The winter break in EdelSteinLand offers a unique opportunity to experience the treasures of nature and culture in an incomparable atmosphere. The variety of excursion destinations and activities, guarantee unforgettable moments and lasting memories.
We were enchanted by the charm and magic of EdelSteinLand. A place to relax and experience that we will gladly visit again.
1. Visit to the Wildenburg Game Reserve
The bushes and trees have no leaves and offer little protection to the animals in the wildlife enclosure. For us, the ideal time to take a walk through the 42-hectare grounds during our winter break in EdelSteinLand.
On a tour, you can observe various native animal species. Some, such as the wolves and wild boars, live well protected in large outdoor enclosures. Other animals, such as the chickens and geese, roam freely and are not disturbed by visitors looking for food.
The Wildenburg Game Reserve can be visited alone or as a participant in a booked guided tour. Those who take part in a special guided tour can, for example, experience feeding the wolves. For us, this was an impressive experience where we could see the animals from a completely new perspective.
2. Hike to Schmidtburg Castle
Winter is one of the best times for us to go hiking. Especially in the darker months of the year, people tend to move around a lot less and when it gets cold, many people prefer to stay indoors. For us, there is nothing more relaxing than exercise in the fresh and clear air, yes, and when the hiking trails are also empty, it is a blessing for the soul.
The hike to Schmidtburg Castle is particularly suitable in winter. In our report on the adventure hike to Schmidtburg Castle, you can follow the route very well. The route is a good 5 kilometres long and easy to master.
The highlight of the hike is, of course, the visit to Schmidtburg Castle. In winter, we had the castle grounds to ourselves and could explore the area. When it slowly gets dark, you can take atmospheric photos that look almost mystical as the fog rolls in.
3. Discoveries in the copper mine
A visit to the Fischbach copper mine is just the thing to do during a winter break in EdelSteinLand. No matter how cold it is, in winter there is a constant, very pleasant temperature in the mine’s corridors and caves.
Equipped with a safety helmet, the visitor experiences an informative and varied tour underground. Here you learn, for example, why the miners had a frog with them when they worked and how their work in the mine proceeded.
We really enjoyed our visit to the Fischbach copper mine. We were particularly impressed by the lighting, which in some places skilfully set off the shimmering rock, and the machines used to extract copper that were presented in the museum area.
4. Looking over the artists’ shoulders
When strolling through Idar-Oberstein, the small shops with their jewellery and gemstone products immediately catch the eye. It is not for nothing that the town is considered a centre for the gemstone trade. Many of the artists who work the stones or make their jewellery in EdelSteinLand are happy to let you look over their shoulders as they work.
At ManuFaktur you can visit some designers and artists in their workshops. Visitors learn how, for example, a beautiful pendant or ring is created from an inconspicuous stone.
We were able to look over the shoulder of a gemstone engraver as he made artfully designed gems and of a jewellery designer as he created a gemstone necklace pendant . What a filigree craft!
5. Learn the ancient craft of gemstone cutting
In the Historic Water Loop in EdelSteinLand, you can learn about the traditional craft of gemstone cutting all year round.
The water from a stream drives the water wheel that rotates a huge grinding stone inside a small hut. In front of it, the cutter lies prone on a wooden chair and, with a lot of physical strength and skill, holds an inconspicuous stone against the grindstone. After a few steps of work, beautiful shining works of precious stones are finally created.
I was fascinated by the historical tools and the traditional working methods. If you look at the modern tools, you can see many parallels and working methods that are still used today.
6. Hiking on the Traumschleifen
The Traumschleifen are premium hiking trails that lead through the beautiful natural areas of the region. All routes are laid out as circuits, and the lengths vary.
In EdelSteinLand, hikers will find several signposted Traumschleifen and also a Traumschleifchen.
The “Fischbacher Kupferspuren” Traumschleife is also suitable, for example, for a short hike during a winter break in EdelSteinLand. We learned a lot about copper mining in the region on informative panels along the trail.
Other Traumschleifen, such as the “Köhlerpfad am Steinbach” or “Zwischen den Wäldern” show hikers the beauty of the region. The trails can be walked at any time of the year.
7. Learn about the production of necklaces and costume jewellery
We love discovering old factories and their machines. A visit to the Jakob Bengel industrial monument is just the right excursion tip during a winter break in EdelSteinLand.
During a guided tour through the former production site of necklaces and costume jewellery, we not only learned a lot about the history of Idar-Oberstein, but also got a comprehensive impression of the manufacturing process.
I found it particularly exciting that some of the historical machines are still fully functional and their operation was also demonstrated to us. Afterwards, in the museum shop, we were able to see and of course buy pieces of jewellery in the original design of the Jakob Bengel company.
8. Visit to the Gemstone Museum
In the German Gemstone Museum you can admire an impressive collection of gemstones from all over the world. Here the visitor learns more about the origin, the processing and the meaning of these valuable and beautiful stones.
In addition to the treasures of nature, there are also pieces of jewellery and works of art made of gemstones to marvel at, created by talented artisans.
It is a unique experience to stroll among the beautiful stones and be enchanted.
The winter visit to EdelSteinLand was a wonderful experience for us, we will gladly come again!
The visit to EdelSteinLand was part of a press trip.
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