Where the Trail Begins: Idar-Oberstein, Herrstein, and Niederhosenbach
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Today the group reaches the actual starting point of the Hildegardweg — the pilgrimage trail itself — in Idar-Oberstein. It’s a fitting place to begin: this mountainous region has been mined for precious stones for centuries, and many of the gems Hildegard describes in her writings on the “Heavenly Jerusalem” came from these very hills. A guided tour of the Gem Museum makes that connection concrete before the group walks up to the Felsenkirche — the Church in the Rock, built into the cliff face above the town — and continues on to the historic fortress at the summit.
After lunch at a local restaurant, the day shifts from stone to forest. The group travels by coach to the medieval village of Herrstein to see the Schlosskirche, then sets out on foot — roughly two hours, through forest and open fields — to Niederhosenbach, the village nearest Hildegard’s probable birthplace. It’s easy to forget, amid castles and cathedrals, that Hildegard began as a child in a small Rhineland village, the tenth child of a family that would hand her over to the Church at the age of eight. Walking this stretch of trail is a way of holding both facts at once: the extraordinary life she went on to lead, and the ordinary, rural world she came from.
The path is not long, but the walk is deep. You must not only walk there, you must be prepared to leap.
Hildegard von Bingen
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.