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(S) Start in Lindenfels, at the junction of Nibelungenstraße and Freiherr-vom-Stein-Straße, opposite the pedestrian zone. If arriving 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 takes you along Freiherr-von-Stein-Straße through the residential area, climbing quite steeply eastwards. At the first junction, keep straight ahead and follow Schenkenbergstraße. From here, you have a lovely view of Lindenfels Castle on the other side of the valley.
Opposite house no. 7 (the second-to-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 short way along Kamsbachweg.
(2) We leave the Kambsbachweg and continue straight on shortly after the sawmill, where the path soon leads into the woods. The route descends along unpaved paths; it can become slippery in wet weather.
(3) Immediately after the paddock, the path becomes muddy, even in dry weather.
Follow the Nibelungensteig trail markers (red N on a white background) through the forest or along the edge of the forest; depending on the season, the path may be quite overgrown.
(4) You leave the forest, come to an unpaved forest track and, a few metres just before the B47 (which is within sight), turn sharply right and shortly afterwards left onto a narrow path into a lush, unspoilt section 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 inn), cross the B38 and follow the gravel path uphill. The path climbs quite steeply at first.
(6) The hiking trail follows the old border 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, still winding through the woods.
(7) We reach a junction where we turn right; the path repeatedly runs along the edge of the forest, across meadows and through the woods, always slightly downhill.
(8) As soon as you leave the forest, you can see the Walburgis Chapel on the left, below the third wind turbine from the right; this is your next destination. Follow the signposts to the village of Weschnitz. Here, first follow Ostertalstraße for a short distance and then turn right into Schollacker. After crossing the Osterbach stream, continue straight ahead and then turn right at the edge of the village, first following the edge of the forest and then heading uphill through the woods. Not far from the hiking car park, you 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 bends 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 back is an outhouse suitable for use. Immediately after the chapel, you’ll find a shelter on the left, which offers a dry place to rest on rainy days. At the next junction, we keep to the left and at the next crossroads, we turn slightly 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 slightly downhill. We keep going straight ahead until we reach the outskirts of Hammelbach. Here we turn left.
(12) We then turn right and the path leads past Café Bauer on the right (km 12, 1 hour from Walburgis Chapel), where you can stop for coffee and cake. Behind the café, we continue to the left. At the next opportunity, we keep to the left and then turn left at the next T-junction.
(13) At the next opportunity, we turn right. We walk along the stream on the 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 end of this stage is the village of Grassellenbach. There are several places to stay here, including the Wellnesshotel Siegfriedbrunnen. If you are travelling by public transport, turn right at the village lime tree and, after the bridge, left into Guntherstraße. The bus stop is opposite the Nibelungenhalle.
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