 Viaduct Klausmarbach from the side |
 On the Klausmarbach viaduct |
The Kegelspielradweg is a well-developed railway cycle path in the Hessian region Kuppenrhön. He connects Hünfeld in the Haunetal with Wenigentaft in the Thuringian Ulstertal. The Kuppenrhön is the main actor along the scenic route.
The route was opened on April 27, 2007. Since then, the cycle path in the Hessian Rhön has been somewhat overshadowed by its older brother - namely the Milseburgradweg, which opened in 2003, with its famous railway tunnel. But on the contrary: The Kegelspielradweg doesn't need to hide: there is enough to discover on and in the area of the route. Anyone who is sporty can do skittles and Milseburgradweg in one day without any problems.
Route profile
- Length: 27 km
- Signposting: Standard-compliant, route-related signposting is available.
- Slopes: There are smaller, longer gradients on the railway line (around 2 to a maximum of 4%). Although the route is a railway cycle path, the path also has some hills (some with an estimated 6-8% gradients), as some cuts were not included in the extension of the route for nature conservation reasons. The advantage of this route, however, is that you cycle along the side of the railway line along the sunny field and not in the cool, shady cut. These hills are not included in the official height profile of the route. The profile on the information boards, on the other hand, shows an "exemplary" height profile of a railway cycle path with about 100 meters in altitude from Hünfeld.
- Path condition: Most of the path has a fine asphalt surface. A short section between Wenigentaft and Grüsselbach is just a split dirt road.
- Traffic load: traffic free
- Suitable bike: Everyday bike with a 7-speed hub is sufficient.
- Family suitability: Yes
- Inline suitability: yes, but must braking can absolutely be safely mastered, because the route contains steep hills with curves in parts.
background
The 26.4 km long Hünfeld - Wenigentaft-Mansbach railway was built between 1901 and 1906. The inauguration took place on December 1, 1906. In the 1930s, the two-track expansion of the line was planned. However, this was discontinued during the Second World War in 1942.
With the division of Germany during the Cold War, the fate of the railway line was in principle already sealed. In 1945 the traffic between Wenigentaft and Treischfeld in the area of the former inner-German border was stopped.
In the Hessian part of the route between Hünfeld and Treischfeld, passenger trains ran on 21.6 km of the route until May 28, 1972. Freight traffic was operated a little longer. In 1992 the railway line was finally shut down.
A documentation of the former railway line, from which the above data originates, is on the private side www.vergessene-bahnen.de by Dr. Pure scoundrel to find. The route is shown in the picture documentation, which is well worth seeing, among other things. 2001 in the disused state still without a bike path.
Between 2002 and 2007 the Kegelspielradweg was built by the places along the route. Members of the Kegelspielradweg working group are the city of Hünfeld and the communities of Burghaun, Eiterfeld and Rasdorf. According to the side of the route, the construction costs amounted to € 5.3 million. The state of Hesse took on a large part of this as funding. The district of Fulda also supported the project with funding.
Incidentally, in the "standard work" Bahnrassenradeln.de by Dr Achim Bartoschek, the route has achieved the maximum possible number of "points" (4 of 4 red bicycles -> "The absolute highlights of the railway cycle paths that you simply have to ride once."). The route has thus received a very good recommendation from one of the leading experts in this field (Look here).
getting there
Public transportation
- With the regional train to Hünfeld on the Fulda - Kassel route. The RMV - NVV By the way, the border is between Burghaun and Haunetal-Neukirchen. If you travel across Hesse in a group of up to 5 people, it is best to use the Hessenticket. Taking bicycles with you is free of charge in both the RMV and the NVV. There is a cycle path from the train station that leads to the start of the cycle path in the industrial area north of the city.
By bicycle
- On the Haunetal cycle path
- On the Ulstertal cycle path
In the street
- Leave the A 7 motorway (Kassel - Fulda) at the Hünfeld / Schlitz exit (No. 90). From here direction Hünfeld drive. In Hünfeld change to the B 27 and drive west past the city. Exit at the branch to the B 84 and then immediately turn into the industrial area. In the industrial area there is a parking lot at the beginning of the route (to be found at 50 ° 41 '24 "N.9 ° 45 ′ 17 ″ E on Wellastrasse.)
