The European cultural trail, the Huguenot and Waldensian Trail, follows the historic escape route of the Huguenots and Waldensians for over 1,800 kilometers – 800 kilometers of which are in Germany. Starting from France and Italy, the trail leads through Switzerland to Baden-Württemberg and further into Hesse, ending in Bad Karlshafen.
German route:
Starting from the Swiss border town of Schaffhausen, a significant feature of the refugee exile history, the cultural long-distance trail runs through the Hegau region and the southern Black Forest, continuing along the Neckar River and then directly toward Neuhengstett, the southernmost Waldensian settlement. Continuing north through the Kraichgau region, the trail passes through the Waldensian villages there, looping to Pforzheim, and then continuing north. After crossing the Neckar River, it continues through the Odenwald, passing through the Waldensian towns of Rohrbach, Wembach, and Hahn, before reaching the southern Rhine-Main region. Here, the trail curves toward Walldorf, then runs through Neu-Isenburg, then continues north through Frankfurt into the Taunus Mountains. Offenbach, Hanau, and Waldensberg are connected to this main route by a wide loop. In the Taunus, the trail passes through several towns, meets the Lahn River, and then continues through the Hessian hinterland to Marburg. From here, the trail continues north through the Burgwald, the Kellerwald, and the northern Hessian hills to its northern terminus, Bad Karlshafen.