The Enchanted Forest: Walking to the Rhine at Bingerbrück

This is the day the pilgrimage earns its name as a walking pilgrimage. Starting from St. Jakobus Church in Stromberg, the group sets out on the longest hike of the retreat — roughly two hours before lunch and three hours after, close to eight miles in total — through a stretch of forest carved, quite literally, with gnomes, spirits, and woodland creatures hidden in the trees and along the path. It’s playful in a way that little else on this trip is, and it’s also demanding: this is the day that tests the legs.

The reward comes gradually. As the trail climbs, the Rhine comes into view below — busy with river traffic, framed by the same scenic vistas the group glimpsed from the water back on day two, now seen from above and on foot. Lunch is taken together at a local Jägerhaus along the way. The walk ends at Rupertsberg, where transport collects the group for the return to Bad Kreuznach — and for a final dinner together, nine days in, to talk through everything the pilgrimage has held so far.

Registration for the September 2026 pilgrimage is closed, but we’re already planning ahead — Hildegard’s 850th anniversary falls in 2029. Join the waitlist to hear about future journeys first.