Route description with sights
The kilometrage refers to the Hünfeld train station and is not identical to the small, white kilometer signs directly on the route.
- Km 0: train station Hünfeld - Directly at the train station you will find the first information board for the bowling cycle path, as well as a cycle path that leads to the beginning of the cycle path in the industrial area 1.1 km away. In the station hall you can find public toiletswhich are freely accessible if the train station is open. In Hünfeld there is also a connection to the Haunetal cycle path.
~ 
~> From the train station, the signs on the inner-town main road lead north to the industrial area. Part of the route goes over narrow curb bike paths.
- Km 2.0: "Kegelspielradweg parking lot": Actual start of the cycle path on the railway line in the industrial area with parking lot and one Refuge in the shape of a cone.
~ ~> After crossing under the north bypass of Hünfeld, the first you experience the typical driving experience of a railway cycle path. The route climbs slightly to the former Ostbahnhof in Burghaun. From up here you already have an attractive valley view of the Haunetal.
- 4.3 km: Rest area "Ostbahnhof" Burghaun" - There is a historic car at the former Ostbahnhof. This is called Café with adjoining beer garden used (beautiful view of Burghaun). If the weather is nice, it is open from April to November: Mon - Sun from 11 a.m. (Local site).
~ ~> It is not far to the next sight:
- 6.0 km: Klausmarbach viaduct - largest bridge on the route. The imposing sandstone arch bridge is 130 m long and up to 32 m high. The building is embedded in a wooded valley. There is a rest area on the bridge. A board with historical photos provides information about the building. The sandstone arch bridge is 32 m high and has 5 arches, each 18 m wide. At the bridge you can see the plan to double-track the line. In 1938 the bridge was laterally extended by a sandstone-faced concrete arch bridge. The dimensions of the structure don't really come into their own from above. If you look from the ends of the bridge on the inwardly curved side, you can at least guess the size of the structure.
~ ~> You cycle further uphill through the forest towards Steinbach.
- 7.4 km: "Steinbach barbecue area" adventure rest area - Lovingly furnished rest area in an old sandstone quarry by the Friends of Siegels-Steinbruch-Steinbach. There are various seating areas, a wooden bowling alley and a playground. The barbecue facilities in the publicly accessible area can also be rented by groups. For more information and contact see Side of the barbecue area.
- 8.8 km: Steinbach rest area - Rest area with shelter and seating on the eastern outskirts of Steinbach.
~ ~> East of Steinbach, the route leaves the railway line for about one kilometer. A longer cut was not made for nature conservation reasons. The route here has a noteworthy hill with about 20 meters of altitude. At the top of the field on the hilltop you have reached a height of 360 m. Attention on the descent:After the rapid descent, the route makes a narrower dangling back onto the route! We continue on the embankment towards Eiterfeld.
- Km 12.0: Eiterfeld viewpoint - The bike path bypasses a small incision here. This creates the nice vantage point, where two benches invite you to rest. In the official height profile of the cycle path, an orchid site is roughly in this area. The exact location on the route is unclear.
~ ~> The route now circles a cone, the 465 m Lichtberg.
- 14.8 km: rest area Pus field-Leibolz - The rest area with the refuge is rather dismal in the area of the car parking lot on the route. Before that, you pass the beautifully renovated Eiterfeld train station. The building is used privately and is therefore understandably separated from the bike path by a privacy wall made of rubble stones. In Leibolz, the basalt church with its Gothic altar and wooden sculptures from 1509 is worth seeing (opening times?).
~ ~> After crossing the street in Leibolz, another incision in the route is bypassed with a hill. Up here, the Kegelspielradweg reaches the highest point of the route with a height of 370 m. Now it's almost all downhill towards Ulstertal. After the hill the landscape opens up. The 522 m high cone of the Kleinberg comes into view. To the right is the main chain of the Hessian skittles game (see also panorama above). Before Großentaft, the route crosses a country road on a bridge worth mentioning.
