Helmbrecht-Weg OS 11

The hike begins at Helmbrechts town hall The path leads to the right, past the church, up a steep terraced path built around 100 years ago and on past the old villa to Kirchberg (678 m). Below the former restaurant, the view sweeps over Helmbrechts and the Fichtelgebirge mountains. The impressive view from the Kirchberg tower extends over the Münchberg gneiss plateau to the Fichtelgebirge, the Kriegswald and the Franconian Forest. Near the Hermann Löns memorial, we leave the Kirchberg in a northerly direction and turn left into the forest. We then walk along a pleasant avenue path and enjoy the view of the Döbraberg (794 m), the Lehstenberg (633 m), the Stadelberg (689 m) and Kleinschwarzenbach.

Our hiking route takes us down a field path to Theodor-Heuss-Straße and then right along Lehstener Weg through the settlement out of town. After the last house, we walk along the fence briefly to the left and then turn right into the open field. We reach the forest on a natural path between the Stadelberg (689 m) and the Bühl (692 m) past a row of deciduous trees. We enjoy the impressively beautiful view of the surrounding countryside.

If we now walk steadily along the edge of the forest (and only briefly through the forest), we pass the single Bühl, two typical Franconian forest houses, before crossing the road leading from Oberweißenbach to Taubalsmühle. We walk through the fields towards the forest. In the background to our right we can see the few houses of Stechera. After a short section along the edge of the forest, we turn left at a right angle and climb up the slope of the 697 m high Wagnersbühl.

At the top, we turn right and soon reach a forest path, which we follow only briefly to the right before immediately turning left again. Below the Wasserhaus, we enjoy the view of Oberweißenbach and the Kirchberg. Following in the footsteps of the brave soldier Helmbrecht, we continue straight ahead in a westerly direction, cross the Oberweißenbach-Ort road (ahead on the right: sports home of FC Ort) and walk on an almost flat path (Grenzweg) in the forest up to the Kriegswald forest.

At the spider (left to the Wüstenselbitz sports field), we turn left onto a near-natural forest path. We continue through the forest until we come to the FWV refuge in the Eng. It is the site of the single Eng between Kriegwald and Kammwald, which was probably built in a "narrow" spot in 1836 and demolished in 1965. A goat and a small potato field were already able to secure the hand weaver's livelihood.

The Große Rehbach rises nearby, which becomes the Steinach in front of the Neumühle mill after absorbing the waters of the Rauschbach. The highest source of the Große Rehbach and thus of the Steinach is the overflow of the nearby Brunnenstube, which belonged to the Eng. Here, at the Eng, we leave the watershed trail and walk to the left along the edge of the forest to the training ground and then straight on to Wüstenselbitz. The village was first mentioned in a document in 1386 as "Selwicz". The Dr. Martin Luther Church, built in the neo-Romantic style with a brick façade, was built between 1891 and 1901 on the site of the former village pond. Along the way, the views of the Fichtelgebirge mountains become ever more expansive and impressive. It extends from the Königsheide over the Ochsenkopf, Schneeberg and Waldstein to the Kornberg. In good weather, you can even see the Hainberg near Asch with its imposing lookout tower.

Immediately after the first houses, we turn left and pass the village's sports and leisure center with its shooting range, bowling alley, large natural swimming lake in the middle of the Selbitz headwaters, gymnasium, children's playground, Kneipp pool, beach volleyball court and large sunbathing lawn. The forest sports field is located on the nearby Reusenberg. After these facilities, we keep slightly to the left towards the forest. Right at the beginning, we turn right into the forest and soon reach the Selbitz spring, which rises on the eastern slope of the Reusenberg. After 36.6 km, it flows into the Saale at Blankenstein, having previously flowed through the wild and romantic Höllental valley.

When we continue walking, we come across the Steinachtal trail again, which we follow to the right to the Wüstenselbitz-Ort road. We follow this themed trail to the left along the road until we reach Waldeck. Here we turn right and walk along easy forest paths and trails through the forest. Shortly before Unterweißenbach, a beautiful view of the Helmbrechts district of Unterweißenbach and the outskirts of the town of Helmbrechts greets us at the edge of the forest. We walk downhill through the meadow, through the single farmstead and on to the road, on which we soon reach the village of Unterweißenbach, which is seamlessly connected to the town.

The Weißenbach (or Eierbach) stream, which rises near Oberweißenbach, accompanies us all the way to the main road. This stream once formed the border between the dominions of Schauenstein and Guttenberg. If we now follow the road to the left in a straight direction, we return to our starting point at the town hall, the site of the legendary inn that commemorates the intrepid soldier Helmbrecht, to whom this varied circular trail is dedicated.