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(S) Start in Lindenfels, at the junction of Nibelungenstraße and Freiherr-vom-Stein-Straße, opposite the pedestrian zone. If travelling by bus, alight at the Lindenfels Mitte stop (roughly level with Bistro Lindenfels) and walk along Nibelungenstraße in a north-westerly direction. Initially, the route follows Freiherr-von-Stein-Straße through the residential area, climbing quite steeply eastwards. At the first junction, keep straight ahead and follow Schenkenbergstraße. From here, there’s a lovely view of Lindenfels Castle on the other side of the valley.
Opposite house number 7 (the second-last house on the street), the path turns left into the woods; you’ll climb a few steps, then follow a narrow footpath through the woods
(1) The hiking trail branches off from the main path and leads up a few steps to the castle on the Köpfchen. Then follow the signpost down a few steps, turn right at the next fork and continue along a small path at the edge of the residential area, past the Waldschlösschen, until you reach Nibelungenstraße again. Cross this road and continue a little further along Kamsbachweg.
(2) We leave the Kambsbachweg and, shortly after the sawmill, continue straight ahead, where the path soon leads into the woods. The route descends along unpaved paths; it can become slippery when it rains.
(3) Immediately after the paddock, the path becomes muddy, even in dry weather.
Follow the Nibelungensteig signposts (red ‘N’ on a white background) through the woodland or along the edge of the woodland; depending on the time of year, the path may be quite overgrown.
(4) You leave the woodland, come onto an unpaved forest track and, a few metres just before the B47 (which is within sight), turn sharply right and then shortly afterwards left onto a narrow path leading into an unspoilt stretch of woodland.
Shortly afterwards, the path leads out of the woods again; you cross a meadow and are treated to a magnificent view of Reichenberg Castle near Reichelsheim.
(5) At the Gumpener Kreuz (a confusing road junction with a former pub), you cross the B38 and follow the gravel track uphill. The climb is quite steep at first.
(6) The footpath follows the old boundary path between the former Chur Palatinate and the former County of Eberbach. From here on, the path climbs moderately but steadily. Follow the signposts and you’ll spot a few boundary stones by the side of the path. The path continues to climb gently through the woods, then descends briefly before levelling out more or less, still through the woods.
(7) We reach a junction where we turn right; the path repeatedly runs along the edge of the woodland, across meadows and through the woodland, always on a slight downhill gradient.
(8) As soon as you leave the woods, you’ll spot the Walburgis Chapel on your left, just below the third wind turbine from the right – this is your next destination. Follow the signposts to the village of Weschnitz. Here, follow Ostertalstraße for a short distance and then turn right onto Schollacker. After crossing the Osterbach, continue straight ahead and then turn right at the edge of the village, first following the edge of the woodland and then heading uphill through the woods. Not far from the walkers’ car park, you’ll cross Odenwaldstraße.
(9) At the cemetery (a short detour is well worth it), turn left into the woods and follow a narrow path as it winds steeply upwards. If you prefer a more leisurely pace, you can take the wider circular paths of the track.
(10) We reach the Walburgis Chapel. The chapel is a wonderful spot for a lunch break; there are plenty of benches in front of and behind the church, and with a bit of luck you might even spot some deer here. Behind the church is the altar stone and an area for open-air services; about 50 metres further on is an outhouse that’s still in use. Immediately after the chapel, you’ll find a shelter on the left-hand side, which offers a dry place to rest on rainy days. At the next junction, we keep to the left and, at the following crossroads, veer slightly to the right.
(11) We come to a spot with wind turbines. Take care here: after the large timber yard, or after passing the wind turbine, turn right. The signpost is easy to miss. Then continue towards Grasellenbach, always on a gentle downhill slope. We carry on straight ahead until we reach the outskirts of Hammelbach. Here we turn left.
(12) We then turn right and the path takes us past Café Bauer on the right (km 12, 1 hour from Walburgis Chapel), where you might fancy a stop for coffee and cake. Behind the café, we continue to the left. At the next junction, we keep to the left and then turn left at the next T-junction.
(13) At the next junction, we turn right. We walk along the stream on the ‘Kunstweg’ (Art Trail), which features several stone sculptures.
(14) The path leads past a Kneipp facility to Grassellenbach, where we turn left into Hammelbacher Straße.
(E) The stage ends in the village of Grassellenbach. There are several places to stay here, including the Wellnesshotel Siegfriedbrunnen. If you’re travelling by public transport, turn right at the village lime tree and, after the bridge, turn left into Guntherstraße. The bus stop is opposite the Nibelungenhalle.
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