- Km 18.8: Großentaft rest area - Refuge, seating and a small parking lot. A few meters further you pass the former Großentaft train station. The beautifully renovated station building is also used privately. As a special "gazebo" there is an old freight wagon on the property (visible from the route).
~ ~> Behind Großentaft, the king of the Hessian bowling game comes into view on the left: the 630 m high Soisberg towers majestically above the surrounding landscape. On the mountain there is an observation tower with a panoramic view, among other things. on the skittles game. Cones of a different kind catch the eye on the left of the route shortly before Treischfeld: They are parts of a biogas plant. The covers of the fermenters (= fermentation reactors in which bacteria convert the biomass into gas) have a cone shape.
- Km 21.6: Treischfeld train station - Shortly before the former Treischfeld train station, there is a good departure point to the Soisberg. As of 10-2011, no information is available about cycle signs on the mountain. For more information on the Soisberg destination, see also the tour suggestion here in the article. Treischfeld station itself is used commercially. The route leads directly past the building. A signpost is missing here:Drive right at the sloping fork. (as of 10-2011)
~ ~> After Treischfeld it is mostly downhill. Here the route mostly runs alongside the railway embankment, which was probably not expanded for reasons of nature conservation either. This creates a couple of smaller hills.
- Km 25: rest area at the bridge in front of Wenigentaft - The bridge stands directly on the Hessian-Thuringian border. The route has a spiral here (over and under the bridge). Below is a connection to the Ulstertal cycle path or. Rhön cycle path. Rest area with shelter and seating at the bottom of the bridge.
- → After the bridge there is a brief uphill climb. The path is graveled for about 300 m as it leads through a nature reserve. To the left of the path there is a steep juniper heather. But soon the valley opens again and the path loses its gradient. Grüsselsbach is soon reached.
- Km 27.5: Grüsselsbach on Schulstrasse - End of the backlash cycle path. Here you are "spoiled for choice":
1. Visit of Rasdorf and excursion to the basalt cone "Gehilfersberg"
If the name of the Kegelspielradweg should be program, you should choose this variant for the return trip. To do this, follow the connection directions Rasdorf consequences. The route leads slightly uphill over a paved dirt road to the village. The Gehilfersberg comes into focus. Worth seeing in Rasdorf are the large village green (village square), the collegiate church and the military cemetery with its high protective wall. There are also refreshment stops in Rasdorf. From Rasdorf you now climb the 453 m high Gehilfersberg with its pilgrimage church. Incidentally, according to Wikipedia, the Gehilfersberg does not belong geographically to the Hessian skittles game. But that is largely irrelevant for travelers. From the center of the village it is about 80 steep meters (10 to 12%) to the parking lot at the edge of the forest at about 400 m above sea level via the “Gehilfersbergweg” and the paved access road. Park your bike here, as the remaining meters in altitude can only be covered on foot (the path is closed for bicycles).
In June 2012, the pilgrimage church with its magnificent interior was completed. However, you can see something inside through the glazed door. An arson attack was carried out on the church in 1996. After only one year, however, the building shone again in new splendor. If you fancy a short walk, we recommend a walk around the cone from the car park on the "scenic path" at the edge of the forest. There are beautiful views in the direction of the Hohe Rhön and, above all, of the main chain of the skittles game. After visiting the Gehilfersberg there are two options for the way back:
- Variant A (longer, but less incline): Either you drive back to the Kegelspielradweg near Großentaft via gravel roads. This 2.5 km long gravel road branches off 50 ° 43 '36 "N.9 ° 53 ′ 18 ″ E in the curve of the access road to the Gehilfesberg car park. On the following one Dirt road past the Kleinberg you can always look over at the Main chain of the Hessian skittles game. Danger: Steep descent with coarse, loose gravel in front of Großentaft.
- Total kilometers for variant A from Hünfeld train station: about 55 km with about 270 to 360 meters of altitude (counted on Gehilfersberg to the parking lot).
