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- The start is at the HEAG mobilio stop Ludwigstraße in Jugenheim, where there are parking spaces for cars along the street "Schwarztannenstraße" and its extension "Ludwigstraße".
- To return to the starting point, take the RB train from Bensheim-Auerbach station to Hähnlein-Alsbach, then walk 600 metres towards Alsbach and take the tram from the HEAG mobilio stop "Am Hinkelstein" to the "Ludwigstraße" stop.
(S) Depending on where you park, cross the intersection "Heidelbergerstr./Alte Bergstr." and walk along "Ludwigstraße" into Jugenheim.
You will come to a roundabout, which you cross straight ahead on Hauptstraße towards a large house with green shutters.
In front of the house with the green shutters, keep to the right, walk past a flower shop and a bakery (as of May 2023) and turn right onto Pauerweg.
Then turn left onto Hicklerweg and then onto Unterer Herrenweg. You will pass a large gate, walk towards another gate and then turn right before it.
The path changes from asphalt to gravel.
At the next T-junction, turn left. You can use the Burgensteig signpost, a blue castle on a white background, to guide you.
Walk towards a barrier and turn right just after it.
(1) You will now see a wooden bench on your left, opposite which a narrow path disappears into the bushes. Follow this path.
Note: If you miss this turn, don't worry, the path rejoins the main trail later on.
In a sharp right-hand bend, continue downhill along the wide path. At the next T-junction, turn left. The path leads slightly uphill again.
You will reach another barrier, behind which you turn sharply right. Continue along the path and keep right at the fork. The path now slopes slightly downhill. Be careful, as the path is very uneven here.
(2) You will walk towards a small pond. Just behind the pond is a Kneipp facility and opposite is a shelter with seating.
Walk past the Kneipp facility and continue slightly uphill. The path curves to the right; follow it.
(3) You pass a playground with a plaque commemorating Ernst Pasqué, a German opera singer and director from the 18th century.
(4) After a while, a narrow path branches off to the right. Follow this to a hidden rest area called "Herzog-Ulrich-Ruhe" with a car park of the same name. Here you will find another Kneipp facility.
Cross the stream, walk past the car park and follow the paved road ("Hindenburgstraße") uphill to the right.
In a slight right-hand bend, leave the paved road and turn left onto a gravel path and continue uphill.
At the next fork, keep right and take the sunken path.
On the right-hand side, there are steps leading upwards. Here, you leave the Burgensteig and follow these steps upwards. At the end of the steps, turn left onto a narrow path that leads you further up to Alsbach Castle.
(5) You will reach the car park directly in front of the castle wall, turn right towards the one-way street and reach the castle gate. Walk in here and turn left in front of the castle tavern into the castle courtyard.
Leave the castle courtyard, turn left in front of the castle tavern (signposted "Ausgang"), follow the narrow path downhill and through an iron gate (difficult to open). Then immediately turn right and follow the path downhill.
(6) You will come to a paved path opposite a car park and continue across the car park on a forest path. On your right is a meadow for ball games, a playground and several seating areas. At the fork in the path, keep right and walk past the barrier on your right.
Walk along the wide forest path. At the next fork, keep left and follow the Burgensteig sign towards Auerbach Castle.
(7) The forest path leads you leisurely along the slope and after several bends you cross the Nibelungensteig, which comes up from Zwingenberg on the right.
(8) Continue along the forest path until you reach a paved road with a car park on your left. Opposite you, on the other side of the road, is a signpost.
Cross the tarmac road and take the first gravel path on the right towards Auerbach Castle. Shortly after the turn-off, you will pass a refuge hut on your right, the "Paul-Forster-Hütte".
You will come to another crossroads, cross the asphalt road and keep left, passing a car park on your left and walking up the asphalt road to the castle. You can take the path above the embankment on the left side of the road or simply stay below.
The Burgensteig now turns left. Stay on the paved road and walk through a car park and over the castle bridge up to Auerbach Castle.
(9) Once you reach the castle courtyard, you can explore the ruins, climb the two towers and enjoy refreshments in the castle tavern.
Leave the castle courtyard through the gate, come to a gap in the wall on the right and turn off here onto a narrow path that leads downhill.
At the next intersection, continue straight ahead downhill. You will come to an intersection, cross it diagonally and continue downhill on the paved road to the left.
You walk towards a radio mast with two technical huts. Before this ensemble, turn left. Here you will also find the signpost for the Burgensteig trail, which you can use to find your way from here on.
The forest path makes a sharp right turn, which you follow downhill. You will come to another intersection, where you turn left onto the gravel path and continue downhill.
You will enter Benshein-Auerbach via Burgweg, meet Martinstraße at the World War Memorial (on your right) and turn left.
At the next opportunity, turn left ("Jahnstraße"), then right at the crossroads into "Weinbergstraße".
At a T-junction, turn right onto Weidgasse. Keep to the left as you follow this road. Weidgasse becomes Schlossstraße. Pass the Pension Schlossblick on your left and continue downhill.
From Schlossstraße, turn right onto Karlsbader Straße. After a while, you will come to Darmstädter Straße. Cross this road at the pedestrian lights and continue straight ahead onto Otto-Beck-Straße towards the railway station.
Shortly before the station, turn left again onto Wilhelmstraße and you will find yourself on the station forecourt in Bensheim-Auerbach (E).
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