FrankenwaldSteigla Grenzer-Weg

Understand the forest - aisles on forest slopes, fords through rivers: Hike through the cultural landscape in the Franconian Forest Nature Park and read the traces of its history! How did people live from and with the forest? Understanding grows step by step: People change their environment and the environment changes people.

One step over, one step across... How easy it is for us! Anyone who didn't live in this region at the time of the Iron Curtain can hardly understand how happy the locals feel crossing the border between Upper Franconia and Thuringia. Our "Border Trail" takes you on a journey that was impossible for 40 years: you cross the Green Belt, a natural biotope created in the shadow of metal fences, mines and watchtowers. The death strip became a lifeline! This visible border also marks two that are imperceptible to the eye: on our way, you change the language area between the Upper Franconian and Thuringian dialects. And there is another border to mention: the watershed! While the streams converge towards the Saale and Elbe on the northern half of our route, they flow south towards the Main and Rhine.

The Iron Curtain is history. But no one from the region crosses the border without thinking about it. Memories are exchanged - and processed - at the Grenzer-Stammtisch. And the once forbidden paths are walked together: The Franconians admire the oldest wild apple tree in Schlegel, Thuringia, which is 400 years old. And the Thuringians like to stop off at the oldest inn in the Franconian Forest in Carlsgrün.

Way description:

We start our hike at the oldest inn in the Franconian Forest in the center of Carlsgrün. We leave the village on Schlehknockstraße in a northerly direction. On the outskirts of the village, another view of the hike ahead awaits us. Our view sweeps from the Kulmberg in the west over the valley of the Thuringian Muschwitz and the heights of the villages of Seibis and Schlegel to the Rumpelbühl, on the slopes of which ore was once mined and wine is now grown.

We stay on the paved section of the path until we turn right onto a field path just before the sports field. We follow this, descending slightly, until we turn right again before the small stream and follow a natural path along the edge of the nature reserve. The Thuringian Muschwitz represents the border between Bavaria and Thuringia. Along the former Iron Curtain, many animal and plant species were able to survive that have become rare in the intensively managed agricultural economy. Apart from the GDR border guards, hardly anyone was allowed to get that close to the border on the Thuringian side. Cultivation of the land was out of the question at the time of the inner-German border. Nature therefore had forty years to recover from man.

We leave the protected area at the next crossroads, turn left and walk uphill for about 300 m, climbing slightly. Once we reach the edge of the forest, we enter the Krötensee forest section. A quiet section begins through the stands of the Bavarian State Forests before we cross the former border and the Kolonnenweg not far from the Elbe/Rhine watershed into Thuringia. A short climb leads us to the Rennsteig trail, which we meet below the Kulm and which accompanies us to Schlegel.

A nature reserve has also been designated around the Kulm. While near-natural forests elsewhere have often had to make way for pine forests, a mixed deciduous forest with sycamore maple, copper beech and common ash has been preserved here.

We circle the Kulmberg and emerge from the forest to the west of Schlegel. A field path that crosses the road at the edge of the forest leads us parallel to the road to Schlegel. Along the way, there is a beautiful view over Schlegel to Lichtenberg and Blankenstein - the start and finish of the Rennsteig. In Schlegel itself, the long-distance hiking trail leaves us in exactly this direction, while we keep to the right and head back towards Muschwitztal via Marienberg with its fantastic views.

But before we return to Franconian territory at the former buttermill, the trail leads us to Seibis. We briefly cross the typical Franconian forest village with its slate houses and, as soon as we reach the village, turn right and walk along the Saubach valley to the bridge over the Muschwitz. We follow paths and forest trails parallel to the Muschwitz in a westerly direction until we reach the Krötenmühle. Along the way - as here - there are always information boards with short explanations on the topics of "border", "nature" and "history". These are part of the Nordic walking program "Running along the Green Belt" and can of course also be used by hikers.

After the parking lot at the Krötenmühle, we leave the road heading south on a natural path. This leads to Mordlau at the foot of Rumpelbühl. Mining was carried out here for many centuries, and you can see trenches and bings all along the path, which bear witness to the hard work of the time. You should heed the warnings here and stay on the path!

Another special feature is the vineyard next to the former ski jump. For some years now, local hobby winegrowers have been harvesting their own wine on the slopes of the Franconian Forest.

After leaving the former mining area, we come to the district road.

We only touch the spa park briefly and walk straight ahead at the "Schöne Aussicht" restaurant into "Alte Langenbacher Straße". We follow this avenue with its wonderful views for around 850 m until we turn right and Carlsgrün is already close.

We cross the district road one last time and head straight on past the sports hall towards our start and finish point.