Rötzer-Schwarzwihrberg-Tour

ATTENTION - Due to construction work 2022 detour at the Eixendorf reservoir!!! We start at the parking lot at the sports facilities and cycle along the Schwarzach to the western end of Rötz. At the Protestant church we turn right into the "Bauhofer Weg" and cycle the first few meters uphill on asphalt to the village of Bauhof. Shortly after the Hotel Bergfried, we take a sharp right onto the "Bierweg", a well-maintained forest path that takes us around 2 km through beautiful mixed forest directly to the highest point of our tour: the Schwarzenburg ruins. However, with a gradient of up to 14%, the last few meters of altitude before the castle complex are hard work. At the summit of the Schwarzwihrberg, there is the opportunity to stop for refreshments (please note opening times) and visit the castle tower with 360° panoramic views over the Schwarzach valley and into the neighboring district of Schwandorf. The subsequent descent (we keep left towards the "Grüne Wiese" parking lot) on a flowing single trail (S1) to the Sattelhütte is a first technical treat and quickly makes you forget the efforts of the ascent. Before the Sattelhütte, we turn left and follow the "Oberer Marderfallenweg" to the left, a forest trail around the Oberer Eibenstein. At the next junction, we turn left again. The descent towards the Eixendorf reservoir, which is easy at first but becomes more challenging towards the end, ends at the "Drei Kaisereichen" parking lot. From here, our tour is diverted along the road along the edge of the forest to the dam due to construction work in 2022. After crossing the dam, we keep left and circle the reservoir close to the shore on the former Rötz - Neunburg v. Wald railroad line, passing the campsite in Gütenland (detour with the option to stop off at the Panorama Hotel am See), the Upper Palatinate Museum of Crafts and the old steam locomotive in Hillstett as well as the refreshment stops at the "Salzfriedlhof" museum tavern, the "Wutzschleife" hotel or the "Clubhaus" of the Eixendorfer See golf club. Short trail detours make the passage around the Eixendorf reservoir varied and on hot days there is the opportunity to cool off in the lake with a stop for a swim. After Hillstett, we first cycle directly along the Schwarzach, then continue on the Schwarzachtal cycle path in the direction of Rötz and turn sharp right a few hundred meters after the "Alte Wehr" and follow the field path. At the Rötz - Hillstett road, we then turn right uphill, immediately turn left again and follow the asphalt road through the golf course towards "Thanner Holz", a quiet and tranquil wooded area. Here we have to mobilize our strength once again for the steady, approximately 2 km long ascent over the "Kühberg". The well-maintained gravel and forest paths take us to the Rötz - Neukirchen-Balbini road, where we turn left downhill. Approx. 300 m after the 90° bend, the road climbs steeply to the right (be careful not to miss the junction) and we cycle along forest, field and asphalt paths via Kleinenzenried to Gmünd. Here we meet the TransBayerwald again and turn left immediately after the Schwarzach bridge and follow the cycle path - past the Freizeit-Welle Rötz (indoor/outdoor pool and sauna) - back to our starting point.