Brotzeit-Weg OS 33

We start our hike at the parking lot at Luitpoldplatz, walk towards the town hall, cross the Selbitz and walk along Brunnenstraße. Just before the cemetery, we turn right, walk along a meadow path to the edge of the forest and then turn sharp left at the top onto a field path and walk across the open heights through fields and meadows down to the road to Rothenbürg.

Walking uphill, we reach the inn at the top. The village was first mentioned in a document in 1358, when the bailiff of Weida granted the Rotenburg fortress to Heinrich von Weißelsdorf. The castle stood on a diabase hilltop above the village. Remnants of the castle stables almost completely disappeared when a quarry was excavated. It was probably destroyed as early as 1402.

We walk along the old connecting road past the inn to Stegenwaldhaus. As the hike progresses, the views become wider and more beautiful until we come to a crossroads with paths to the right leading to the single Kalkofen and to the left uphill to the windmill and Sellanger. You can take this dirt track as a shortcut to the windmill. However, we continue straight ahead and come to the "Leipoldsnickel vo Stegenwaldhaus", to Stegenwaldhaus.

In the "settlement in the wood to the Stegen" first mentioned in a document in 1429. Around 1800, a house was built for the forest warden; he was supposed to monitor the timber delivery for the newly opened iron mine. It was given the name Stegenwaldhaus, where "stegen" means a path or narrow footpath.

We hike up the little-used road to the heights. After approx. 200 m, we turn left onto the road towards Sellanger. After a right-hand bend, we turn left onto a field path towards the wind turbine, which we reach after a short detour to the left. We enjoy the far-reaching view and walk downhill to Sellanger and through the village on a comfortable field path on the right before the transmission mast. We cross the old B 173 road briefly to the left to the Landgasthof Sellanger inn and then turn right before the inn onto the local path across a small dip to Dörnthal.

The village was first mentioned in a document in 1388. Konrad von Wildenstein and Heinrich von Gräfendorf were the owners of the seven farms. The interpretation of the name is not clear. It could mean "valley full of thorn bushes" (blackberries, sloes, wild roses).

Our Brotzeit trail now runs together with the Wildenberg trail past the inn out of town in a straight main direction to the composting plant. We walk downhill along the B 173 and cross under it after the forest area down in the hollow in the direction of Wacholderbusch. At the village sign, we turn left and after about 100 m turn right through the village (approx. 500 m) and then continue along the road towards Neuhaus. On the way, we pass a fruit meadow and a rest area to the restaurant of the model aircraft club at the beginning of the village, which also invites you to have a snack at certain times.

We walk past the castle, go through a farm and then straight on through fields and meadows. We continue straight ahead on pleasant paths slightly downhill to Rodesgrün.

We follow the road towards Naila and immediately join the Franconian Mountain Trail. At the end of the village, we turn left with it and follow the certified, supra-regional hiking trail in the direction of the B 173 and Selbitz. With a beautiful panoramic view, we walk along an open field path, initially flat, then slightly downhill to the B 173. We cross under it, turn immediately right and soon, keeping left, come to the first houses of the town of Selbitz.

Passing the ATS sports field, we come to a local road. It leads us to the left, then we turn right downhill. We reach the outskirts of the town via rail and road. We follow the local roads in a straight direction, then turn left and cross the Reußenbrücke bridge to reach our starting point, the parking lot at the fairground.</p