Rundweg is a moderate circular tour, well signposted, with no technically difficult terrain. Suitable for families with older children.
• Equipment: In spring the field paths between Oberthal and Niederkirchen can be muddy after rain – sturdy walking shoes are essential, trekking shoes with a grip sole are perfectly sufficient.
• Food and drink: In Sankt Wendel itself there are several cafés and restaurants in the town centre. For a break along the way, bringing your own packed lunch is recommended, as there is little on offer along the route – which in turn is good for the atmosphere.
• Camera equipment: A wide-angle lens for the rapeseed fields and the panorama, a telephoto lens for the basilica from a distance. Tripod for mist shots in the Ostertal at sunrise.

For those who want more: the Schaumberg near Tholey

For those who want to add a day: The Aussichtspunkt Schaumberg bei Tholey, one of the highest points in the Saarland, is not far away and offers a 360-degree panorama that on a clear spring day reaches far beyond the state borders. A good addition if you’re travelling by car anyway and don’t want to leave the region after just one loop.

In short: the Wendelinus-Rundweg is not a tour for adrenaline junkies, but one that stays with you. Because of the quiet on the field paths, because of the morning light, because of the combination of cultural history and open countryside. And because of that one moment when you’re standing on a field path between two rapeseed fields, can’t hear a car and there’s nothing but the wind.