Ancient Neckar

We start our circular route at the S-Bahn station of Neckargemünd. First, we cross the B237 and ride through Jahnstraße to the Neckar. Passing the campsite and under the bridge, we reach the Elsenz mouth into the Neckar. We best admire the Elsenz mouth and the full width of the Neckar from the bridge. On the opposite Neckar side, the panoramic view of Neckargemünd is especially charming in the afternoon sun.

Over the railway bridge, we reach the opposite Neckar shore again. Around the "Altstadt" station (where we could alternatively start!) and past the Max-Born-Gymnasium, we pedal uphill the Kastanienberg. Bio-bike riders will warm up quickly; e-bike riders will have a grin on their faces. With every pedal stroke, we rise above the Neckar, and the city noise becomes quieter. At the forest edge, we first turn left. The small detour to the Bockfelsen hut rewards with a magnificent view of the Neckar bend below us and the Dilsberg fortress.

"Why are you wearing an orange helmet?" asks the youngest of two cheerfully skipping girls. "Well, because then the drivers on the street can see me better!" "I have a purple bike!" adds the smallest. "And I can already read!" interrupts the slightly older. "I'm already in 1B ..." She pulls me to the information board and spells out "N-E-C-K-A-R-L-A-U-F" slowly but correctly. While the two girls jump back to their father, I read the board carefully and can hardly believe... that the Neckar once followed a completely different route and instead of flowing right past Neckargemünd today, it first flowed in the "Hollmuth" bend over Wiesenbach to Mauer.

Let's see if we can still discover traces of this old Neckar course today. We pedal back again and follow the old riverbed towards Wiesenbach. To the right of our forest path, roughly where the road goes, it is indeed imaginable that the Neckar once flowed here. Without major ascent, we reach Wiesenbach. At the end of K4163, we turn right towards the roundabout. Then we go uphill again. From the top, we can look back over Wiesenbach to the last houses of Neckargemünd through the old Neckar valley.

In Mauer, a visit to the prehistoric museum in the town hall is worthwhile. Here you get an overview of the development and origin of early humans. Many artifacts in the museum were found in the sand pit at Grafenrain west of Mauer, including the lower jaw of Homo Heidelbergensis discovered in 1907. These finds in the sediment layers in Mauer are a clear indication that the Neckar once flowed in its riverbed here.

From Mauer, we cycle along the plain next to the railway line towards Meckesheim. We are now in the Elsenz valley meadow. In Meckesheim, right after the S-Bahn station (another alternative starting point!), we turn right and pedal up from the Elsenz valley onto the hills of the Kraichgau. After crossing the L547 past the Ziegler poultry farm, we see far over the Kraichgau from the highest point. The Steinsberg castle is also clearly visible behind us. On clear days, the slopes of the northern Black Forest are even visible to the left.

About 1 km further, we come to a beautiful rest area. This is not only an ideal picnic spot but also a great viewpoint. To the right below, we see Mauer in the Elsenz valley, just below us is Bammental and behind that Wiesental. We see the floodplain between Mauer and Bammental, which can be flooded in a controlled manner during floods. This floodplain also marks the southernmost curve of the "Hollmuth's" Neckar bend.

The rest area also marks the geological boundary between the Kraichgau with sandy loam soil and gentle hills and the (small) Odenwald with typically red stone blocks and deeply cut narrow valleys. Immediately after the geological boundary, the evolution trail impressively informs us about the development of life from single-celled organisms through amphibians and dinosaurs to mammals and modern humans. The distance between the display boards is a measure of the timeline - vivid and really well done!

After the last evolution board, it goes down to the right to Bammental in the Elsenz plain. Bammental offers quite a lot to see and opportunity for a refreshment. Now follows the last ascent over Waldhilsbach to the Sinnenpfad. Although the Sinnenpfad does not quite fit the "Geo" theme, it is still very rewarding to view while cycling past. One question I couldn't clarify: "Where exactly do we have to classify the gnomes in the evolution?"

In Neckargemünd, our circular route ends at today's Neckar. Before boarding the train or the car again, we take another round over the marketplace and to the Neckar shore and look for a free spot to dine in this lively little town.