3 Länderweg

"See the world in hiking boots, cross borders with friends!"
The Wolfgang Maria Rabe Trail is a beautiful, varied hiking trail that takes you through three countries. With fantastic views, interesting cultural assets, bright forests and enchanted corners, it is a classic hiking trail that is easy to follow throughout. It leads along forest and woodland paths as well as narrower trails. The trail begins in Perl and then leads across French territory to Malbrouck Castle and through the medieval town of Sierck-les-Bains to Schengen in Luxembourg.
The starting point of the approximately 21 km long hiking trail, marked with a red circle on a white background, is the parking lot at Perl town hall.

Head southwest through the town center, past the Catholic church of St. Gervatius, the Palais von Nell and the Quirinius Chapel, and follow the red dot downhill towards the Moselle valley and the Maimühle mill. The trail leads past the former Perl border crossing between Germany and France and then over the old Moselle bridge into the Luxembourg wine village of Schengen.

On June 14, 1985, the agreement between the Benelux countries, France and Germany was concluded here, which provided for the abolition of border controls. The agreement was signed on the Luxembourg state yacht "Princess Marie-Astrid", which was moored here on the jetty off Schengen. A small bronze plaque and three stelae on the banks of the Moselle commemorate the ceremony.

After the bridge, keep left and walk past the old cookhouse and the "Accord de Schengen" memorial stone. Then it's uphill for the first time. Wonderful views await the hiker on the path over the Stromberg, up to the wooden cross high above Contz-les-Bains, which is now French again. The path now leads below the old quarry and past the chapel into the village. There is a wine museum in the Rue de la Treille and the old wash house nearby.

The route now leads back over the Moselle and along the "Chemin de la Moselle" cycle path to Sierck-les-Bains. The mighty fortifications are a reminder of the strategic importance of the small French town, just a few kilometers from the border. The fortress of the kings of Lorraine, which dates back to the 11th century, is enthroned in the upper town. Vauban's Schall Tower dominates the complex. Also of interest is the old gate "Le Vieux port" and the clock tower "Tour de l'Horloge" on the market square. The castle is open to visitors from May to October.

At the end of Sierck-les-Bains, the path leads steeply upwards towards Rustroff, past the old monastery and the cemetery. Further up, you reach the heights between the Moselle and Saar valleys. Behind the village, turn right off the main road and downhill to Manderen. There you climb steeply uphill again until the "Chateau Malbrouck" with its mighty walls lies before you. This defiant castle also belonged to the kings of Lorraine and is open to visitors. It is always worth a visit, not only because there are many extraordinary exhibitions and cultural events throughout the year.

The route continues along shady forest paths to Merschweiler. It goes uphill again. The border is not far away. Here, between the German Oberperl and the French Merschweiler, on no man's land, so to speak, between Germany and France, hikers can now rest in the shade of the Peace Chapel after strenuous ascents before tackling the rest of the way downhill back to Perl. The transmitter mast on the Hammelsberg already greets you. The refuge high above Perl invites you to take a final rest, and the view of the Moselle valley from here is truly impressive. Now it's almost done - Perl lies at the hiker's feet.