Mühlenweg

The hike is often started in Buckenreuth. The Mühlenweg trail initially heads north on a natural path, only turning left about 50 m after a field cross downhill to the forest, with a view of Rützenreuth. As we walk along the Schlackenmühlbach stream on easy paths and trails, we get to know the upper valley floor of the romantic valley.

We walk down a gentle slope and soon reach the Schübelsmühle mill, which was first mentioned in 1560 and is now only used for agricultural purposes. We reach Petersmühle below Trottenreuth on a comfortable path and pleasant trail in the valley that opens up a little. It was used as a grinding mill until 1936. We continue downhill in the idyllic Schlackenmühlbach valley until we cross the Lautengrundbach stream before reaching the road from Premeusel. Both streams (Schlackenmühlbach, Lautengrundbach) now become the Rauschbach.

The Schlackenmühlbach itself has two headwaters, which have their source near Heinersreuth and Enchenreuth and join at Rauhenstein, east of Presseck. The nearby Schlackenmühle mill was abandoned as a grain mill as early as 1914, and the sawmill ceased operation in 1931 after a fire. We bypass the mill, which is now used for agricultural purposes, follow the road on the right-hand side of the valley to the forest and descend on beautiful and comfortable paths in the quiet seclusion of the Rauschbach valley to the paper mill, whose mill wheel clattered for paper production until 1890. When it burned down in 1906, the coat of arms was reattached to the side of the house facing the Rauschbach.

We change sides of the valley and reach the Rauschbach in the idyllic valley on beautiful forest and meadow paths, crossing the road in the Steinachtal valley twice on high raft bridges. The side valley ends here. The waters of the Rauschbach flow into the bed of the Rehbach on the other side of the valley, and both now form the Steinach. On the road to the right, it is not far to the Neumühle mill. A detour to the Steinachklamm gorge, about 1 km easy, is particularly worthwhile! The hiking trail now follows the cul-de-sac to the left until a sharp right-hand bend before the hiking parking lot. From there, we walk straight ahead up the valley of the Großer Rehbach stream, cross it on a footbridge in an open valley area and reach the Hübnersmühle mill, which was finally only operated as a grist mill. Sawmill operations were discontinued in 1936. A reactivation failed years ago due to the owners. The reused residential building is currently the only property in the Grafengehaig market area that is still without an electricity connection.

Our route leads us slightly uphill in the forest to Guttenberger Hammer, where the path joins a tarred road. The former iron and toothed hammer, which existed until the post-war period, has been owned by the Krumpholz family since 1799. Today, modern technology is used to manufacture equipment and tools for forestry and agriculture. Following the cul-de-sac uphill, we reach the Kleinrehmühle mill, which ceased grinding operations in 1931. It was also used as a wainwright's workshop and bread bakery for a time. Today, it offers hikers a cozy place to stop for refreshments.

We walk past the house on a road uphill in the forest and then continue uphill along the edge of the forest to a chapel built a few years ago. From here, you can reach the first houses of Hinterrehberg via a short driveway to the right. However, we walk downhill on a meadow path to the forest. If you want to see the Mehltaumühle mill (now a vacation home), you have to follow the path at the edge of the forest to the left without any markings to see the former mill on the opposite slope. The Höll mill, as it is popularly known, was operated as a grain mill until 1964. When the mill was mechanically operated from 1912, the water of the Rehbach stream was used as a source of energy using a technically complicated device.

However, we follow a forest path up the Rehbach valley through dense spruce forest to the Grossrehmühle mill on the Rehbach, which was first mentioned in 1683. In 1954, the mill was converted into an inn and guesthouse with 60 beds. Unfortunately, the inn has been closed for many years and has fallen into disrepair. Only one outbuilding has been restored and is used for residential purposes. But even before we reach the mill, we cross the still narrow valley and come to the district road. We cross it and walk in a straight main direction in the forest for quite a long time, steadily climbing slightly through various forest stands along the Vollaufbach stream to the Vollaufmühle mill (von Vogellauf), which was first mentioned in documents in 1741. It was used as a flour mill and bread bakery until 1967. It is not known whether the mill gave its name to the nearby farm or whether it was the other way round. A legend is known about the farm, according to which the "Vollaufpöpel" in the old courtyard frightened people returning home at night.

The two spring streams (Gösmes, Walberngrün) merge at the Mesethmühle to form the Vollaufbach, which flows into the Großer Rehbach at the Großrehmühle after a short course. Long after the war, a hand weaver was still weaving in the nearby weaver's cottage. Together with the Steinachtal trail markings, we follow the branch road briefly uphill, turn left in the sharp right-hand bend and hike through beautiful forest sections to the best-preserved grinding mill, the Mesethmühle, first mentioned as Mesermühle in 1590. The cutting mill existed until 1925, the grinding mill was only abandoned in 1970.

From now on, there is no longer a path in idyllic seclusion. We hike up the little-used cul-de-sac past the Bromenhof farm to Schlockenau, which the Langheim monastery ceded to the Bamberg bishop along with the Leugast (Marktleugast) estate, including Slakenauv. In 1753, Schlachenawe has 7 farms which give the grain tithe to Bamberg. We continue through the village to the district road, which we cross diagonally towards the chapel with a beautiful view of Rützenreuth. We now follow the field path slightly downhill and return to the starting point in Buckenreuth.