Bare your feet

Yes, you heard me right. Socks and shoes off, and off you go!

In Bad Sobernheim, treat the soles of your feet to the pleasures of Barfuß-Pfad, which translates into “bare feet path.”

You’ll have plenty of time to give your feet the exercise and relaxation they need on their 3 1/2 kilometer-long path. It’s a stimulating massage for your feet.
If your spouse or significant other won’t rub your feet for you, hey, here’s the alternative. As a bonus, you’re outside in nature!

There are a ton of positive side effects associated with walking barefoot.
Your feet can actually take a breath, muscles can work like they’re meant to – letting you step outside the confines of a shoe that often doesn’t quite fit correctly anyway. Walking on different surfaces also forces your feet to actually take on a natural position to support your weight.

The Barfußpfad in Bad Sobernheim is a sole-ful adventure: you walk on
different surfaces and cross small streams and rivers. So, you should probably wear shorts and bring a towel. I brought a backpack, but you can also rent a locker for your belongings.

You start the path by walking across smooth river stones followed by bark mulch.
Expect to get a little dirty. Depending on your height, you’ll be ankle- or knee- deep in mud at some point.

And that’s definitely an upshot for the kids. You also cross a stream on a small boat or on a shaky bridge. Plan about one hour for your trek along the Barfußpfad. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 1 to Oct. 3.

Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed, but with good reason – we’re all barefoot after all. Cost is €3 for adults and €1.50 for children and teenagers.

The Barfußpfad in Bad Sobernheim is about 15 to 20 minutes from Bad Kreusznach, and about one and a half hours from Kaiserslautern.