Parkstein crossing

You start from the parking lot at the chapel in Meerbodenreuth and walk back along the road you came on to the main road (NEW 2). Cross this, preferably without damaging a car, and head towards Buch. After crossing the Dürrrschweinnaab at the lowest point, turn right before the curve and then left into the village onto the forest path.

If you don’t want to walk on gravel, take the slight uphill half-right fork at the next junction, and then turn left at the following fork. You can barely make out the paths. You may then walk for a stretch in the forest on the first or second ridge right above the valley gravel road but have to descend back to the road after a while.

Continue on the gravel road, diagonally under the high-voltage line and then back into the forest. The comfortable gravel road ends in a turning circle. At the fork leading to the loop, take the right turn and (hopefully) find the single-trail entry to the now little-used forest path on the right side of the path. This takes you after 600 meters to a small road (1) (ignore the small side turns on the way). When you reach the road, turn left and follow the Goldsteig feeder and hiking trail No. 1 (two ponds, a bridge between them).

You will eventually come out at a homestead named Theile (2). Ignore the signs here, walk past the homestead on the right, and continue your hike straight on the field path. Now head toward the imposing industrial building, which you pass by along the fence. Ignore the sharp right turn, but you should find the ditch path, which starts a few meters later on the right side of the main path. You are now on Steingasse. Follow this path persistently uphill to the village.

If you have done everything right, you will reach Parkstein via “Am Burggraben” and arrive north of the St. Pankratius church. Past the west entrance of the church, you reach Kapuzinergasse through an archway. Turn left here to reach the Stations of the Cross path leading to the summit. However, before starting on the Stations of the Cross path, continue a bit further to see the very interesting rock cellars.

On the summit of Parkstein (3) stands the castle ruins of the same name as well as the summit chapel. The descent then is via the Main-Danube Trail down steps to the parking lot near the inn. Here you see the impressively towering wall of basalt columns. This is the so-called Neuweg. Follow it until the Franz-Strauß-Weg forks off to the left. Here you find hiking signs, among them sign 4a. Follow this zigzag down the village. (If you want to visit the Volcano Experience Center – which is advisable – then continue on the Neuweg past the Father and Son Strauß Monument to the museum and then come back.)

At the end of the descent through Parkstein, you reach a green area at the end of which the tennis club has its refuge. Here cross the newly built skater track from 2023 and then follow path No. 4 / Main-Danube Trail to the left turn after the bridge (4). Wonderful forest path. Halfway through, the Main-Danube Trail branches off to the right. You continue straight ahead. You come to the high-voltage clearing where you change left onto the gravel(?) road at the forest edge and after crossing the Kühbrücke near Grünthal (5) follow the idyllic hiking path to the right along the Schweinnaab (sign "Gemeindeweiher"). After 400 meters, you reach the named community pond. (Unauthorized fishing must be reported!)

Follow this idyllic body of water and at the end take the short, winding ascent to the gravel road. Hiking trail 4 goes left. You take the white-green-white trail to the right. After 450 meters, the bike path turns right, but you follow the main path through the left curve. A little later, the white-green-white trail disappears somewhere; you continue straight ahead. 1.1 kilometers after the pond (a good 10 minutes), a similar path crosses your hiking trail. So stay right at the fork that opens to the left, i.e., keep slightly left.

Crossing Parkstein-Weiden-Strasse (6) shortly afterwards. After 600 meters, the gravel road turns into a field path. Another almost 400 meters, and you reach the forest edge from where you can see ruins of Flossenbürg on the right and behind it, Havran (Rabenberg) with the tower on the horizon. Then continue into the village where the car is waiting by the chapel.