The Steigerwald Nature Park is home to extensive beech forests, including ancient giant trees that are affectionately known locally as "Methuselahs". You can cycle around the Steigerwald on top cycle paths: The Main Cycle Path (ADFC: 5 stars), the Main-Steigerwald Cycle Path, the Gaubahn Cycle Path (railway line cycle path), the Tauber Cycle Path (ADFC: 5 stars), the Aischtal Cycle Path (ADFC: 4 stars) and the Regnitz Cycle Path (ADFC: 4 stars). Via the 2Franken cycle path (partly railway line cycle path / former Fresdorf - Ebrach railway line) you then reach Ebrach in the heart of the Steigerwald to the Methuselah trees. In addition to plenty of nature (rivers, forests, orchards), the cycle route also offers many romantic towns such as Iphofen, Bamberg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Journey:
The start and end point of the tour, Bamberg, is easy to reach by train, information at www.db.de. By car, take the A7 or A9/A73 motorway from the south, the A3/A70 motorway/B505 trunk road from the west and the A9/A70 motorway from the north and east.
Contact:
Information on the complete tour is available from the Franconian Tourist Association, Tel: 0911-941510, www.frankentourismus.de
Special Steigerwald information is available from the Steigerwald Tourism Association, Tel: 09162-12424, www.steigerwald-info.de
Good information about the Steigerwald Nature Park (cycle and hiking trails, fauna and flora) can be obtained (also on site) from the information office of the Friends of the Steigerwald National Park, Rathausplatz 4, 96157 Ebrach, Tel: 09553-989042 or -43, www.freundeskreis-nationalpark-steigerwald.de
Further information at www.tourismus.rothenburg.de, www.mainradweg.com, www.romantischestrasse.de, www.aischtal-radweg.de, www.regnitzradweg.de
Accommodation:
Weingut & Winzerhof Emmerich, Einersheimer Straße 47, 97346 Iphofen, Tel: 09323-875930, www.weingut-emmerich.de
Historikhotel Klosterbräu, Marktplatz 4, 96157 Ebrach, Tel: 09553-180, www.landidyll.com/Klosterbraeu
Landgasthof Zum Brandenburger Adler, Bamberger Straße 1, 91462 Dachsbach, Tel: 09163-292, www.gasthof-hieronymus.de
Hotel Gasthof Schwarzes Lamm, Dettwang 21, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Dettwang district), Tel: 09861-6727, www.hotelschwarzeslamm.de
Food / refreshments:
Idyllic place to sit outside: Castell Wine Stables, Schlossplatz 3, 97355 Castell, www.weinstall-castell.de.
Here, in the former stables of Castell Castle, you can enjoy original dishes such as "Franki-Pasti" (Franconian antipasti) or "Carpaccio from the red and white press sack" as well as delicious pasta dishes and snacks. Right next door, in the Fürstlich Castellschen Domänenamt, you can buy Casteller wine as a souvenir.
Worth seeing /activities:
Splendour and ostentation in the middle of the forest: the former Cistercian Abbey of Ebrach has an imperial hall worth seeing, a baroque staircase, abbey garden, orangery, herb garden and a museum of abbey history. The Ebrach tourist office offers guided tours. Tel: 09553-92200, www.ebrach.de
The cycle route described leads directly along the Ebracher Methusal path where you can marvel at nine old character trees. It's worth leaving your bike behind and walking a little way. You can download a Methuselah Trail flyer at www.ebrach.de. A treetop trail is being built near the Methuselah Trail and is due to open in 2016.
Bamberg has the largest completely preserved historic town centre in Germany (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Sights, secret routes and viewpoints can also be explored on special guided tours of the city by bike. Info under www.adfc-bamberg.de ("Bamberg by pedals") and www.bamberg.info ("Bicycle city tour").
Literature / Maps:
A cycle route planner, cycle route descriptions, GPX files and a Bayernnetz-für-Radler app are available free of charge at www.bayerninfo.de.
The Bikeline cycle tour books from Esterbauer-Verlag are practical and informative, e.g. Main-Radweg (scale 1:75,000, 13.90 euros) or "Liebliches Taubertal" (scale 1:50,000, 12.90 euros).
Very good information about the core area of the Steigerwald Nature Park near Ebrach (hiking trails, some of which can also be explored by bike, as well as interesting facts about the flora and fauna) can be found in the 90-page "Nature Hiking Guide Unterwegs zum Nationalpark Steigerwald", ISBN 978-3-9808986-9-0, 5 euros. Available from bookshops or by calling 09123- 999570, info@service.bund-naturschutz.de or on site in Ebrach at the information office Freundeskreis Nationalpark Steigerwald, Rathausplatz 4.
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 4/2015. You can read the entire issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play) or order the issue in the DK shop.
You can download the individual articles as PDF files here.
