Bad Sobernheim Barefoot Path

A year or so ago, Nicki and Josh took a trip up to Bad Sobernheim to hike the Barefoot Path.  Joshua had so much fun, he couldn't wait to go back.  Nicki... not so much.  So over the following months, Joshua periodically asked if I could take him up there again.  Today was the day; and it was just Joshua and me - a little father/son hang out time.

Bad Sobernheim is located along the Nahe River, about an hour and a half from Kaiserslautern.  The park, as you can read in the above link, is one of many that has popped up in Europe over the last decade or two, for the enjoyment of people who would like to walk without shoes in a natural environment.  The concept isn't entirely foreign to me.  While living in San Diego, if I wasn't at work, I was either in flip flops or barefoot.

The trip up to Bad Sobernheim is scenic!  The town is nowhere near an autobahn, so we weaved our way through fields, hills, and riversides to get there.  Even saw a deer crossing the road in one spot.  Upon arrival, we got a little lost.  My GPS was set for the bahnhofstrasse (train station street) and I must have missed the signs for the park that were mentioned in other people's websites.   Rain was also pouring pretty hard at this point, so I wasn't a happy camper.  We stopped at the train station parking lot and found a town map.  Between that and calling Nicki for some further guidance, we were able to reset the GPS to get closer to the park entrance. In case you're interested, the address below will get you on the correct street heading towards the park, just keep going straight on the street from there and you'll dead end at the parking lot.

GPS Address for Bad Sobernheim Barefoot Park:

Münchwiesen 44
55566 Bad Sobernheim

When we arrived, the rain fell for a few more minutes before tapering off.  We purchased tickets, which were €3,50 for adults and €2,00 for children (3-17 y.o.).  The hike is about 3.5 km (2.2 miles) and is an absolutely fun and enjoyable journey.  

I had a great time just hanging out with Joshua, walking, talking and joking around.  Next time, we may bring Sam along so he can experience it too (he loved the photos we took...), but it was nice to have some one-on-one time just with Joshua. 

If you're interested in the complete set of photos, click here.  Disclaimer:  If you don't like to see pictures of feet, don't click through.  There's lots of feet... and filthy ones at that!