The best traffic-free bike rides around Waldhambach

https://ilbesheim.de/ilbesheim-damals.html

Knight Stefan von Mörlheim, co-founder of the Cistercian monastery of Eußerthal, donated his manor, including a chapel, to the monastery in Mörlheim around 1148. After a turbulent history, the dilapidated St. Martin's Church in Mörlheim passed into Catholic ownership in 1705. The monastery church in Eußerthal and the church in Mörlheim still display a mitre and abbot's staff alongside the cross on their steeples – ecclesiastical symbols that Heinrich Wilhelm, Baron von und zu Sickingen, was permitted to wear as a layman. In 1754, Heinrich Wilhelm, Baron von und zu Sickingen, had the Mörlheim church rebuilt. It was consecrated on September 14, 1754. One hundred and fifty years later, at the beginning of the 20th century, the church had once again fallen into disrepair. The swinging of the bells in the bell tower had weakened the church ceiling, and the cramped space was no longer sufficient for the congregation. One hundred years ago, on July 1, 1912, the reconstruction of the church into the present one began, based on plans by the architect Johannes Albert Boßlet. It was extended to the west, and the existing beamed ceiling was replaced by a Baroque-style lath and plaster ceiling suspended from the roof truss, visually resting on newly added wall piers. Finally, a church tower nearly 30 meters high was erected. Two bells call the faithful to prayer, and the city of Landau owns the clock and its large clock faces. The reconstruction of the church, and especially the construction of the new church tower, was made possible by the Bavarian Church Community Ordinance of 1912. According to this ordinance, even landowners outside the parish could be assessed for the construction and maintenance of religious buildings. A good 75 percent of the land in Mörlheim subject to these assessments formerly belonged to outsiders, the so-called "outsiders." The extensive renovation of the church in 2008 has given the Mörlheim church a great splendor. (Egon Ehmer)

The village community center features a festival ground and a fountain (beautifully decorated for special holidays). Opposite is the war memorial for the victims of the two World Wars. Behind the festival ground by the village community center is the "Bruch Nature and Adventure Area" with benches, a playground, etc., which leads to the large hiking parking lot at the cemetery.

The Dreiherrenstein (Knight's Stone No. 57), located in a saddle south of the Weißenberg towards Hermersbergerhof, is a historical border marker. It is somewhat hidden in the forest near County Road 56 and a hiking trail marked with a "blue cross." It is a flat boulder that documents the border situation in 1773 between the converging estates of the Wittelsbach Dukes of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, the Leiningen Counts (Leiningen-Hardenburg-Dagsburg line), and the Gräfenstein Lordship, which belonged to the Margraviate of Baden. For this purpose, not only the coats of arms of these estates but also the boundaries of the historical forest districts were carved into the surface of the rock. The Baden coat of arms with the letters "MB" (Margraviate of Baden), as well as the coat of arms of Palatinate-Zweibrücken with its diamond structure and the suffix "PZ" (Palatinate-Zweibrücken), are still clearly visible. The letters "KW" (Royal Forest) were added after 1831 during the Bavarian period of the Palatinate and served to mark the Bavarian state forest. Furthermore, during the development of the rock into the Ritterstein (Knight's Stone) by the Palatinate Forest Association, the inscription "Dreiherrenstein" (Three Gentlemen's Stone) and the abbreviation "PWV" were engraved on its front—as is customary in such cases. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreiherrenstein_(Frankenweide)

https://www.spirkelbach.com/ https://www.spirkelbach.com/tourismus/wandern-und-mehr/ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirkelbach The Hölleenberg Trophy takes place annually. A spectacle for runners and mountain bikers https://www.htt-spirkelbach.de/trailpark/

Unfortunately, it was no longer in operation. As of June 22, 2025, at 35°C 🥵😅 So I wouldn't rely on it.

this is true

caution wet