Hike through one of Germany’s greatest forests – Spessart 3
Idyllic lakes, picturesque valleys, and green forests – all this and more awaits on the Spessart Trail 3, a brand new long-distance hiking trail through the spectacular Spessart Nature Park. Over 37 miles (60 km), you explore the forested slopes of the Spessart hills, home to the country’s largest mixed deciduous forests, between Bavaria and Hesse in the south of Germany. The region provides the perfect backdrop fo a multiday hike through beautiful nature, complete with fresh forest air and peace and quiet.
The trail, which is a designated Quality Walking Route in Germany, begins at the small Hessian town of Bad Soden-Salmünster from the train station. With its pretty courtyards, half-timbered buildings and St. Peter and Paul baroque church, this historic old town is worth a visit.
As you hike the Spessart Trail, you are greeted by impressive nature and pretty villages. Your first day hiking ends in Bad Orb, a town with fairytale houses and spa gardens, surrounded by the wooded Spessart hills. Other highlights included in this 3-day hike include: the source fo the Orb, a volcanic basaltic cone, a unique double church in Lettgenbrunn, the mystical Wiesbütt Moor and the idyllic Aubach Valley. Your adventure concludes in Heigenbrücken, a small town in Lower Franconia, Bavaria.
If you want to continue walking the region’s evergreen forests, you can join the Spessart Trail 2 in Heigenbrücken to continue your adventure further south over the hills to Main. This route crosses the Spessart Trail 1, another route which runs from Aschaffenburg to Gemünden an den Main, following in the footsteps of princes and pilgrims. You can find out more information about these trails at the tourist information centre in Heigenbrücken. You can get to know Spessart in all its beauty on these trails.
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Start your three-day hike through the Spessart-Mainland in Bad Soden-Salmünster, the starting point of the 60-kilometer-long Spessartweg 3. You can easily reach the city in the Kinzigtal by train from Hanau or Fulda. Your 16 kilometer stage starts right at the train station. You will soon leave the place and dive into the Spessart Nature Park.You hike through the wonderfully shady forest on a flat route. Then the path rises and leads you over a mountain range between the Haselberg and the Marktberg. Once you have climbed the ascent, most of the vertical meters are done for today. You will soon pass the Jagdhaus Haselruhe, how about a long break here?You continue hiking through the picturesque Haseltal and reach the idyllic Haselweiher. Around the Wintersberg there are a few more meters ahead of you before you run down to Bad Orb, your today's destination.In the spa town you will find a good selection of accommodations for the night. The rest of the day you can stroll through the beautifully landscaped spa gardens, spoil your feet in the barefoot park or simply treat yourself to maximum relaxation in the Tuscany thermal baths.
The second stage continues on Spessartweg 3. Today you hike from Bad Orb to Flörsbachtal. A few meters of altitude await you on the 20-kilometer route, but also a beautiful landscape with plenty of peace and idyll.After an extensive breakfast you leave the spa town and hike the first kilometers within sight of the Orb. The path through the valley continues to climb. After eight kilometers you finally reach the source of the river, where the orb begins its short journey to the Kinzig.You hike a little further uphill and finally reach the Beilstein. Around the 500 meter high mountain lies a beautiful, enchanted forest, around which numerous legends have grown. In the granite rocks you can also discover some caves and crevices. Now it is not far to Lettgenbrunn. The place is known for its church, which is consecrated both Catholic and Evangelical. If you are hungry, you will find refreshments in the village.It continues a short distance along the Jossa before you turn right into the forest. The path climbs a bit again. As soon as the forest opens again, you have almost reached today's destination of Flörsbachtal. The Spessartweg takes you past it on the heights. So leave the path and hike down to the place to stay in your bed.
All good things come in threes: The third and last stage on the Spessartweg is really nice again. On the 23 km long route, you can fully enjoy the picturesque landscape in the Spessart Nature Park before you reach your destination in Heigenbrücken.From the center of Flörsbach you walk a little uphill to get warm until you reach the actual path. Then it continues in a relaxed up and down through the forest. The first highlight of the stage is the historic Wiesbütt crossroads and the adjacent mystical Wiesbüttmoor.You walk on beautiful paths through the forest and enjoy the wonderful peace that surrounds you. After the tranquil Habichsthal with its proud village linden tree and the old mill, you meet the Aubach lakes, on whose banks you can find a nice place for a break. If you want to take a longer break, you can also make yourself comfortable on the terrace of the Gasthaus Fischerhütte.Then you continue to hike through the Aubach valley until you turn right just before Wiesthal. The path leads you through the dense forest one last time before you will soon see Heigenbrücken in front of you. At the end of your stage you can still watch wild boar, fallow deer and red deer in the wildlife park or test your adrenaline level in the climbing forest. From here it is only a stone's throw to the train station in Heigenbrücken. Before you return, you can have it tasted again in one of the local restaurants - 60 wonderful kilometers through the Spessart Nature Park are behind you.
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Collection Stats
- Tours3
- Distance36.6 mi
- Duration16:44 h
- Elevation4,475 ft4,075 ft
