This is a long rural route that passes through varied scenery with a possible visit to a hilltop castle at Burg Rabenstein. It also links two fine out-of-the-way breweries that hearken back to former times. This is a chance to escape the crowds (well, aside from the castle!), too.
Breweries: 2 (Held-Bräu, Stöckel)
Distance: 24 km
Starting Point: Oberailsfeld is about as accessible as you get but Kirchahorn or Burg Rabenstein would do equally well.
Stage 1: Oberailsfeld to Kirchahorn (6 km). This is perhaps the most scenic stretch passing through lush forest by Burg Rabenstein, where there is a falconry, as well.
Lush forest en route to Oberailsfeld passing by Burg Rabenstein
Stage 2: Kirchahorn to Hintergreuth (6 km). This passes through open farmland and small villages which gets you ready for a true country Inn at Brauerei Stöckel.
Rural Hintergreuth with Brauerei Stöckel
Stage 3: Hintergreuth to Brünnberg (4.5 km). This passes by the highest point of the trail at 529 meters.
Solitude on the scenic trails
Stage 4: Brünnberg to Oberailsfeld (7.5 km). The home stretch is long but Held-Bräu awaits as your reward.
Pretty trail back to Oberailsfeld & the rewards there
Places to stay: Burg Rabenstein has upscale castle rooms and Kirchahorn has some more economical options like the Fränkisches Schweiz Guesthouse. Unfortunately, Held-Bräu is not renting rooms at the moment. Hopefully, they will return to doing so as it would be the ideal location to stay. I don’t believe there is anywhere to stay in Hintergreuth.
How to get there? This is a remote area and though there are buses, they are infrequent with Oberailsfeld being the most accessible. A car comes in handy in these parts. You could also connect it to nearby hikes with somewhat better accessibility.
If you have any questions about access, please drop me a line.
If you’re not up to doing it on your own, I’m available for guided trips into this pretty valley with timeless breweries.
Not your kind of walk? How about the Brauereienwanderweg?
