FrankenwaldSteigla Border Guard Path

We start our hike at the oldest inn in the Frankenwald in the center of Carlsgrün. We leave the village heading north on Schlehknockstraße. At the edge of town, we have another view over the hike ahead. Our gaze sweeps from Kulmberg in the west over the valley of the Thuringian Muschwitz and the heights of the villages Seibis and Schlegel to the Rumpelbühl, where ores were mined in the past and now wine is cultivated.

We stay on the paved section of the path until shortly before the sports field, where we turn right onto a field path. Slightly descending, we follow this until we again turn right before a small stream and walk along a natural path at the edge of the nature reserve. The Thuringian Muschwitz forms the border between Bavaria and Thuringia. Along the former Iron Curtain, many animal and plant species have been preserved that have become rare in intensive agricultural areas. Except for the border guards of the GDR, hardly anyone was allowed to approach the Thuringian side of the border so closely. Farming the land was unthinkable during the inner-German border times. Thus, nature had forty years to recover from human intervention.

We leave the protected area at the next intersection, turn left and climb gently for about 300 m. Arriving at the forest edge, we enter the Krötensee forest section. A quiet section begins through the stands of the Bavarian State Forests before we cross the former border and patrol road near the Elbe/Rhine watershed, entering Thuringia. A short ascent leads us to the Rennsteig, where we meet below the Kulm and which accompanies us to Schlegel.

There is also a nature reserve around the Kulm. While elsewhere near-natural forests often had to make way for spruce plantations, here a deciduous mixed forest with sycamore, beech, and ash remains.

We circle the Kulmberg and exit the forest west of Schlegel. A field path crossing the road at the forest edge runs parallel to it to Schlegel. Along the path, there is a beautiful view over Schlegel to Lichtenberg and Blankenstein - the start and end point of the Rennsteig. In Schlegel itself, the long-distance hiking trail leaves towards this direction, while we keep right and head over the Marienberg with fantastic views again towards the Muschwitztal.

But before we return to Franconian territory at the former Buttermühle, the path leads us to Seibis. We briefly pass through this typical Frankenwald village with its slate houses and turn right just after entering, walking along the Saubach Valley to the bridge over the Muschwitz. On paths and forest trails, we keep parallel to the Muschwitz westwards until we reach the Krötenmühle. Along the way, signs with brief explanations on the topics "border", "nature" and "history" appear repeatedly, as here. They are part of the Nordic walking program "Running on the Green Belt" and of course may be used by hikers as well.

After the parking lot at Krötenmühle, we leave the road southwards on a natural path. This leads at the foot of the Rumpelbühl to the Mordlau. Here mining was carried out over many centuries, and along the path, one can see mining ditches and pits that testify to the hard work of those times. Visitors should heed the warnings and stay on the path!

Another special feature is the vineyard next to the former ski jump. For several years, hobby winemakers from the area have harvested their own wine on the slopes of the Frankenwald.

After leaving the former mining area, we meet the district road.

We only briefly touch the spa park and go straight past the "Schönen Aussicht" inn into the "Alte Langenbacher Straße". We follow this avenue with its magnificent views for about 850 m until we turn right and Carlsgrün is already close.

One last time we cross the district road and walk past the sports hall straight to our starting and finishing point.