Hikes in Colmberg

The route follows the Palatinate Jakobsweg Prague - Tillyschanz - Hohenburg - Rothenburg/T.. It leads over varied terrain through the Frankenhöhe Nature Park.

The route follows the Palatine Jakobsweg Prague - Tillyschanz - Hohenburg - Rothenburg/T. It leads over varied terrain with interesting cultural highlights.

Hike 18 of the Trimmclub Weitersdorf on 15.10.2011

Hiking suggestion from the Romantic Franconia portal and from the Colmberg market

Round trip from the parking lot at the Wildbad forest inn via the source area of the Altmühl, Ermetzhof and Anfelden back to the Wildbad forest inn.

Start and finish: Munasiedlung Weiher Parking spaces at the pond Signage only in the specified direction

Hiking trail that is no longer signposted. The round route can be found on the Frankenhöhe - Upper Altmühl Basin hiking map. Route runs a short distance on a quiet road.

Cozy Country Outing with Castle ViewThis tour in the south of the Frankenhöhe is highly recommended for all those who want to truly let their soul dangle while hiking. It does not require any special fitness or surefootedness and is also very well marked – with a stork. Fortunately, living relatives of this bird species are numerous in the meadow valley of the Upper Altmühl. Starting from the market town of Colmberg located on the Castle Road, we mostly stay on the plain and explore three old Franconian villages, Oberfelden, Binzwangen, and Unterhegenau, where time seems to have stood still. Throughout, we keep the former Hohenzollern Castle of Colmberg in sight, perched on a hill high above the town. An easy ascent finally takes us there, because, naturally, we want to enjoy the magnificent view from the fortress over the wide surroundings at the end of our hike.

100 km across the Frankenhöhe Nature Park with train connections at start and finish. Quality hiking trail through gentle terrain.

This tour commands respect, as we hike through an oak forest over 200 years old, which was used to fatten the pigs of the Colmberg farmers, and learn about the significance of the pasture forests. Colmberg Castle sits atop a hill at an elevation of 511 meters, high above the town of the same name. It has a long, eventful history, during which it was never conquered. The first records in the form of a palisade castle date back as far as the year 770. The earliest documented mentions are from the 13th century. In the hands of several owners and noble families, including the Hohenlohes and the Hohenzollerns, it became private property from 1880 onwards. Owned by a family since 1964, it is now used as a hotel and restaurant.> We start our hike on Ansbacher Street in Colmberg 01. First, we go up the street “Am Kirchberg.” At the church, we now follow the yellow feeder route “European Watershed Trail” (EUWSW), passing the church, then turn left towards Obersulzbach on Kirchfelder Street. At the end, we follow it to the right, then after a few meters turn left, continuing on the EUWSW and the Oak Leaf trail. We pass through the residential area, at the edge of town, at the last house on the left we turn left. Up a few steps, then across a wooden bridge onto a meadow orchard. Straight uphill now, past benches and information boards, until a path leads us into the forest. At the wide forest path, we turn right and follow it on the EUWSW for about fifteen minutes until we reach the next fork where we turn left. At the following T-junction with the information board about the hawthorn 02, we turn left, up the forest path towards Häslabronn on the Jakobsweg. After about 300 meters, we keep right at the fork, after another 500 meters the path descends right towards Häslabronn. After a few hundred meters, the path becomes a corridor path that leads us into Häslabronn 03 in about fifteen minutes. The Jakobsweg marking takes us on a long left curve through the village. At the last barn, we then take a field and forest path to the right, uphill into the forest. After a few hundred meters, the path leads us right, soon along a clear part of the forest. After about 5 minutes, we keep left again here; the Jakobsweg leaves us, and we follow the path through the forest to the next fork: again, we keep left, and the path leads us in almost 20 minutes to a junction where we turn right. At the next large intersection 04, we go diagonally left across. We now follow the porcini mushroom sign. After about 150 meters, it leads us left, after a few minutes then again – now together with the EUWSW – right on a meadow path through light forest. At the forest edge, we turn right and walk to the road, passing the hiking parking lot.We cross the street straight ahead and follow our hiking signs along the forest edge. After about 5 minutes – at the signpost – we keep right, continuing along the forest edge, following both markings. After 10 minutes, we reach a wide field path. Here we turn right, but only for a few meters, then left again, and continue to follow the porcini mushroom and the sycamore maple. Now steadily straight ahead, until the sycamore maple leads us down to the left. Steeply downhill we follow the path that soon joins a wider forest path and finally meets a road, where we turn left. We now follow it for about fifteen minutes past ponds 05 and along the golf course. At the golf course parking lot, our marking leads us left, alongside the golf course uphill. Soon it passes through a grove, then on a meadow path, always keeping Colmberg Castle in sight. On the street “Am Schlossberg,” we turn left, then left again, up “Burgstraße,” following the sycamore maple. The path leads directly past Colmberg Castle 06. We now continue up the street for about one more kilometer with splendid views over Colmberg. At the upcoming left curve, we leave the street to the right onto a wide forest and field path towards Colmberg. We quickly reach a parking lot where we turn right back into the forest again onto the EUWSW. After a short stretch, we keep right again onto a path that takes us steeply down with the European Watershed Trail. At the wide forest path, we turn left; after a few minutes, our marking leads us down right to the well-known meadow orchard. Now we hike on the starting path back to Ansbacher Street in Colmberg 01 and to the car in 10 minutes.