- Variant B (shorter, but more incline): Or you can cycle off the Kegelspielradweg on the "Via Regia" cycle route straight back to Hünfeld. The route can be reached in Rasdorf on the main road in town (keep to the right at the traffic lights on the main road and then immediately left again at an angle). From here the signs lead you back to Hünfeld. You leave Rasdorf following the signs on paved dirt roads in the direction of the main chain of the Hessian skittles. In the forest area, the route turns into gravel paths (partly coarse gravel; Rassdorf Pass ascent about 120 meters in altitude). At about 440 m you have reached the unofficial "Pass am Hübelsberg". In the area of the descent, the gravel roads are easy to drive because the road surface is finer. The town center of Hünfeld can be reached again via a hilly terrain via Großenbach. The train station is signposted from the monastery church on the city ring, which is well worth seeing. If you want, you can relax in the city park beforehand.
- Total kilometers for variant B from Hünfeld train station: about 48 km with about 400 to 500 meters of altitude (including a detour to the parking lot on the Gehilfersberg near Rasdorf).
2. "Endschleife" Point Alpha - Geisa - Ulstertal via Buttlar - Wenigentaft
From Grüsselsbach, follow the signs steeply uphill Point Alpha follow (2.5 km with about 120 meters of altitude and up to 12 to 20% gradient). The path is completely paved up to about 100 m. It is best to push the short, very steep piece of gravel after crossing the main road. At the top of the monument, which reminds of the Cold War, you have a beautiful view down into the Ulstertal to Geisa. Those who want to find out more about the Point Alpha Memorial can visit the museum and the house on the border. From Point Alpha you can then walk over the bumpy Grenzweg steeply on the heavily trafficked country road Geisa Descend into the Ultertal. In Geisa, you can take a short detour to the old town. From here you can take the tour z. B. Continue towards Milseburgradweg. Otherwise you drive in the valley via the Ulstertal cycle path from Geisa via Buttlar and Wenigentaft back to the bowling game cycle path.
- Total kilometers from Hünfeld train station: about 67 km with about 420 to 450 meters of altitude.
Route-related tour suggestions
Tour from Hünfeld / Burghaun to Soisberg
The Soisberg is an attractive, but definitely challenging, destination on the eastern skittles cycle path. On the highest "cone" of the Hessian Kuppenrhön at 629.9 m, the 25 m high Soisberg tower with a wide panoramic view has stood since 2003 (for pictures and further information on the mountain, see also Wikipedia article "Soisberg").
- From Hünfeld on the bowling cycle path to the former Treischfeld train station (19 km on the railway cycle path).
- From here on farm roads to Unterufhausen at the foot of the Soisberg.
- From Unterufhausen steep driveway on farm roads in hairpin bends to the forest.
- According to Openstreetmap (as of 10-2011) you have to walk the last few meters to the tower. There is only one hiking trail drawn right up to the tower. Detailed knowledge of the way is not available as of 10-2011.
- Route length: Around 28 km one way at Hünfeld train station. Those who use the Ufhausen-Leibolz district road back can shorten the way back by 7 km. From Burghaun train station (still RMV area), the tour with a shortcut on the way back is only about 41 - 42 km long.
Round trip from Fulda on the bowling, Ulstertal, and Milseburgradweg
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The round tour is also suitable for an attractive weekend tour with shorter stages. Then there is more time for the sights, e.g. B. Visit to the Museum of Point Alpha, the old towns of Geisa and Tann and the Rhön open-air museum in Tann. The cozy Rhön town Fir halfway is ideal for an overnight stay. Alternatively, you can also use Geisa stay overnight, which can be found after 30 km from Hünfeld.
- Train journey from Fulda to Hünfeld
- Ride on the skittles cycle path to the Ulstertal
- Before that you can optionally Point Alpha visit (then it is best to drive via Grüsselsbach to Point Alpha as described above in the route description).
- Geisa with its old town around the market square invites you to stop (old town a little off the route).
- it continues along the Ulster up via Schleid and Motzlar to Tann.
