| Soonwald | |
|---|---|
 The Soonwaldsteig trail nearHenau in the Soonwald. | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Ellerspring |
| Elevation | 657.5 m above NN |
| Geography | |
  Soonwald | |
| State(s) | Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis,Bad Kreuznach;Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany |
| Range coordinates | 49°54′48″N7°36′44″E / 49.9132°N 7.6121°E /49.9132; 7.6121 |
| Parent range | Hunsrück |
| Geology | |
| Rock type | Quartzite ridge |
TheSoonwald (German pronunciation:[ˈzoːnʋalt]) is a forested, low mountain region, up to657.5 m above sea level (NN),[1] which forms part of theHunsrück mountains in the GermanCentral Uplands. It lies within the counties ofRhein-Hunsrück-Kreis andBad Kreuznach in the state ofRhineland-Palatinate.
The Soonwald lies in the west and south of the county ofRhein-Hunsrück-Kreis and the east and north ofBad Kreuznach county. It is located within theSoonwald-Nahe Nature Park, roughly between the main crest of theHunsrück mountains (to the northwest) and theNahe valley (to the southeast), behind which theSaar-Nahe Uplands rise. The Soonwald extends over about 40 kilometres in a southwest to northeast direction from the Simmer valley on the Nahe to the valley of theGuldenbach, which lies on the boundary of the Soonwald with theBingen Forest, west of theRhine knee nearBingen.
Other ranges and woodlands of the GermanCentral Uplands adjoin the Soonwald in all directions of the compass: to the southwest are theLützelsoon and, a just to its west, theIdar Forest; to the southeast is theGauchswald; and to the northeast, theBingen Forest. The Lützelsoon and parts of the Bingen Wald are sometimes counted as part of the Soonwald rather than as separate forest regions; the entire region then being known as the "Großer Soon" ("Great Soon").
The average annual temperature on the summits of the Soonwald is just under 7 °C, more than 2 °C lower than that in theSimmerbach valley nearKellenbach (over 9 °C), thanks to a height difference of about 500 metres. They also receive around 25% moreprecipitation (800 mm) than in the valleys.[2]
The highest mountain in the Soonwald is theEllerspring (657.5 m). By contrast, its lowest point is near Simmertal – if the village still counts as part of the Soonwald – by the confluence of the Simmerbach and the Nahe (190 m). The following mountains and hills belong to the Soonwald, sorted by their height inmetres (m) abovesea level (NN), unless otherwise indicated[1] (excluding those in theLützelsoon):
The name Soonwald occurs for the first time in an 868 A.D. document belonging toPrüm Abbey, where it is referred to as thesilva sana. Later spellings are: 1128nemus sane, 1190waldt San, 1438off dem Sane, thenSan and finallySoonwald. Numerous attempts to explain its origin link the word withSenn ("pasture") orSone ("pig herd") and indicate the centuries-old function of the Soonwald as a grazing forest.
Originally a huge forest extended from Southern Alsace through the Saarland, the Westrich and the Hunsrück up to the Moselle. This was theVosagus (Wasgau Forest), asilva regis ("royal forest"). Over time, deforestation resulted in this vast forest being divided into smaller ones that, in turn, were given their own names.
Tumuli, such as theAlte Grab south ofArgenthal,castle ruins and today's settlements andvillages suggest that Soonwald and the surrounding area have been inhabited for a long time.
To secureore deposits andsmelting sites, such as theGräfenbacherhütte, many castles were built during theMiddle Ages along the valleys of streams flowing southwards to the River Nahe. The picturesque ruins ofWildenburg castle and of theKoppenstein on the northern part of the Soonwald ridge became legendary sites in the 19th century thanks to romantic ballads composed by Hunsrück poets, Otto von Vacano and Peter Joseph Rottmann.
When searching for an area in the Hunsrück in which to create aNational Park, the state's Environment Ministry saw the Soonwald region as an option, alongside theSchwarzwälder Hochwald in the county ofBirkenfeld. Because the Soonwald extends over two counties — Rhein-Hunsrück and the Bad Kreuznach — the project needed the support of both. And because Bad Kreuznach was rather critical of the project, the decision went in favour of the Hochwald.[4][5]
Along the crest of the Soonwald run a section of theE3 European long distance path and theSoonwaldsteig trail (opened in 2009).[6] Other attractions in the Soonwald or on its perimeter are:
Numerous woodland paths are also signedcycleways. In the north is theSchinderhannes-Soonwald Cycleway which runs through the Brühl and Lametbach valleys.
