Fforest Franconia, Rennsteig, Vogtland a Phalatinate Uchaf

In the morning it is raining, but when we turn onto the EV 13 just before Sonneberg at the "Burned Bridge", we can take off our rain gear again. The bridge was a symbol of the German division for many years due to its location between the two cities of Sonneberg and Neustadt, and it is therefore not surprising that the agreement to lift border controls was signed by the two German interior ministers there on July 1, 1990. On the section that was built first for EuroVelo 13, we cycle towards Kronach and Stockheim. A cruel German-German family drama unfolded at the former border crossing near Kronach. The former Stasi Major Sylvester Murau had fled to the West in 1954. With the active participation of his daughter, who served as bait, Murau was abducted to East Germany by two criminals commissioned by the Ministry for State Security (MfS). Murau was taken to Berlin via the border near Kronach, where he was put on trial that ended with a death sentence. However, the verdict had already been approved by Ulbricht's signature five weeks before the start of the trial. Murau was beheaded with a Nazi guillotine, and his daughter made a career at the MfS and married the major who was responsible for the abduction. From Stockheim, we ride along the border in the Tettautal and constantly switch between Thuringia and Bavaria, which is also easily recognizable by the signage. Signs and indications are usually missing on the Thuringian side. Shortly after the winter sports resort of Tettau, we come across the Rennsteig, which we follow from Steinbach am Wald to Lehesten. Along the way, we pass through the slate park, which shows the history of slate mining. Until 1999, up to 2,500 people were employed there in open-pit mining. The houses in the village are accordingly covered and covered with slate and appear somewhat gloomy. Unfortunately, we get lost during the ride and encounter nearly impassable, overgrown concrete slabs, surrounded by trees and wilderness. Of course, there are no signs either. For a moment, we feel quite lost, and our bicycles have to endure a lot until we finally reach Brennersgrün (thanks to satellite navigation!). In the idyllic village of Grumbach, we spontaneously decide to stop the journey, as we have had enough. We find a nice accommodation and enjoy Italian antipasti for dinner! All in the Thuringian Forest (Rennsteig)!

Day 20 - June 25: Grumbach - Blankenstein - Hirschberg - Dreiländereck - Aš (CZ) 85 km

Total kilometers: 2025 km

Today we have passed the 2000 km mark and are proud of it. It is precisely at the Dreiländereck, where the borders of the former Bavarian, Bohemian, and Saxon kingdoms meet, that we reach this milestone and leave the German-German border path after about 1100 km. Now we will travel the next 500 km along the German-Czech border, and the challenges will increase. We already feel this on the first 25 km from Dreiländereck to Aš, where we have booked an accommodation. Until then, we are mostly cycling uphill on bad forest roads, which is very demanding for both of us, not to say overwhelming. The day in Vogtland between Bavaria and Saxony was already extremely exhausting. After a few climbs, we rush down to Blankenstein in the morning, where the starting point for many hiking trails is located. We cannot fully enjoy the descent as we can already see the ascent on the other side of the Selbitz Valley waiting for us. And it's a tough one. We constantly oscillate between getting off and pushing through. We finally make it to the top, ride down to Rudolphstein, and go back up from the village. This keeps going on to Mödlareuth, where the border museum in the formerly divided village is currently being redesigned. From the Bavarian side, you can still see the former wall from the checkpoint. A bizarre sight that was everyday life for the Bavarian Mödlareuth residents for over 40 years. We continue almost the entire time along the former border until we reach the Dreiländereck. There we meet a young pilgrim who has set up his tent there and wants to arrive in Santiago de Compostela shortly before Christmas. A great challenge! Our challenge for today ends after 1300 meters of altitude at the Hotel Goethe in Aš. The Czech border town appears very poor and gives the impression that the East-West border was only recently abolished.

Day 21 - June 26: Aš - Cheb - Neualbenreuth - Mähring - Bärnau - Flossenbürg 90 km

Thanks to Dominique's persistence and the support of the navigation system, we deviate from EuroVelo 13 after yesterday's experiences and cycle on quiet, well-paved side roads after a short stretch on the main road through Libá (Liebenau) with the old Göldner factory and the Rococo castle. We reach Cheb quite late in the morning. The former Eger has been beautifully refurbished, and we enjoy the atmosphere in the marketplace with a cup of coffee. After a peaceful ride on a perfect cycle path, we rejoin EuroVelo 13, where we come to Neualbenreuth with a pleasant incline, the alleged center of Europe. Again and again, we enjoy the view over the wide fields and hills and the hidden villages. It continues uphill on paved roads. We take a break at the Forellenhof before we struggle on poorly drivable forest roads to Grießbach. From there, it goes back downhill to Bärnau, which, as a structurally weak area, started looking for a way to provide employment for the population early on and decided on button production. In the heyday, there were up to 70 companies, of which only three and a button museum remain. And now, just like last night, we have another steep ascent. The climbs, the sweat, and the flies put a lot of strain on us and bring me (Dominique) to the mental and physical limit. It is not until Silberhütte, a cross-country skiing meeting point at an altitude of 950 meters, that we go downhill again. In the morning, we have already booked a spot for our tent at Lake Gaisweiher in Flossenbürg, where we can also take a swim and end the day with cheese spaetzle and wheat beer.