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Natural Monuments

Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg

Natural Monuments

Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg

Highlight • Monument

Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg

Recommended by 171 hikers out of 179

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Naturpark Frankenwald

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Location: Mitwitz, Kronach, Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany

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Best Hikes to Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg

4.7

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176

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1. Steinach Weir – Mitwitz Water Castle loop from Mitwitz

8.22km

02:22

210m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

5.0

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2. Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg – Shepherd's Tavern Häusles loop from Mitwitz

9.78km

02:48

230m

220m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

5.0

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3. Mill ponds near Mitwitz – Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg loop from Mitwitz

12.9km

03:36

230m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

Wolly

May 18, 2018

The stone lion lies in a natural grotto in a rock face on the Mitwitzer mountain.
If you leave Mitwitz in the direction of Coburg, then you will meet a lion about 200 meters after leaving the village on the top left of the mountain. But do not worry, it's not real. The lion does not bite. He is carved out of sandstone and enthroned for many years on Mitwitzer mountain. If we want to know why there is a stone lion up there, we have to go back about 100 years.
The year is 1894. At that time the Imperial Councilor Ludwig Freiherr von Würtzburg was an important and wealthy man in Mitwitz. He and his family included, for example, the Mitwitzer moated castle and the Upper Castle. But wealth alone does not make you happy. His beloved mother, Baroness Annie von Würtzburg, had just died. She had last lived in Bamberg with her husband Philipp Hartmann Veit von Würtzburg. But now she should be buried in the hometown of her husband and son in the Mitwitzer cemetery. The mourning car arrived in Mitwitz with a horse-drawn carriage. Many fellow competitors were on their way to receive the hearse. Of course, there were Ludwig Freiherr von Würtzburg, the pastor, the teacher with his schoolchildren, the mayor and many adults. Exactly at the point where the lion was later to be pulled up to the mountain, the deceased was received and finally escorted from the mourners to the cemetery. There she lies buried next to her husband, who died three years later.
On her tombstone we still find today a special coat of arms with a lion. Baroness Annie von Würtzburg was an Englishwoman and her name was Lyons (lyon = lion). When Ludwig von Würtzburg had already grown old, he often remembered his loving and pretty mother. He wanted to set a memorial for her. So he gave a Mitwitzer Maurermeister the order to hit a lion made of stone. 1907: Finally the time has come. Now, with great effort, the stony lion is dragged up the mountain by six strong men with ropes and placed where he can still be found today.

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WildeHilde

June 2, 2020

The former owner (19th century) of the moated castle had the lion built as a monument to his mother.

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Wanderwoman🥾🐾🎒

May 4, 2021

Mega imposing! A beautiful stone lion with a romantic story behind it

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Elevation 370 m

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Wednesday 5 November

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Location: Mitwitz, Kronach, Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany

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Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg

1. Steinach Weir – Mitwitz Water Castle loop from Mitwitz

2. Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg – Shepherd's Tavern Häusles loop from Mitwitz

3. Mill ponds near Mitwitz – Stone Lion of Mitwitzer Berg loop from Mitwitz

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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