Sculpture trail in Worms Abenheim

At the beginning sits a singing rabbit! He looks at you with alert eyes, as if, like the white rabbit in “Alice in Wonderland”, he wants to invite his viewer to follow him into his wonderland, which is located in the middle of the vineyards on the eastern edge of Abenheim. The wonderland goes by the name of “Abenheim Sculpture Trail”. The district of Abenheim lies to the west of Herrnsheim about 3 kilometres away. Below the castle park, a cycle path surrounded by vineyards leads directly into the district, which, like Herrnsheim (see Herrnsheim Castle), is also known for its numerous winegrowers and their delicious wines. The hare, in turn, which crouches on a stone at the edge of the path and marks the beginning of the sculpture path, was carved out of stone by the artist Carmen Stahlschmidt. The inspiration for the art trail came from the countless high stands in the middle of the vineyards. In the 1960s, these were used as “Wingertschützen” to ward off starlings before they were replaced by self-firing systems.

The sculpture trail, which is maintained by the Abenheim Heimatverein 1953, was opened in 2009. In the course of eleven years, the sculpture trail has grown to a total of eleven points of contact, designed by different artists, which can be marvelled at along a circular trail of about four kilometres. Not everything, however, was created by contemporary artists; some attractions have been in place for centuries and have thus become silent witnesses of time. For example, the St. Michael’s Chapel on the Klausenberg with its Stations of the Cross is a centrepiece of the trail, which also offers a view over the extensive vineyards and the town. Not far from this historic building is also the “Table of Wine”. This is not a work of art in the true sense of the word, but rather a place that has been created in addition to the works in order to linger a little or to engage in conversation with other visitors. For art lives not only from viewing, but also from dialogue about it. It is not at all unlikely that you will meet a group of hikers there, especially on sunny weekend days, as various other paths (Jakobsweg, Rheinterrassenweg) cross at the Sculpture Path. If you don’t want to walk the path alone, you can also take part in one of the group tours. In addition to the local history society, local winegrowers also offer hikes and wine tastings.

www.abenheimer-skulpturenweg.com