Kulinarische Wanderstrecke Illingen – Bubach: pleasure and wide views across 21.7 km

The Kulinarische Wanderstrecke Illingen – Bubach connects church tower, orchard meadow and rest station – and leaves you hungry for more.

Where a hike becomes a culinary experience

There are hikes you do for the views. And there are hikes you do for the food. The Kulinarische Wanderstrecke Illingen – Bubach is both at once – across 21.7 km between the centre of Illingen and Eppelborn-Bubach in the Landkreis Neunkirchen. I walked the route on an autumn morning in September, shortly after sunrise, when the sky was still dramatically overcast and the light bathed everything in a soft, muted grey.

The start: church tower, memorial stone and planted rest areas

The starting point in Illingen is unmistakable: the baroque church tower with its distinctive onion dome of patinated copper rises visibly above the rooftops. Within the first few minutes you pass a tall stone column with a crowned holy figure amid the greenery of old deciduous trees – one of those quiet companions that give the section a ceremonial quality. Shortly after follows a historic sandstone portal with a Hebrew inscription on modern granite steles, commemorating the Jewish history of the place. Not a beginning you quickly forget.

Along the paved path at the edge of the village, modern concrete seating blocks with wooden tops have been placed; behind them wild grasses and flowers sway in front of a planted embankment – a small but thoughtfully designed rest area that shows someone has looked after the hikers here.

Through the Illtal: tree tunnel and the first wide view

Behind Illingen a narrow asphalt path winds through a natural canopy of old deciduous trees – shady, green, slightly enchanted. Shortly after, the landscape opens up abruptly: an elevated rest area with a wooden bench and an old deciduous tree offers an unobstructed wide view over meadows, fields and the village in the valley. In autumn, when the woodland edges show their first shades of yellow and red, this is one of those moments you get up early in the morning for.

A little further on, an unusual photo opportunity awaits: in the backlight of the early morning, industrial rooftops with sawtooth profiles stand out as dark silhouettes against the brightening cloudy sky – an image you don’t necessarily expect on a leisure hike, but one that sticks in the memory for exactly that reason.

Rest station with star logo and shepherd’s wagon

Further along the route a large Mercedes-Benz event tent appears, easily accommodating twenty beer-garden table sets. Behind it lies open farmland, in front of the tent a green meadow – during events food is served here, otherwise it remains an open rest stop with a wide view over the forested hills. Not far from it stands a yellow shepherd’s wagon with a club banner, serving as a charming supply station: door open, catch your breath, keep walking.

The Kulinarische Wanderwegefest – an annual event by IlltalerLand e.V. in cooperation with the municipalities of Eppelborn and Illingen – distributes up to twelve such stations along the entire route. Anyone out on one of these event days will find it hard to stop sampling.

Chapel, farm shops and the Flürchenhof

Just before Bubach you pass a modern natural stone chapel with a striking pyramidal roof – quiet, almost out of the way, ideal for a short break. The Flürchenhof nearby offers regional products directly from the farm; sunflowers at the entrance point the way. A worthwhile detour if you’re already taking it slow.

For those who want to combine the route with the train: trains stop hourly in both directions at the stations along the route – which makes the tour easy to plan as a point-to-point hike without returning the same way.

Practical information

• Distance: 21.7 km (Illingen to Eppelborn-Bubach)
• Elevation profile: Start approx. 290 m, highest point approx. 413 m, end point approx. 228 m – moderate overall, but not flat
• Getting there/parking: Parking at the stations along the route is possible; hourly train return
• Refreshments: Numerous stations during the Kulinarische Wanderwegefest; outside the festival: Flürchenhof and farm shops in Bubach
• Equipment: Sturdy hiking shoes recommended (asphalt alternates with field paths); pack a rain jacket in autumn
• Best time for this tour: September, when the autumn colours begin and the orchard meadows are laden with fruit

Komoot tour

The complete route with GPS track is available on Komoot: Kulinarische Wanderstrecke Illingen – Bubach on Komoot. The track runs through the Illtal in Saarland and is excellently signposted.