St. Jost Pilgerweg

This varied hike leads mainly through the forest. Fountains and springs invite you to take a break, pilgrimage churches and chapels invite you to meditate. Beautiful views await you in between.

Way description: We start our hike at the Eselsbrunnen fountain and walk along the forest road. A short detour to the right leads up to Lichtenberg Castle. The district of Niedernhausen can be seen behind the castle. Here, St. John the Baptist Church invites you to take a quiet break. We follow the signs J1 out of the village through the forest to the former St. Jost chapel, which gave our hike its name. After approx. 600 m, the path changes direction and joins the main hiking trail marked with a blue triangle. At the Nonroder Höhe, the forest releases us again. A little later, we enjoy the wonderful view at the "Twelve Apostles".

The next section of forest leads over the Schreckskopf (393 m high elevation). The route continues uphill through the forest in a south-westerly direction. After passing the "Rimdidim" on the left and the Germannshöhe on the right, we approach the Kaiserturm on the Neunkircher Höhe. On this highest elevation in the Hessian Odenwald (605 m) with its 34-metre-high tower, we can see over Frankfurt am Main as far as the Taunus and the Palatinate in good weather.

After enjoying the magnificent view, we return to the path heading north. We cross Neunkirchen with the former pilgrimage church of St. Cosmas and Damian and pass through the southern part of Lützelbach. We turn right at the Fischbach spring. The Marienteich hut invites you to take a breather. At Neurod, we leave the forest and walk across open greenery down to the Dieter-Held-Hütte. From here, the forest picks us up again. As we continue along the trail, we come across the quarry and the old Lichtenberg fountain. After refreshments, things get exciting once again: the Celtic Heuneburg hill fort, which is over two and a half thousand years old, is waiting to be explored. From the Tempeleiche nature park site, the trail leads us back along the edge of the forest towards our starting point.

Marker: J1