Häusles-Weg KC 31

Located around 2 km east of Mitwitz, the hamlet with its excursion restaurant, the Schäferstube, lies between the 453 m high Fuchsberg and the 486 m high Oberer Roter Bühl and is shrouded in many legends. The Rinnlesgraben, the copper beech and the Schwedenloch (600 m), where a Swedish horseman is said to have drowned during the Thirty Years' War, are of interest in the area. The historical memorial stone "Wolf die Mad" is a reminder of a legend and strange customs in days gone by.

We walk from the large parking lot towards the town center, but turn right opposite the moated castle over a small bridge and pass the town hall to reach the parish church of St. Jakob with its six-storey tower and the upper castle.

In the park, which is not open to the public, you can admire the trees, some of which are centuries old (oaks, lime trees, including American Douglas firs), a sandstone statue (18th century), the lime tree traffic circle with the "Stone Table", the chapel and the tomb of the last Baron von Würtzburg. The baron died in 1916 in the First World War.

We walk along Burgstaller Weg outwards to the road to Kronach (further view). There we turn right and continue across the parking lot and along a dirt path in the open until we reach the Häublein pond. The hiking trail then leads uphill on a beautiful path in the forest, crosses a forest road and finally continues steadily uphill on near-natural paths in the forest on the slope of the 435 m high Fuchsberg. We continue until we reach the hamlet of Häusles with its rustic "Schäferstubn", situated between the Fuchsberg in the north-west and the 486 m high upper Roter Bühl (in the east).

A Swedish horseman is said to have died in the 30-year war in the marshland a good 500 m north-east of the hamlet. There is also a historical memorial stone near the hamlet, which commemorates the legend of "Wolf the Mad".

We turn right, walk past a property and then follow a pleasant meadow path slightly uphill to the forest. There you have a wonderful view across the sea of forests to Rotschreuth, which lies on the hill. Now a natural path, mostly through young forest, leads us slightly uphill to a wide path spider on the heights, to the "Staanerna Männla".

Whatever stone objects once stood there have long since disappeared. The only thing that is certain is that in days gone by, the Mitwitz nobility, looked after by their servants, used to occasionally celebrate on this square. The ladies and gentlemen reached their destination on horseback via the aforementioned "bridle path".

From now on, it is all downhill on pleasant paths, mostly in a straight direction. When we have walked for a while after a left turn, we turn sharply to the right. Now a natural, narrow forest path leads us further downhill. When we see the sign for the "Stone Lion" just before the road, we should take the short detour.

In a natural grotto in a rock face, you cannot miss an almost life-size stone lion. The monument, erected in 1907, commemorates Baroness Annie von Würtzburg, née Lyons (lion). The distinguished family had a lion in their coat of arms and her father was commander-in-chief of the English fleet. The location is significant in two respects: In June 1842, the baroness was greeted below that spot during her visit to Mitwitz (on the rock: "Welcome!"). In 1894, the body of the baroness who died in Bamberg was received by the family and "representatives" in the same place in the same month.

We now walk across the parking lot and the road, take a footpath to a local road and after a few meters back to our starting point at the large parking lot at the moated castle. On the way, we can see the mouth of the Föritz into the Steinach and the castle pond shortly beforehand.</p