Spessartwege 1 & 2

Princes, waggoners and pilgrims on the River Main hills

One great trail, two fantastic routes
The 58km Spessartweg 1 tells of princes, waggoners and pilgrims as it crosses the Spessart hills from Aschaffenburg in the west to Gemünden am Main in the east. The Spessartweg 2 runs for 53km from Heigenbrücken in the north over hills and valleys to the River Main. Exceptional scenery and the need for a high level of fitness are what sets it apart from the rest.

Spessartweg 1
Version one of the Spessart Hills Trail sets off from Fasanerie landscaped park on the outskirts of Aschaffenburg, on course for the rock formation on the Teufelskanzel (devil's pulpit) and Kippenburg castle ruins on Godelsberg hill. Onwards through the Haibach Switzerland region, you arrive at myth-enshrouded Ketzelburg Castle.
Schmerlenbach Convent is a popular place of pilgrimage that you pass en route to Waldaschaff, where the two Spessart Hills routes cross.
Through gentle meadows and broadleaf forest, you reach the heart of the Upper Spessart region in Rothenbuch. From the roof of the Spessart, the trail heads down through the Klapper gully paths into the River Main valley to Lohr with its attractive Franconian old town.
From the former fishermen's quarter in Lohr, you cross the River Main to Romberg hill on the other side of the river, before stumbling across the secluded Mariabuchen pilgrimage church. Perched high above Gemünden overlooking the River Main are the ruins of Schönrain Priory.

Spessartweg 2
Trains have puffed and panted their way up the steep "Spessart hills ramp" between Heigenbrücken and Laufach for more than 150 years, much like the walkers on the trail. The route runs through the Seebachtal valley with its picturesque riverside woodland to the Kreuzgrund farmstead where it meets Spessartweg 1. Both then follow the same path to Waldaschaff.
Spessartweg 2 continues through Bessenbach-Keilberg to Hessenthal, famous for its pilgrimage church and close to Mespelbrunn moated castle. Views of the River Main valley and the Upper Spessart reward you on the section between Hessenthal and Volkersbrunn, as the path rolls on through an avenue of 51 larches to Heimbuchenthal with its iron hammer forge.
Then comes Oberwintersbach, the highest town in the Spessart hills at an altitude of 521 metres. Climbing the Ludwig Keller Tower on the summit further improves the already stunning views. With the exception of a tricky climb in-between, the final leg is downhill all the way to the River Main.