Südliche Weinstraße is a district (‘Kreis’) in the south of the Rhineland-Palatinate or Pfalz region in western Germany. Neighbouring districts are Südwestpfalz, Bad Dürkheim, the district-free city Neustadt, Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, Germersheim, and the French département Bas-Rhin. The district-free city of Landau is surrounded by the district. The Südliche Weinstraße district is named after the first touristic route built in Germany in the 1930s, the German Wine Route (Deutsche Weinstraße). It starts in Bockenheim an der Weinstrasse, goes through Bad Dürkheim, Deidesheim, and after 53 miles (85 kilometres) ends in Schweigen-Rechtenbach (near Bad Bergzabern). The Lauter river forms part of the boundary with France in the south.