- The historic Rhön town invites you here Fir about halfway to visit. Refreshments and refreshments halfway: In Tann there is also a supermarket for self-caterers (tegut at St. Nikolaus Weg 13, open Mon - Sat from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.) directly on the route. Refreshments can be found in the old town of Tann, which is a little above the route on the mountain. The short detour to the market square with church and open-air museum is definitely worth it without a stop.
- Return via the Milseburgradweg with the longest bicycle tunnel in Germany to Fulda.
- From the end of the Milseburgradweg, follow the R 3 over a last small hill into the center of Fulda. In the area of the city center, the junction from the R 3 to the main train station is signposted.
- who Fulda don't know yet and if there is still some time: a detour to the cathedral, the castle and the historic city center.
- Route length: around 83 km with around 450 to 500 meters in altitude; almost continuously paved roads; 2/3 of the route are railway cycle paths.
- -> complete circle back to Hünfeld: Change from the Milseburgradweg to the Haunetalradweg shortly before Götzenhof. This brings you back to Hünfeld after 14 km. On the way you pass the Haunestausee. Then about 95 km with about the same altitude.
The "plus option" for sporty people: a round trip from Ulstertal to the Oechsenbahn or Emberg cycle path
The 10 km long Oechsenbahn cycle path branches off from the Ulstertal cycle path near Buttlar (Thuringia) in the Ulstertal. The rather unknown railway cycle path is part of the Emberg cycle path, which connects the Ulstertal with the Feldatal. It is off the main tourist trail. This is not least due to the fact that its Ostend is somewhat in the air in terms of the route. The paved route overcomes from Buttlar at 260 m above sea level about 150 meters to the 410 m high end point at Niederoechsen. For more information with pictures of the path, see here on the private page www.bahntrassenradwege.de by Karl Schlemmer.
For the return, Karl Schlemmer recommends inter alia on his side. the return journey via the hamlets of Lenders, Gerstengrund, Zitters, Kranlücken to Schleid in the Ulstertal. The route is scenic z. Partly on farm roads, but mostly on country roads with little traffic. From Niederoschen, the route climbs to a height of 650 m south of Lenders. This is followed by a long, 10 km long descent through the above-mentioned villages down into the Ulstertal to Schleid. The return is possible through the Ultertal via Geisa to the skittles cycle path near Wenigentaft. According to the aerial photo in Google Earth, the entire route appears to be paved. However, there is no on-site knowledge of the way. Anyone who has ever driven the round can add more details here (e.g. pictures).
Distance of the round tour from the rest area "Brücke bei Wenigenhaft": 35 to 36 km. With the Kegelspielradweg from Hünfeld you are then in total at 85 km with a roughly estimated 650 to 700 meters of altitude.
security
As on the Milseburgradweg, there are various jostling bars on the Kegelspielradweg. However, these are much easier to drive through than the narrow ones on the Milseburgradweg.
trips
- On the Ulster bike path or. Rhön cycle path to the Werra or in the heights Rhön
References to literature and maps
- Official overview map of the route with elevation profile as a PDF file. Note: The official height profile of the route under the map does not show the "other hills." The profile shows, like on the information boards, an "exemplary" height profile of a railway cycle path with about 100 meters in altitude from Hünfeld.
- Route in the Hesse cycle route planner - The cycle route planner shows the route to Rasdorf. According to the official map, the route ends in Grüsselsbach.
- ADFC regional map "Rhön" 1: 75000, ISBN 3-87073-222-9 (5th edition from March 2010), € 6.80; see more Bielefelder Verlag
See also
Do you feel like cycling more along the railway lines? Other rail bike paths are listed here.
Web links
- www.kegelspielradweg.de - official website of the cycle path
- Kegelspielradweg on www.bahntrassenradwege.de - some route information and picture documentation worth seeing, also from the construction of the route. In Karl Schlemmer's precise elevation profile, you can easily see the "other hills".
- Kegelspielradweg onbahnrassenradeln.de - Achim Bartoschek's private railway line archive
