After rejoining the trail at Bendorf, I took a detour in the forest along a pretty trail above and following a small stream. This was a pleasant walk, the only sounds were the babbling of the water, birdsong and the incessant squeaking of my right boot. The forest trail ended on a main road, almost a mile along from where the Rheinsteig crosses the main road. Using my trusty GPS, which I'd previously loaded with all the required tracks from the Rheinsteig website, I found my way back to the Rheinsteig via some farmer's fields and a riding school. I have found my GPS (Etrex H) to be quite a useful accessory on the Rheinsteig, especially in and around towns where the familiar blue signs seem to disappear.

I was now in the most boring area of the Rheinsteig so far. The trail was in open and featureless farmland. After crossing under an Autobahn and walking along an asphalt road for a while, the trail turned right, down into some boggy woodland. The scenery improved as I followed a long incline to the Wüstenhof Waldgasthof and was rewarded with my first views of the Rhein since turning east at Leutesdorf last November. I followed the trail down into Vallendar which was very busy with shoppers and their cars, because it was Saturday morning. The trail continued along narrow pavements through the town and I was constantly having to get out of the way of impatient car drivers. This experience did not endear Vallendar to me. Perhaps it would have been nicer had I been there either a day earlier or later.

For the next few miles, the trail wound it's way around the outskirts of Vallendar and Urbar towards Koblenz. I was impressed by the ingenuity of the people who planned the trail. It took me through quite odd places to avoid the centres. I would often find myself wandering past people's back gardens, various sports clubs and the occasional orchard or allotment. It was quite a surprise after passing between the gardens of some houses to find myself exiting at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress at Koblenz.

The afternoon was very warm and sunny again, so I sat on the Rhein promenade opposite Deutsches Eck with an ice cream, watching the river traffic for a while, before walking up through the woods of the Bienhorntal at Pfaffendorf to spend the night at the Hotel Rheinkrone. This hotel is located in a prime position with wonderful views across the Rhein to Koblenz. As yesterday, this evening was also warm, so I was able to take dinner on the terrace and enjoy the views of sunset over Koblenz.

Forest detour from Bendorf	Distant Rhein view from Wüstenhof
Vallendar	Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
Deutsches Eck, where the Mosel joins the Rhein	Pfaffendorf
Koblenz from Pfaffendorf	Sunset over Koblenz