Lauterbach Wine Hike

A Young Tradition with Great Potential

The Lauterbach Wine Hike is a young event — the second edition will take place in 2026. Initiated by the sports club FSV Lauterbach, the Altherrenschaft (AH) [Old Boys' Association], and the Lauterbach Volunteer Fire Department, the format has already established itself in its premiere as an interesting alternative to the larger Homburg Beer Hike. Instead of beer, wine is the focus here — an unusual but likeable accent in the Saarland.

Lauterbach in the Warndt

The location Lauterbach is a district of the industrial city of Völklingen, situated on the edge of the Warndt — one of the largest contiguous forests in the Saarland, which extends into Lorraine. This location is ideal for a hiking event: paths through mixed forest, views of meadows and fields, and in between, the village with its nearly 2,000 inhabitants.

The Route — 9 Kilometers of Pleasure

The 9-kilometer route leads in a loop around the village, through various forest and meadow passages. The start and end point is the Scherf Ranch on Spitteler Straße. This keeps the event manageable: not too long for families, but enough distance for a real hiking experience. Starts on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Wine Stations Along the Route

At several stations along the route, wineries present their products and invite you to taste them. Since the Saarland itself only produces wine on the Obermosel in the westernmost corner (Perl, Nennig), the exhibitors are a mix of Saarland Mosel vintners and vintners from Lorraine, Rheinhessen, and the Palatinate. Expected are:

• White Burgundy varieties (Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau)
• Elbling — the regional specialty from the Saar Moselle
• Riesling from the Palatinate and Moselle
• Lorraine Crémants
• Red wines from the Vosges
• Sparkling wines and Federweißer (new wine)

Organizers' Community

The constellation of organizers is typically Saarlandic:

• FSV Lauterbach — the local sports club
• Altherrenschaft (AH) of FSV — seniors' department with its own club life
• Lauterbach Volunteer Fire Department

These three clubs share the tasks: route guidance, station operation, safety, catering, logistics. This means half the village is involved on the festival day — typical for Saarland club culture.

Völklingen in the Saarbrücken Regional Association

Völklingen is the second-largest city in the Saarbrücken regional association after Saarbrücken. With the UNESCO World Heritage site Völklingen Ironworks, the city boasts one of Europe's most important industrial heritage monuments. Districts like Lauterbach on the outskirts of the city show the other, rural side of Völklingen — and it is precisely this mix that creates its special character.