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.