On the go in the Franconian Lake District

End of March, beginning of April 2021

The next Corona holidays are coming up. But hiding completely and not taking advantage of the beautiful warm weather was out of the question for me. That's why I wanted to explore the nearby Franconian Lake District for a few days.

It should start with a hike in the heart of the lake district, but without a lake. I embarked on a circular hike near Spalt.

After parking a little outside the town, I first went down into the Müllerloch. This is part of a sandstone gorge that you have to climb. My path led me through pine forests to the Massendorfer Schlucht, where you can walk along. Just before Massendorf, there is a chapel with seating, and even though I hadn't come far yet, I took a bread break here. Through the blazing sun along fields, then through the forest down into the valley, my path led me to a mill where the sculpture of a huge bicycle stood. The path now took a similar route to Wernfels, often passing sand extraction sites. The town of Wernfels is located on a slope, with a castle perched on top. It is really beautiful, and currently a youth hostel is located inside. I rested briefly and then went down into the valley of the Franconian Rezat. It is a pretty little river that I followed to Spalt. Sometimes in the forest, sometimes in the sun, steadily up and down. Finally, I arrived in Spalt, where I took a look at the town center, which consists of beautiful half-timbered houses and red sandstone buildings. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a nice photo of it because the main road runs right through it. After nearly 5 hours, I finally arrived back at my car, exhausted but very happy.

I was able to explore other areas by bike: the 'Fränkischer Wasserradweg' cycle path allows the enthusiastic cyclist to explore not only the Franconian Lake District, but also the Altmühltal and romantic Franconia.

I went on the stage from Berching to Brombachsee via Greding, Thalmässing, Heideck, and Röttenbach. In Greding, I first took a look at the beautiful old town, then followed the Gredl path. There used to be a train from Greding to Roth with the nickname 'Gredl'. Today, a cycle path now follows part of its route. I rode on paths in river valleys until Thalmässing, with gentle inclines on both sides. From Thalmässing, the path was now paved, but I made slow progress until the watershed - it was constantly slightly uphill, and it was very windy. Then I reached the town of Heideck with its oversized bird in the roundabout. The town itself is nice, but not particularly worth seeing. Just after Heideck, I took a long break. I ate, studied a bit for my upcoming exam, and actually fell asleep! When I woke up again, it was significantly cooler and cloudier than it had been all day. I continued riding. Now I went through pine forests more frequently. I love their smell, especially in spring! And through many small towns. Old towns, with a lot of agriculture, that seem quite friendly. In my opinion, this was the most beautiful section, and besides, I was fit again now! I rode through Röttenbach along the Röttenbach. Shortly afterwards, I reached the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district. Suddenly, the towns had significantly more sandstone buildings, and everything looked reddish. After a few kilometers, I arrived at Brombachsee. It is an artificial lake, but with a sandy beach. I ate something, drank, enjoyed the sight of the lake - and studied again. Unfortunately, I had forgotten the sunscreen, so afterwards my face was as red as the sandstone buildings before. Finally, my friend picked me up and we visited his sister who lives in the area.

In the following days, due to the really bad weather and the upcoming exam, I unfortunately couldn't go on any more tours, which is a pity. But I will definitely continue to ride the Franconian Wasserradweg.