Traumschleife Ehrbachklamm (with worthwhile wrong turn)

The starting point was the hiking parking lot in Oppenhausen, and I decided to walk the route clockwise.

Due to a wrong turn, I didn't walk the loop as originally intended. On the map, after about 2.9 km, it is clear that upon reaching the Eltesbächelchen, I mistakenly continued following it.

In hindsight, this mistake offered me magnificent views into the steep gorge of the Eltesbächelchen, which I would have otherwise missed. The descent was quite steep but secured several times by wire ropes, so it could be managed fairly easily. The Eltesbächelchen had very little water; otherwise, the descent would have been even more appealing.

The downside of the wrong turn was, of course, that I ended up in the middle of the Ehrbachklamm. But I wanted to see the entire path along the Ehrbach and accepted having to walk a considerable distance back and forth. That was not a problem either, as you get different views when walking in the opposite direction.

Otherwise, the descriptions of the Traumschleife published here fully apply. It is a dreamlike path through beautiful nature. Time and again, there are lovely viewpoints, most of which also have a bench for resting.

The forest paths are sometimes quite steep, so you should have surefootedness. Footwear should have a non-slip sole, as especially the paths along the Ehrbach partly run over bare rocks and can be slippery accordingly.

The benches at the waterfall invite you to linger for a while and perhaps consume some of the food you brought with you.

One small note: The Eckmühle is often still listed online as a place to eat and drink. However, this has not been possible for several years, as it is now solely an animal pension. If you want to eat or drink on the way, you must bring provisions.

The distance deviates somewhat from the usual 8.9 km for the Ehrbachklamm due to my wrong turn. The very long duration of 4.5 hours I spent on the route is explained by extensive pauses at and in the waterfall and many stops for photography, some with tripod setup and long exposures.