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If you are not hiking the route as part of a multi-day tour, you can plan your journey by public transport here: Getting there – local public transport
Start: You start this stage in Eberbach at the railway station.
(S) Opposite the station, turn into Bahnhofstraße. Walk along this street until you reach St. Michael's Church. Turn right and then immediately left into Backgasse. Follow this street until you reach Adolf-Knecht-Straße, turn left and you will arrive at Synagogenplatz.
Cross this square, continue along Brückenstraße, cross this street at house number 19 with due caution and walk opposite into Breitensteinweg. The road now climbs steadily uphill. In a left-hand bend, the Neckarsteig (signposted with a blue curved N) branches off from the road and goes up the forest path on the left. There is also a signpost for "Zum Breitenstein" here.
(1) You will reach the Breitenstein signpost on a road and turn right here. Now follow the red R (Rechter Neckarrandweg). The road leads you downhill, past the Breitenstein car park and onto the concrete agricultural road. After a few metres, a path branches off to the right towards Teufelskanzel and Ernst-Hohn-Pavillion. After a while, a path branches off to the left. This leads you quite steeply uphill to the Ernst Hohn-Pavillion on the Schollenbuckel.
(2) You are now back on the Neckarsteig (blue N). Once at the top, you can enjoy a great view of the Neckar Valley and take a short break. Pass the pavilion and continue along the path until you reach a paved agricultural road. Here, turn sharp right and walk down the dirt road.
(3) You will pass the Spohr pear tree. An information board explains the history. At the height of an information board about the dry stone walls, you will come to a path again and follow it to the left (signposted with a red R or blue N) to reach the Teufelskanzel.
(4) From here, you will once again have a fantastic view of the Neckar Valley and the Neckar barrage and Rockenau lock, your next destination. From the Teufelskanzel, follow the path down to a wide, gravel forest road. Here, turn left and continue uphill.
Follow the forest path until you reach a fork. Take the right-hand path. This leads you slightly downhill. At the next right-hand bend, take the second path on the right and walk downhill to the left of the stream. You will come to a paved path again and turn right, going through a railway underpass until you reach the B37 federal road.
Cross this with caution and walk on the other side (where the verge is wider) to the left towards the Rockenau lock.
(5) At the transformer station, turn right and climb the steps up to the weir. Cross the facility, go down the steps on the other side and turn right onto the road. Shortly after a barrier, turn sharp left onto a forest path. Follow this path straight ahead uphill.
Keep left at the next fork. You can now follow the yellow R on the left-hand side of the Neckarrandweg and the blue N on the Neckarsteig. You will come to a narrow path that takes you down to the left over a few natural steps and a stone footbridge on the other side to the car park in front of the Stolzeneck ruins.
(6) A large information board tells you about the historical background. To the left of the board, the path leads you into the castle's forecourt. You can take a break in the courtyard. Then leave the castle on the other side, turn right through the moat and up the narrow path. At the top, turn left and follow this path until you reach a forest path.
Cross the forest road and continue along the narrow path on the other side (pay attention to the signposts!). The very narrow path leads you along the slope. You are now on an alpine hiking section. This is divided into colour-coded sectors, which you should memorise as you walk past in case you need to make an emergency call. This makes it easier to locate and rescue you.
(7) Nevertheless, you can enjoy the trail and the view of the Neckar Valley. After the viewpoint, you cross the Krösselbach stream, which can be a bit adventurous depending on the season and water level, and you will reach a forest path again. On the other side, the path continues to the next forest path (end of the alpine hiking section). There, turn right, follow the forest path and you will soon reach the hut at the Reihersee lake.
(8) An information board describes the origins of this lake. The hut is a great place to take a break. A narrow path leads past the hut to a forest road. Turn right there and then left at the next opportunity. After a few metres, turn right off the forest road onto a forest path and you will see a wooden shed a few metres further on, a historic game trap.
(9) Here, too, there is a board with information about how it was created. Pass the game trap and continue along the forest road, turning left there.
(10) A little later, you will come to a crossroads with the Fritz-Baumgärtner-Hütte on your right. Continue straight ahead on Eberbacher Weg towards Neunkirchen. At the next fork, turn right onto Alter Ebersbacher Weg and keep left at the next fork, continuing straight ahead (signpost: blue N and a red triangle). At the edge of Neunkirchen, turn left onto a path that leads through the forest towards the sports field.
(11) Shortly after the small field, you will pass the Prinzenstein and reach a wide forest road again.
Here, turn right, walk past the SV Neunkirchen sports field and turn left again after the sports clubhouse. Walk past the Neunkirchen youth campsite, reach an asphalt road and turn left here.
At the height of a drinking water tower, the road turns into a gravel forest path. Continue straight ahead until you reach a crossroads. Here, continue straight ahead onto Gürtelweg. At the next fork, keep right and continue along the right-hand bend until you reach a left-hand bend. Shortly before the left-hand bend, a path branches off to the left (orientation: blue N). Follow this path until you reach a small hut, the Pavillion Schloss-Blick.
(12) Here you have an almost fairy-tale view of Zwingenberg Castle on the other side of the Neckar.
Right at the pavilion, take the gravel path to the right until you reach the next crossroads. There, continue straight ahead on a narrow path. Follow this path until you reach a wide, asphalted forest road. Cross this road and continue straight ahead on the "Förstelweg" towards Minneburg. You will come out of the forest and walk across the fields towards a crossroads.
(13) At the intersection, there is a bench with a sign saying "Lieblingsplatz" (favourite place). Continue straight ahead, first along the edge of the forest and then back into the forest.
(14) After a while, you will pass the Kellersbrunnen hut. Stay on the gravel path and walk straight ahead (orientation: yellow R and blue N).
(15) Pass the castle fountain and continue straight ahead until you see the outline of Minneburg Castle through the trees on your left. Now walk downhill along the castle wall, then turn left over the bridge and you will find yourself in the forecourt of Minneburg Castle.
(16) An information board tells the story of this building. This is a good place to take a break.
From the courtyard, take a narrow path downhill to the left and turn left again at the next fork. Follow the blue N signs to the next intersection. Here, continue straight ahead, steeply downhill to the road opposite the local canoe club.
Turn right here, continue along Ziegelhütte, keep left and turn right again before the bridge (Neckargeracher Straße). Walk up this road, after a few metres take the footpath on the left to Schwanheimer Straße and continue left over the Minneburg bridge to Neckargerach.
You will come to Hauptstraße and cross it shortly after the Minneburgstraße intersection with due caution. Take a footpath uphill towards the cemetery and turn right into Friedhofstraße.
(E) Walk straight ahead uphill and you will reach your destination for the day, Neckargerach station.
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Association / Club / Walk leader
Moderate 
