FrankenwaldSteigla Durchs Grubenholz

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.

It's amazing what diversity can be hidden behind the term "forest"! Our hike "Through the Grubenholz" takes you - as the name suggests - through forest: through dense spruce forest, where thin trunks stand close together and brushwood blocks the view right down to the ground. Through sparse meadow forest, where the spruce trees provide a view of lush green moss. And through commercial forest, where impressively large and old trees find their place as well as well-tended replantings.

The name Grubenholz refers to mining in the area. There is actually evidence of two pits, but they are no longer visible today. Our trail takes you through the scattered settlements of Grubenberg and Froschbach and up to the highest elevation in the region around Lippertsgrün, the Eulenburg. But if you're thinking of animals and castles, you're wrong! In fact, one of the names comes from "Fraischbach" and refers to the border stream between different jurisdictions. And Eulenburg was probably once called "Eilenberg" and, due to its altitude, was part of an ultra-modern defense and warning system in the 11th century: messages were transmitted "hastily" from watchtower to watchtower, during the day by smoke signals, at night with the help of fire.

It was all a long time ago, but if you follow our hike with an open eye and an alert heart, you can discover the traces - even if it's only in the name.

Trail description

Only memories of days long gone remain when we hike along the varied FrankenwaldSteigla "Durchs Grubenholz" trail.

We walk from the sports home parking lot into the village, past the village fountain, the village lime tree and the peace oak (hiking center, information board - 600 m above sea level), which characterizes the village, through the upper village into the open. History has already caught up with us at the resting bench - with a sweeping view. This is because the mines "Glockenklang bei den Bergwiesen" and "Eibenburg (Eilenburg?) zu Lippertsgrün" once stood here in the Eulenburg area, both of which belonged to the 56 mines in the Naila mining district in 1736. Documents (16th and 17th century) also speak of "1, 2 estates and their inhabitants on the Eulenburg". A smelting works is thought to have been located in nearby Froschbach. Perhaps these "mountain meadows" even became the "Staahut" (stone hat), where gymnasts held their competitions at a festival after the First World War and young people started playing soccer.

A pleasant path leads through the meadows, later climbing slightly in the forest to the heights and on a short detour to the Eulenburg (678 m). Here, too, we find no traces of a "rush", which was once part of an extensive, sophisticated defense and warning system. From the platform, "urgent messages" were relayed by fire and smoke signals. Information: Memorial stone on the hiking trail.

We bypass the summit and hike in seclusion, past a bench with a view, down a short, fairly steep forest path and cross the unspoilt upper Lippertsbachgrund. In the 11th century, according to Richard Seuß, it formed a border with its middle section along its 5 km course. Even today, it separates the Lippertsgrüner from the Culmitzer Flur. A forest road leads us uphill through well-kept woodland and then left at the top to the district road, which we follow briefly to the left. A feeder road takes us, accompanied by wide views, to the Schwarzenbach district of Göhren (682 above sea level - refreshments at the "Frankenwald" inn, closed on Wednesdays).

We turn right and walk along a pleasant path over a hill to the district road, with it 100 m to the left. We soon reach the wide scattered settlement of Grubenberg - through the forest, then past a charming meadow. We enjoy the sight of the original Franconian forest houses and the wide view of the western Franconian Forest. At the end, we turn right. We walk along the meadow path, then along the edge of the forest and later in the forest left downhill to the district road (refreshments on Sundays and public holidays: "Vogela" inn 100 m). We cross the road and the Rhine/Elbe watershed and walk through Grubenholz to four houses in the widely scattered hamlet of Froschbach. Grubenberg, Grubenholz - when you hear these names, you can't help but think of miners and smelters, charcoal burners and the rather peculiar fellows, the pitch scrapers, and the pitch boilers in the nearby hamlet of Pechreuth.

In Froschbach, there is a wide view across the Froschbach valley to the wooded slope of the 729 m high Spitzberg. A seating area invites you to rest and look around. Until the 18th century, this Froschbach was still a "fraischbach", a border stream that separated the manorial estates of Naila and Schwarzenbach am Wald from the one in Lichtenberg.

The FrankenwaldSteigla leads us through varying sections of forest, fairly level, then slightly uphill to the field cross. A memorial stone commemorates the 600th anniversary of the village (1407-2007) and the 75th anniversary of the FWV local group (1931-2006). After an "L", Psalm 107:1 expresses gratitude. Here you have an impressive view of the "Handweber-Frankenwald" (Otto Knopf) crowned by the Döbraberg, which stretches from Helmbrechts via the former hand-weaving villages of Marlesreuth, Lippertsgrün and Straßdorf to Schwarzenbach. A seating area, hiking lounger and information board invite you to linger, perhaps even to say a silent prayer.

We soon leave the two hiking trails that only briefly accompany us. We reach the starting point at the sports home on the natural field path lined by a row of bushes and trees.