Where the Trail Begins: Idar-Oberstein, Herrstein, and Niederhosenbach
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Today the group reaches the actual starting point of the Hildegardweg — where the pilgrimage trail itself begins — 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 rock solid 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.
We’re already planning ahead — Hildegard’s 850th anniversary falls in 2029. Sign-up for the newsletter to hear about future journeys first.