Trees and ruins

Our journey begins at the railway station in Eppingen and we follow the Bahnhofstrasse in a northerly direction, which soon merges into the Eisenbahnstrasse and takes us out of the built-up area along the Elsenz. Without any significant ascent, the trail continues through the fields until it reaches a small lake, before which it turns right. We continue first over, then next to the railway line that forks here, on a gently ascending stretch. Soon a path branching off to the right leads under the rails and straight past Streichenberg Castle (1). The gradient now increases steadily as we reach the church village of Stebbach, on the south side of which we pass under the B293 and between the agricultural fields. At the first crossroads, we turn right into the so-called Petersgrund - contrary to initial assumptions, the road continues to climb noticeably and soon enters wooded areas along a narrow path. Mainly shaded by high deciduous trees, we ride through the Hartwald forest, where there are numerous old castles and fortresses, which we can reach by taking one of the paths off to the side. One of the most impressive castles can be found on the Ottilienberg, which our route passes slightly to the left. We cannot see the ruins of the former fortification (2) through the dense trees, but it is easy to reach by taking a short detour. Our route continues in a southerly direction and passes an area with old burial mounds, which are located on the right at the height of the Kopfrain hut (3). Here we can also take a break and fortify ourselves for the rest of the route. We continue to a crossroads in the middle of the forest, where we turn right and cycle down to Mühlbach. Here we have the opportunity to take a refreshing dip in the cold water at the Mühlbacher Weiher (4) before continuing through the wide fields of the Kirchgrund. After crossing the railway tracks, we keep to the right and enter the town of Eppingen. At the railway station we have reached the starting point of our tour.