Kameralwald Trail - Odenwald and Neckar Valley

Today the Odenwald called once again, so off we went! The plan was the Kameralwaldweg, a circular hiking trail in the Neckartal-Odenwald Nature Park, whose starting and ending point is the Hinterberg hiking parking lot in Wilhelmsfeld (also signposted from the Kirschbaumhütte parking lot). From the parking lot, the trail initially follows a narrow, grassy path along the edge of the forest and directly behind the last houses of the village. The path is called the "Little Philosopher's Path," presumably in reference to the "Great Philosopher's Path" in Heidelberg, except that here, instead of overlooking the Neckar Valley, you have a panoramic view across Wilhelmsfeld in all its sprawling glory, stretching out in every direction. There are rest areas along the way galore; if you used them all, the hike would probably never end… At the hut by the beech grove near the Wilhelmsfeld sports facilities, the Kameralwaldweg trail leaves the Kleiner Philosophenweg (Little Philosopher's Path) and winds its way – still offering many views of the town – along the slopes of Pfarrwaldkopf and Feigenwaldkopf until it meets the Wilhelmsfelder Weg above Riesenberg. The W 5, the Kameralwaldweg's marker, now follows this path, climbing gently but steadily to the Lindenhütte (Linden Hut). Here, the trail turns right onto the paved forest road, the Lindenweg. Reflecting the change in direction at Riesenberg, the views also change; no longer Wilhelmsfeld, but the hilltops on either side of the Steinbach valley are now visible through the gaps in the forest. It's just under a kilometer to the Prinzensitzhütte (Prince's Seat Hut), and you can almost guess where it is. Once you reach it, the previously steady, moderate climb finally comes to an end. The hut is small and dark, but in front of it sits a bench bathed in spring sunshine – irresistible on a day like today! An unmistakable trail marker adorns the hut's wall; following it, the path descends rapidly to the Sitzbuchhütte (Sit Book Hut). Only the foundations of this hut remain; according to the information panel, it had to be demolished, but a new hut is planned. At least there's a bench, and it too is beautifully illuminated by the sunlight. The W 5 trail turns right here and now has a very prominent companion: the European long-distance hiking trail E1. When we hiked the E1, this wasn't the route; back then, it ran far below on an almost alpine path, passing very close to Peterstal. In comparison, today's route is downright boring. Until the E1 briefly diverges, the Kameralwaldweg trail has its steepest climb, which is nevertheless easy to walk. Passing the Geigersheide barbecue hut, the W 5 trail finally reaches the parking lot at the Kirschbaumhütte (Cherry Tree Hut), the second possible starting point for the Kameralwaldweg (Cameral Forest Trail). From there, it continues along a narrow forest path above the road towards Wilhelmsfeld and rejoins the E 1 trail at a junction. And it's just as it was back then: hollow, bumpy, and above all, steep. Back then, we had to struggle uphill; today, it's downhill and back to the starting point at the Hinterberg parking lot. Except for the beginning and end, the Kameralwaldweg follows forest tracks of varying widths and therefore doesn't require a high level of sure-footedness or anything like that. The advantage: you can wonderfully switch off and let your mind wander while walking. The forest is only more frequented directly around the parking lots; otherwise, you're pretty much alone with forest birds, foxes, hares, and of course, wild boars, whose tracks you often see along the way.

Funny - surprisingly met Moni in the parking lot 😃. Knowledge of the day: When it's so hot, this route is still quite pleasant... 👩👦🏼👩🏼(E)👩🏼(M)

A comfortable route without steep climbs on mostly wide forest paths. The 36-meter climb to the tower may be a sweaty one, but it rewards you at the end of the tour with a fantastic panoramic view.

Today we opened the hiking year 2024 with a small tour in the Odenwald. The start was in Wilhelmsfeld. From there we first went up along soft forest paths. After a short distance the paths were firm and very easy to walk. We skipped the Teltschik Tower because we have been there several times. The last stretch to the parking lot was again on soggy ground. A good start to the year.

Went for a short walk in the Odenwald today. The start was in Wilhelmsfeld at the Sisi Stone. From there, despite the wetness of the last few days, we went for a walk on easy-to-walk paths. The view was also good and there were plenty of rest areas. In dry weather, this tour is suitable for everyone.

Yesterday evening I tried the new search improvement on komoot and promptly found a route near Wilhelmsfeld that we hadn't walked before. Shady 🌳🌲 it should be and easy to walk for us two invalids with lame knees and ankles. And up to the last two and a half kilometers we had a lot of shade and there was usually a breeze 😊. Very, very wonderful compared to the level below, that's where the hot air is 🥵🥵. The blooming thimbles are particularly beautiful at the moment 🪻. In the end we left the planned sunny gravel path in favor of a shady path and thus optimized the tour even more. Knowledge of the day: If it gets that hot now, we'll probably walk this route more often... 👩👦🏼

The hike is mostly on forest paths. Visibility is limited along the entire route. It's also a good hike on bad weather days. Great views from the tower—if you dare to climb up 😉☺️.

The first hikes in the new year went from Wilhelmsfeld up to the Teltschik Tower