Kohlbach-Radspitz-Weg KC 68

One of the highlights of this hike is the site of the former hamlet of Kirchbühl, of which the chapel dating from 1841 still remains. Dazu writes Roland Graf: "The hamlet Kirchbühl is to be equated with an earlier mentioned "Purkstal", which is already mentioned in the Bamberger Urbar 1923/28. The hamlet existed until the second half of the 19th century. With its land and the two farms, it was a Hochstifts Bamberg in every respect until the dissolution of the object of dispute between the Wallenfels and the margraviate Vogteiamt Seibelsdorf. Because the border ran through the hamlet. As a result, one farm was bambergisch = Catholic and the other markgräfisch = Protestant. The chapel from 1841 is still a reminder of the Catholic court. The wells surrounding both courts can still be found."

We start our circular walk at the hiking board in the center of the village and walk along the Sträßlein to the hikerparkplatz near this stichstraße, just before the road branches off to Geuser. If we want to start and end our round trip here, we can "save" ourselves the access route on the road.

When the path divides, turn right past the small parking lot and you will immediately be greeted by a "Schinder" as you hike steeply uphill along the Kohlbach. The name probably comes from a former Kohlstatt.

After the steep ascent through the narrow side valley of the Zeyernbach stream, the path is now less steep. We circle the "Markgräfliche Höhe" and cross the two crossroads straight ahead. We soon reach the chapel Kirchbühl, the place where two estates stood until the second half of the 19th century.

The chapel from 1841 with the artistically impressive Pieta and the nearby Fröhlichstein (0,4 km), which was named after a forester less than a hundred years ago. Those in the know can still find the tapped springs around both farms.

Here we also come across the Frankenweg, which we follow further uphill on pleasant forest paths.

After a very short detour to the left to the Fröhlichstein on the wooded Kirchbühl-Berg is recommended. We know from Roland Graf: The sandstone pillar dates from the 18th century. Friedrich Engelhard can be read on the curved base in 1761. The subdivided Pfeilerschaft is fielded and ends in a corniced finial. At the front of the top, the coronation Mariens can be seen in relief under the round arch. The narrow sides show a crucifix and a pieta (= depiction of Mary with the body of Christ on her lap).

We continue uphill over a small hill. As we walk slightly downhill again, we are offered two views of the valley landscape and the Kronacher countryside, which is endangered by regrowing trees. At the wegespinne, we keep to the right with the Frankenweg and soon reach it, turning left, the 678 m high radspitze with the radspitze tower, which was inaugurated in 1955. From the tower and the launch site of the kite flyers, there is a beautiful view of the picturesque heckenlandschaft of the Obermainischen Bruchschollenland.

In 1886, an 11 m" tall "observation tower" was built here, the first observation tower in the Frankenwald, erected.

We walk gently downhill on pleasant paths to the nearby Mittelberg with the "Radspitz-Alm", the wanderheim of the Frankenwaldverein local group Seibelsdorf.

We can read about Mittelberg in the Seibelsdorfer chronicle: "Mittelberg, on the so-called Schlossberg, was already an ancestral castle of the margraves in earlier times. This castle was home to the Brandenburgischen officials and bailiffs and exercised their rule from here until the veste in the so-called Ernestian Händeln (petty wars) was destroyed by enemy troops in 1553. As a result, the margravial court and the office were relocated to Seibelsdorf in the "Forsthaus".

We circle the radspitze and arrive back at the crossroads below the wheel-top. Here we have to turn right, so that we don't "end up" in Kirchbühl again. The next three kilometers are gently downhill. We cross a crossroads and turn right at the next but one junction. The hiking trail now leads leisurely downhill to the site of the former settlement "Kleinzeyern". On the last stretch down the valley, we can still enjoy the view of the magnificent Zeyerntal. At the parking lot, we can either end our circular walk, or take the familiar route back to Zeyern.

A visit to the Kneipp facility behind the playground can freshen up tired legs!