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The tour starts in Volkach. There are several free parking spaces along Hindenburg Park. Access to the car parks is either from Galbacher Strasse or via the roundabout on Dieselstrasse.
(S/E) We set off from the car park at Hindenburg Park and first walk through a pedestrian tunnel towards the ms Udine jetty.
(1) After the pedestrian tunnel, the path continues straight on to the jetty, but we turn left straight away, go up the steps and then turn right across the Main bridge, which opened in 2011.
(2) We pass Volkach-Astheim station, the starting and finishing point of the Mainschleifenbahn railway, walk for a further 100 m or so along the road (St2260) and cross it after the first junction (pedestrian crossing)
After crossing, we turn right, walk past the front gardens, turn left and then immediately right again (Kartäuser Str.)
At the next junction, we turn left into Blumenstraße. We walk towards a T-junction, where we turn right, continuing towards the vineyards. The Vogelsburg can already be seen in the distance. We walk parallel to the hillside and, after about 900 m, take the path half-right at the fork and then keep to the left.
(3) After a while, we reach the steps leading up to the Vogelsburg. We climb the steps and, from the viewing platform, enjoy the view of the Main River bend, Nordheim and the ‘Weininsel’ (Wine Island). Here, you can also stop for a cool drink or a bite to eat in the vineyard.
We head back down the same way. Once back on the path, we walk diagonally opposite the stairs of the Vogelsburg Bergweg down to the road (Astheimer Str.). We cross this and walk along the tarmac path until we reach a junction.
(4) At the junction, we turn left (An der Güß) towards the Main and the Main ferry. For a small fee (€1 per person, as of July 2022), the ferryman takes us to the Nordheim bank.
(5) On the Nordheim side, there’s a cosy spot to take a break with beach chairs and have a refreshing dip in the Main (please note: observe local regulations)
We continue along Escherndorfer Weg, cross the junction into Zehnthofstraße and, level with the Zehnthofstuben, turn left into Hauptstraße. We walk along this for a short while before turning right into Pfarrgasse at the Molitor Winery.
We walk straight on (Kreuzbergstraße) back into the vineyards; when we reach the Kreuzkapelle, we turn right.
(6) At the next junction, turn left again and head up through the vineyard. Shortly after the junction, you’ll pass a rest area with a stone bench and table in the shade.
We stay on this path, keeping our destination – the summit of the Kreuzberg – in sight at all times. At the end of the path, we turn right and then take a gravel track on the left; at the end of this, we keep to the left for a short stretch through the vines. We then continue straight ahead on the main path.
(7) The Kreuzberg offers a panoramic view across the ‘wine island’. Information boards pointing in all four cardinal directions make it easier to find your way.
(8) From the Kreuzberg, we walk down to Sommerach; at a junction with a rest hut, we turn left. Just past the entrance to Sommerach, there is another opportunity to enjoy a refreshing drink. The bar at the Winzerkeller Sommerach eG is impossible to miss.
We then turn left into Raiffeisenstraße. From here, the signposts for the Franconian Marian Way also help with navigation. Just beyond the village boundary, we leave the Franconian Marian Way and head left again for a short stretch into the vineyards.
(9) At the next junction, we turn right, then right again, and arrive directly at another rest area with a table and bench. There, we turn left towards Volkach and rejoin the Fränkischer Marienweg. Without any further turn-offs, we walk down to the Main Canal, which we cross, then turn left immediately after the bridge. We follow the canal towards Volkach.
Behind the Waterwalker site, we leave the Main Canal to the right, cross the Volkach, pass under the St2660, keep to the left and emerge at the old Volkach railway station.
We cross Bahnhofstraße and walk straight on into Hindenburgallee, which, as it continues, takes us past the park of the same name.
(10) Via the streets “Am Bach” and “Josef-Wächter-Straße”, we pass through the Lower City Gate into Volkach town centre. To round off the walk, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, having an ice cream, stopping for a bite to eat, and so on. We follow the pedestrian zone as far as the town fountain; turning right there, we return to the starting point of our circular walk (S/E).
