Fuchsbau-Weg OS 22

The foxhole

The foxhole is located on this hiking trail that leads through quiet forests, charming valley landscapes and through open meadows without any significant inclines. There is a distinction between the small foxhole, a rocky outcrop on the hiking trail, and the large foxhole, a nearby, impressive rocky outcrop with beautiful views (partly obscured by trees). Here - in the area of the Münchberg gneiss plate - you will find eye gneiss, which are roundish inclusions of feldspar in the gneiss rock.

We start our hike at the parking lot in Richard-Wagner-Straße. We hike along the Franconian Mountain Trail and the Aubachgrundweg through Schützenstraße to Thonberg. Along the edge of the forest, with beautiful views of the Döbraberg, the Selbitztal valley and the Aubachgrund. Turn left for 200 m, then right through open fields to the Schauenstein-Selbitz road. We cross this road(!) and after 50 m turn right onto the field path to Uschertsgrün, through the new housing estate into the Thronbach valley (nature reserve). We follow the forest path to a forest road, which we also cross (wonderful view to Schauenstein). We also cross the road Schauenstein-Windischengrün.

Behind the mill, our circular hiking trail leads together with the museum trail markings initially along the former Lehstenmühle mill race up the valley into the wooded ground. There we walk along an old moat of the former paper mill (demolished after the Second World War). After approx. 1 km, make sure you follow the path with the signs over the Lehsten bridge to the left (the rock formation "Fuchsbau" on the right in the forest). At the top, we briefly leave the forest, with a wonderful view of Schauenstein and the Fichtelgebirge mountains.

After leaving the forest again, the museum trail branches off to the right, we follow the corridor path to the left and turn right again at the next opportunity.

We soon come to the Starkenhof farmstead and Volkmannsgrün. We cross the Selbitzbrücke bridge in Volkmannsgrün and take the footpath and cycle path through the Selbitztal valley past Dorschenhammer to Poststraße in Schauenstein.

The Dorschenhammer, first mentioned in 1381 as Spetlingshammer (1774: "Oberer Hammer"), is the manor house of the former hammer estate. In 1622, a tipper mint was established by the Schauenstein bailiff. Three different coins were minted which yielded a treasure of 500,000 guilders for Margrave Christian's household. In 1850, the property - which had been unused for 50 years - was converted into a dye works, but it did not operate for long. It is now privately owned.

At the first junction on the right after the Dorschenmühle mill, we walk up through the village via Zum Wiesengrund and Poststraße. We cross Bahnhofstraße and reach the Schauensteiner Park. We should not miss the rock formation "Wachende Jungfrau" (legend) with a beautiful view into the Lehstental valley and the rock formation "Schlafender Riese" (legend). The trail continues to the market square with St. Bartholomew's Church and the vicarage. We then head up to the castle with its museum of local history and the Upper Franconian fire department museum.

Below the castle on the Schlossweg, a mighty ash tree sits enthroned on a rock made of eye gneiss. Follow the castle path back to the starting point.