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How to get there
By car
For your sat-nav – Parking: Car park at the Schmucker Brewery Inn, Hauptstraße 91, 64756 Mossautal
Public transport
From Michelstadt railway station, take bus route 31 to the Obermossau Brauerei stop. Only on school days in Hesse.
(S/E) You start at the car park of the Brauereigasthof Schmucker.
(1) Opposite the car park, next to the access road to “Hauptstraße” (the narrow road above the staff car park), there is an information board and a signpost.
Walk along the houses into “Hauptstraße”. At number 75 (Ferienhof Kredel), turn right and cross the L3260 country road.
On the other side, continue straight ahead, cross the Mossaubach stream and walk uphill along the tarmac road.
(2) After a while, you’ll pass a bench. Here you can enjoy the view of Ober-Mossau and the former Johanniter Church, a listed building.
(3) The path continues uphill; the surface changes from tarmac to a dirt track and you’ll soon reach the next place to sit.
The dirt track continues straight ahead over the hill; you’ll reach a small wooded area and, after about 100 metres, turn right onto a narrow path.
After a few metres, the path brings you back onto a tarmac road, which you follow to the right. You cross the K50 district road and continue on the other side.
(4) A short while later, you reach the “Mossauer Höhe” car park and rest area. At the junction, take the first path on the left and continue for a short distance along the edge of the wood. At the first fork, take the right-hand path, which you now follow straight on until you reach a T-junction.
(5) Here, on your right, stand the remains of what was once a mighty oak, the Kreuz-Eiche. Here, you turn right.
(6) Just before you emerge from the woods, you will see the signpost for “Roßbach-Waldrand”. Continue straight ahead (the “MD3” sign is attached to the middle of the post) on the “summer side” until you reach the road, cross it and continue on the “winter side” between the buildings.
After the last building, keep to the right; the path continues gently uphill. At the first fork, keep to the right; at the next junction, turn left. You are now back on a tarmac path.
You come to a road again. On the other side, you will see a car park (“Waldparkplatz Tränkfeld-Eiche”). Cross the road and walk straight on past the car park along the wide path.
(7) After a few metres, you’ll reach an oak tree that’s around 800 years old, known as the Tränkfeld Oak. An information board here tells you about the descendants of the “Donar Oak” and the significance of the road you’re continuing along.
Here you walk for a short distance along the Nibelungensteig, a very beautiful multi-day hike.
(8) At the “Elsbacher Höhe” junction, take the first path on the right and turn off into the woods.
After a while on the tarmac path, turn left onto a wide forest track (look for the MD3 signpost)
(9) You reach the “Hammerviertel” signpost and turn right towards “Ober-Mossau” and “Unter-Mossau”. There is also a bench to the left below the signpost. The path leads downhill, out of the forest and along the edge of the woods down into the village. You cross the Mossau stream again and come to a junction.
(10) On your right, you will see Mossautal Town Hall with a special rest area. From March to October, this spot offers thirsty walkers drinks chilled by the ground. Payment is made via the honesty box bolted to the bench.
After a short break, you walk past the town hall to the junction with the “Almenweg” (at the house numbered 119b). Here, you turn left.
The path now leads uphill again, into the forest. After a while, you’ll reach a junction and turn right. The path continues to climb.
At the next fork, keep left. Follow the path to a junction which leads you down a narrow forest path to the right at an acute angle. After about 100 m, you’ll reach a tarmac path again. Here, turn sharply left.
(11) Walk along the wide path and you’ll reach the “Rösselbrunnen” Kneipp facility, a welcome chance to cool off on hot days. At the next junction after the “Rösselbrunnen”, head gently downhill to the right.
(12) You emerge from the woods and reach the “Hammergrund” rest and barbecue hut. At the hut, turn immediately right and, a few metres later, left onto a narrow forest path. The path takes you on an idyllic walk uphill along the Neudorfbach stream.
(13) The route continues to the “Finkenbrunnen”, a spring with a distinctive funnel-shaped outlet. A few metres to the left of the spring stands another shelter.
At the spring, turn right, out of the woods, between two houses and continue along the tarmac road (“Neudorfstraße”) at the edge of the woods. To your right, you can see the houses of Ober-Mossau.
At the next T-junction, turn left onto “Ortsstraße”. At the house numbered 66, take a sharp left. You’ll pass a water tank on your right and head towards the edge of the forest.
Ahead of you, you will see a junction with a bench. Turn right in front of the bench and walk along the edge of the forest.
The path leads you back into the forest. At the first junction, turn sharply right and walk downhill until you reach the L3260 country road again.
Here, turn left and follow the footpath and cycle path for the final few metres back to your starting point, the car park at the Brauereigasthof Schmucker (S/E).
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