On New Paths
What do Wissembourg, Trifels Castle, and the Michelstadt Christmas Market have in common? Up to 50 people hiked to all three places last semester with the Institute of Sports (IFS). Our author Luisa Gebhardt joined one of the tours to find out what makes the program “Hiking in the Metropolitan Region” so special.
Eight degrees and raining: on this November Sunday morning, many people are probably rolling over in bed. Meanwhile, I’m waterproofing my hiking boots and packing an umbrella and a thermos of hot tea into my backpack. Not exactly perfect hiking weather, I think. Will the Spatschlucht, a narrow gorge near Schriesheim — the highlight of today’s IFS tour — still draw a good turnout? I’m curious as I head for the train.
A shared interest
The hiking group always meets at Mannheim Central Station and travels together. Today they change trains in Heidelberg, where I join them and recognize them immediately: people in rain jackets, hiking and rain pants, hats, sports shoes and hiking boots — some with backpacks, some without. Before we continue, tour leader Markus Latka does a headcount: “We’re 34 today; 40 were registered. That’s impressive for this weather — but not surprising. The tours are very popular. Fifty sign-ups are not unusual!”
Latka, 56, is a long-time back-exercise instructor at the IFS and the initiator and coordinator of the hiking program. “Back in 2008, I was looking for a hiking group in the region and couldn’t find one,” he explains. “So I suggested to the head of the IFS that we offer hikes ourselves.” Today, there are at least seven tours each semester. They’re accessible by public transport and free of charge — except for special activities such as guided tours, like a recent visit to Trifels Castle.
Setting off
Once we arrive in Leutershausen, the starting point for today’s hike, Latka gives an overview of the route — in English. At first I’m surprised, but I quickly realize why: we are such a diverse group: students from different semesters, degree programs, and age groups from the University of Mannheim, Technische Hochschule Mannheim, and Mannheim Business School; doctoral candidates and alumni — all from different countries. I also recall that the program is open to all current and former members of the Mannheim universities affiliated with the IFS.
The tours range from 15 to 25 kilometers and are suitable for all fitness levels. Today’s route is 12 kilometers long, and right at the start we head steeply uphill. I warm up and take off my rain jacket, enjoying the view just before we enter the Odenwald, a wooded low mountain range east of Mannheim: colorful, partly bare vines and trees, a rain-soaked town in the distance, and deep gray clouds above. Not your idea of fun? Our spirits aren’t dampened: we walk at a brisk pace, everyone is chatting, and I hear bursts of laughter.
New paths and new connections
I soon strike up a conversation with 27-year-old Irene Samadello from Italy. She and her boyfriend, alumni of the University of Mannheim and Technische Hochschule Mannheim, respectively, are hiking with the group for the first time, after hearing about it from a couple they know. “If we hadn’t already made plans to join them on the hike today, I probably would have canceled because of the weather,” she admits with a laugh. “But being out in a group is motivating and fun. There’s no performance pressure like in other sports — anyone can join the hikes.”
And she’s right. We’re mostly walking on wide trails through the autumnal Odenwald. Occasionally the path drops steeply or narrows, then climbs again — but the pace is comfortable for everyone. The hikes usually include a stop at a restaurant, but the one we aimed for is closed. We knew that in advance, so we brought sandwiches, fruit, and cookies, which we eat for lunch on the restaurant’s covered terrace.
Twenty-six-year-old Xinjie Xing from China has been a regular on the hikes for the past two years. “I enjoy hiking, and in a group with the IFS I feel safer than when I go alone,” explains Xing, a doctoral candidate at the University of Mannheim. But there’s another key reason she keeps coming back: “Back home, I’m not used to everything shutting down on Sundays. On these hikes, you meet new people and spend time in nature — that’s what I like.”
What makes it special
After lunch, we reach the highlight of the day: the Spatschlucht gorge. We admire the ten-meter-high rock faces and take a group photo before continuing downhill. I keep hearing conversations and laughter. Eventually the first houses appear, we hear cars, and the quiet of the forest fades — the hike is coming to an end.
I talk with Samadello one more time. “The best part of today was meeting so many new people. Where else would I have met them?” she asks. Xing agrees — and I feel the same. We head back together from Schriesheim to Heidelberg, where I say goodbye. And I decide it won’t be my last hike with the IFS.
Text: Luisa Gebhardt / April 2026