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(Start) The start is the train station in Zwingenberg, which we leave via the stairs and then turn right. There, the feeder road to the Nibelungensteig begins and we first follow the green N.
(1) It is worth making a short detour to Scheuergasse: in the past, barns (Scheuern) were built outside the city walls due to the risk of fire. Today, the Scheuern invite you to stroll and linger, as numerous restaurants, wine taverns and small shops have moved in here.
Then we cross Darmstädter Straße and follow it to the right. Then we turn left and walk through the picturesque historic old town of Zwingenberg with its narrow streets, steep steps and remains of the former town wall.
(2) The path is not always easy to find. From Obergasse, turn left into a small alley and climb the stairs to the church. Turn left into the street Auf dem Berg.
(3) When you reach the last row of houses, you have reached the official start of the Nibelungensteig. Here you will find an information board with useful tips.
(4) Follow the forest path into the woods. If you are looking for a bit more of a challenge, you can take a steep shortcut. The normal route takes a sharp right turn and then leads through the vineyards for a short distance with a magnificent view of the Rhine valley.
(5) There is also a rest area with a shelter here. After a sharp left turn, we enter the Odenwald forest. We ignore the next crossroads and then turn right onto Herrenweg. In generous serpentines, we hike steeply uphill to just below the summit of the Melibokus, which at 517.4 metres is the highest mountain on the Bergstraße in southern Hesse. The hiking sign points to the right, but we go left to reach the Melibokus Tower directly.
(6) Our efforts are rewarded with a magnificent 360-degree panorama, provided we climb the observation tower. Passing the transmission mast, we take the left-hand path and after a few metres we return to the Nibelungensteig. The trail leads steeply downhill for a short distance on an unpaved path.
(7) We arrive at a rest area with a shelter. We follow the paved field path for a short time, then turn left onto an unpaved path, then left again and shortly afterwards right. The path leads slightly downhill, makes a sharp left turn and soon we come out of the forest through meadows and fields.
(8) After a slight left turn, we reach another beautiful rest area. We cross the Mühltalstraße - L3103 and shortly afterwards come to another rest area (9).
(10) After reaching the lowest point of this stage, the trail climbs again, moderately but steadily, to the Felsberg (514 m), initially turning right into the forest. At the next crossroads, we continue straight ahead and then turn left. We pass the Ohlyturm tower, turn right before the tour takes us down over the Felsenmeer (sea of rocks) to Reichenbach.
(11) Since May 2021, the wooden bridge over the Felsenmeer has been closed, so we have to take a poorly signposted detour that turns left and then makes a sharp right turn (not signposted).
(12) We return to the Felsenmeer, reach the closed wooden bridge, make a left turn and immediately turn right again. We follow the hiking trail to the lower end of the Felsenmeer.
(13) On some weekends, there is another place to stop for refreshments and an information centre here. The Felsenmeer
bus stop is on the other side of the car park (destination)
Visorando member
Difficult 
