FrankenwaldSteigla Dreierknock

Breathe in the vastness - Deep forests, bright clearings, plateaus with surprising views: Hiking in the Franconian Forest opens up unexpected horizons for the eyes and soul! In front of the grandeur of nature, our everyday fears and worries become small and insignificant. We breathe in the vastness and find ourselves.

You can practise conquering peaks here in the Franconian Forest. We may not have the highest mountains, often they are just hills, but we do have many. And every hill you climb means a sense of achievement and offers the chance of a good view. Follow our FrankenwaldSteigla "Dreierknock" and be surprised by the ever-changing views that alternate between plateaus and forest. Enjoy the indescribably soothing feeling of breathing wide open spaces!

Hills with their typical rounded elevations are called "Knock" in our region. In constant ups and downs, our route leads us - as the name suggests - to three of these characteristic hills: the Kreuzknock (named after an old crossroads), the Schnebeser Knock at 681 meters and the Pressecker Knock at 690 meters.

Way description

We start our hike at the market square in Presseck. The markings (blue) on the hiking board there will lead us through a typical Franconian Forest landscape along the entire route, with panoramic heights, deep valleys and lots of forest. First, we pass the Schützenhaus and sports field on our way to the 690 m high Pressecker Knock.

Continuing along the forest path, a path branches off sharply to the left after 300 m, which takes us to the high Schnebes. The Rausch vacation apartments (inn, refreshments) offer the best views. There is a large fallow deer enclosure down on the right. On the other side of the road, the Schnebes Baroque Marter is a real artistic delight. In addition to the Coronation of Mary on the front, another 8 saints can be admired on the top and on the shaft. The bulging base features rocaille decoration and 2 winged angel heads. This martyrdom is one of the most ornate in the area and was erected in 1756 in gratitude for being saved from the plague.
After crossing the road, the path leads up a few steps, then right at the barn and then immediately left again, up to the 681 m high Schnebeser Knock. On the left is the Jacob-Spindler-Hütte, on the right, somewhat hidden, is a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Another wayside shrine in the summit area makes it clear that we are in a Catholic enclave. On the many benches, we enjoy the wonderful panoramic view over the Franconian Forest heights as far as Schneeberg and Ochsenkopf, the two highest mountains in Franconia.

Our hiking trail leads along a paddock down to the single "Kreuzknock" (where a wayside cross used to stand). After 200 m on the road, a forest path branches off to the right to Birkholz. Between the two ski slopes, we marvel at the triple beech tree with its green mossy root system, which has a total circumference of 6.31 m.

After leaving the forest, another highlight: the two Heinersreuth castles lie ahead of us. The minister's house (left) is one of the rare examples of classicist architecture among Franconian castles. Framed by two thuja trees (quite deliberately), it brings a touch of Mediterranean flair to our harsh Franconian forest. It was built in 1824-27 according to the plans of the Hesse-Darmstadt court architect Georg Moller by Maximilian von Lerchenfeld, the Bavarian Minister of Finance at the time (hence Ministerhaus). To the right is the Old or Wildenstein Castle, the oldest part of which dates back to the 15th century. It was the ancestral seat of the "Heinersreuther line" of the Barons of Wildenstein. After the Rienecker family died out, it reverted to the new sovereign, King Max Joseph of Bavaria, in 1823. In the same year, he gave it as a crown fief to his meritorious finance minister Maximilian von Lerchenfeld. Since then, it has been owned by the von Lerchenfeld family.

In Heinersreuth (inn, refreshments), we walk past the fire station in the direction of the castle. After 150 m we turn left, after another 150 m we turn right. A beautiful hiking trail begins below the Heinersreuth castles to the Plusbaum. A plus tree is the ideal form, or at least an above-average shaped old tree of a growing area that comes closest to the breeding goal for the extraction of seeds. In our case, it is a Douglas fir with a strikingly slender shape and short branches that offer little resistance to wind and snow. However, cones are no longer harvested from its delicate crown, which would be dangerous for both the picker and the tree. The plus tree stretches 50.20 m into the sky, as tall and slender as a Gothic church spire. We admire some giant trees along the way, including the 3 Barons. They are among the oldest Douglas firs in the Franconian Forest. They were planted in 1880 by Maximilian Freiherr von Lerchenfeld, owner of Heinersreuth Castle. In the sheltered location of the Leichbrettgraben, they grew into true giants. With a trunk circumference of 4.06 m and a diameter of 1.30 m, the "Great Baron" reaches a height of 48.60 m.

We cross the road and begin the ascent on a forest path that takes us to the two houses of the Untere Wustuben. Wustuben is the dialect term for Wustung, which used to mean ruined or uninhabited houses. The two houses are uninhabited and have fallen into disrepair.

We have to climb a few more meters before we can enjoy the wonderful view from the Obere Wustuben (panoramic tableau; seating area). The view down into the Rodach valley, to the town of Schwarzenbach am Wald with the Döbraberg (794 m) and the Rodachrangen, with the Bärenplatz as the highest elevation in the Kulmbach district, is particularly impressive. To the right in the foreground is the Rodachsberg.

The route now continues almost flat through the hamlet of Wustuben to the charming hilltop village of Elbersreuth (inn; refreshments available), where we separate from the Frankenweg at the road junction. We follow the "blue" markings again, which lead past the former Wildenstein castle (now derelict). It was the home of Claus von Wildenstein zu Elbersreuth, a feared Swedish colonel who harassed the Catholic population during the Thirty Years' War. Not only the inn, but also the lovingly restored houses, many of which are still covered in slate, invite you to linger. Now we pass the fire station, then a meadow with a pond and finally through the forest down to Rabengrund.

After a moderately steep climb, we reach the viewpoint on Kirchberg. This gives us another view of the four striking mountains. In front of us is Presseck (right), to the left the Pressecker Knock (690 m), followed by the Schnebeser Knock (681 m), the Rodachsberg (699 m) and finally the Rodachsrangen with the highest point in the Kulmbach district, the Bärenplatz (717 m).

The route now climbs moderately once again on the dirt track to Presseck. It is advisable to stop every now and then to enjoy the beautiful view or the flowering shrubs along the way. Approx. 150 m before the forest ends, we turn slightly right, walk through the forest for approx. 200 m, then turn right again onto a meadow path and after 600 m we come to Unter-Presseck. We cross a local road and walk in the direction of the Dreifaltigkeitskirche church to the starting point at the Presseck market square. A visit to the church is highly recommended.