FrankenwaldSteigla Ebersbacher Weg

Listen to silence - Where does the gentle buzzing of the forest bees come from? Where is the deer that made the branch crack softly? Listen to the sound of silence, enjoy the peace and quiet! Hiking in the Franconian Forest is a contrast to the sensory overload. New worlds of sound open up to the ear - and natural silence drowns out everyday life!

The gentle murmur of the White Main accompanies us for a good stretch on our "Ebersbacher Weg". We observe how the Teufelsgraben strengthens it at Aichig and the Schorgast at Forstlasmühle. Although the source river of the Main is shorter than its brother, the Red Main, it is much richer in water! At Hauenreuth, a weir dams the river and is a roaring reminder that the power of the water was already being harnessed here when there was no talk of alternative energies. Near Ebersbach, a Kneipp facility invites you to experience the immune-boosting powers of water for yourself. In the beautiful Buchwald behind Plassenburg Castle, you won't hear the water, but you will hear the chirping of the birds, the rustling of the leaves and the wind rustling through the treetops.

Way description

We park our car in the parking lot by the swimming pool and cross a small bridge to reach Buchgasse. It is recommended to follow the path clockwise, so we keep left here.

Our path leads into the Buchwald forest and for the time being we stay on the long forest path in a varied mixed forest. Before the last ascent, we turn left onto the natural forest path, which leads us along the mountainside. Within sight of a small meadow, we come to a wider forest path again, on which we walk into the valley of the White Main.

Not far from the White Main, a narrow path begins at the edge of the forest, which later leads across meadows to Hauenreuth. Before we reach the bridge over the Main in the village, we turn right along the edge of the valley of the White Main, past a Kneipp facility and into Ebersbach, which has a good 20 estates. Several plaques commemorate the successful participation in the village beautification competitions.

Before we continue our circular walk, a detour to the village school museum in Ködnitz (about 1 km one-way), the only one of its kind in Upper Franconia, is highly recommended. We reach the village when we leave the road to the left at the end of the village and walk uphill in the valley landscape of the White Main. On the way back to Ebersbach, there is a view of the "Weinleite", which overlooks the Main. It is considered the "most beautiful shell limestone slope of the Upper Main quarry land". A highlight is the village school museum built in 1993. Teaching conditions and working methods from the past are vividly presented there. While the school celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1961, the school reform in 1969 put an end to the single-class school in Ködnitz and all village schools in Bavaria.

Since 1977, Ködnitz, Trebgast and Harsdorf have formed an administrative community with the administrative headquarters in Trebgast. When interpreting the rather peculiar name, Günter Wild points to the double name: Ködnitz (Chotvenice; from the personal name Choten and the common name "Kängst" or "Kengst" in the local language. According to Wild, the suffix -itz points to Slavic settlement activities between 700 and 1000 AD. The Frankish settlers may have referred to Chotvenice as "Kotentz", which became Ködnitz. The steep slopes may also have prompted the settlers - according to Wild - to name their settlement "Gehängicht", which then became "Gehängst" and finally "Kängst"/"Kengst".

After this excursion into the past, we hike uphill from Ebersbach to the forest. On several forest and woodland paths, we reach the Mainwanderweg and the Markgrafenweg at the top - still in the forest - which accompany us to the right through the Buchwald forest to the old Meranier fortress, Plassenburg Castle, 422 meters above sea level. From here, a series of footpaths, including the Gutmannsgässchen and the Grünwehr, lead into the old town of Kulmbach. Our hiking trail leads around Plassenburg Castle and back to our starting point via Obere and Untere Buchgasse.

At the end of the hike, it's worth making a detour to the Kommunbräu brewery. The home-brewed beer and good Franconian cuisine bring the hike to a culinary close.</p