Burg Stahleck, the Wernerkapelle and the Posten vineyard above Bacharach

The walk starts at Bacharach station, on the Rhine. It goes through the old town to the town wall at the Münzturm and the Postenturm, then climbs by steps and a terrace path through the Posten vineyard and up a last steep stretch to the Heinrich-Heine-Blick viewpoint. It comes back down by the same paths, climbs again by steps and paths to Burg Stahleck, which stands high above the town, passes the ruin of the Wernerkapelle and returns through the old town to the station.

It is 4.4 km with 205 m of ascent; allow about 1¾ hours. The grade is Moderate: it is short, but it climbs by many rock and stone steps, and about 37 m of path near the castle is mapped as demanding mountain hiking.

The Wernerkapelle is a ruined High Gothic church above the town; its building began in 1289 and it was destroyed in 1689. Burg Stahleck was blown up in the same year and rebuilt from 1925, and is now a youth hostel. The steps and paths on the slope are steep and uneven, and slippery when wet.

The roadside parking by the station is mapped as free in OpenStreetMap; one car park a little further along is mapped as charged.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.