Bunte Kuh, Rock projection in Walporzheim, Germany

Bunte Kuh is a slate outcrop in the Ahr Valley above Walporzheim, where the B267 curves around an almost vertical rock wall. About 15 meters above the road, a several-meter-long vertical slab projects from the cliff, its irregular shape resembling a cow's head raised and slanting upward. The lower rock face is dark grey and brown, rough and fissured, while the upper ledges and rounded summit are covered with shrubs and small trees.

The rock formation appeared in the 19th century when workers used controlled blasts to create room for building what is now federal highway B267. During this work, the overhanging section separated from the rest of the cliff wall and remained as a freestanding formation.

The name "Bunte Kuh" was already the field name of the rock before the outcrop was created; its origin is unclear. One tradition tells of wild but God-fearing robber knights who heard a bell here during a raid and knelt, expecting a divine sign. When only a piebald cow appeared, they killed it in anger. Another explanation holds that passing French soldiers praised the Ahr wine with "C'est bon de goût", which Walporzheim vintners understood as "bunte Kuh".

Steel anchors hold the rock in place because the stone continues to shift through geological movement and rockfall can occur. The hiking trail above offers a good view of the formation and runs through vineyards along the hillside edge.

The viewpoint above the formation can be reached via the Red Wine hiking trail or Medical Cure path number 3. From there, the distinct shape of the rock reveals itself from a different angle, while the Ahr Valley stretches out between wooded slopes.