Schwanberg - Schwanberg

Schwanberg is the name of a small place on the mountain of the same name in the Bavarian local community Rödelsee. The mountain is relatively well known because it is exposed and one of the most distinctive elevations in the Steigerwaldes represents.

background

The Schwanberg (474 ​​m) lies on the western flank of the Steigerwald. Here the terrain falls relatively abruptly to the main valley Main triangle down, so that the highest elevations of the Steigerwald are about 300 m above the Main, which flows only a few kilometers further west. The Schwanberg is located roughly in the middle of the western Steigerwald flank above the wine-growing town of Rödelsee, whose municipal area also includes the few houses on the summit plateau. The mountain is forested above, in the lower part of the slopes there are vineyards from various wine towns in the area, including the town's vineyards Iphofenwhich is directly south. The Schwanberg is relatively easy to recognize from the main valley because there are several transmitter systems on the summit plateau.

The plateau of the Schwanberg pushes itself relatively isolated and far to the west, the slopes drop off quite steeply on three sides. This gives you excellent views in many directions. On the flat side to the east, the plateau narrows in some places. Due to these favorable natural conditions, the Schwanberg was quite easy to defend and therefore settled in pre-Christian times. On the flat east side there were fortification walls in the narrower places, the remains of which are still clearly visible today.

The typical gradations of the Schwanberg owe their distinctive shapes to the frequent alternation of different weather-resistant rocks in the stratification of the Steigerwald from Keuper and various sandstones, created in the Triassic and Jurassic periods. Since 2007, the shift levels on Schwanberg have been part of the project that was restarted in 2002 "Bavaria's most beautiful geotopes"(Bavarian State Office for the Environment) counted.

The Schwanberg Castle on the edge of the slope is also relatively noticeable. The first castle complex probably came from the 13th century; the current building was built in the course of the reconstruction of older buildings at the beginning of the 18th century. The castle has a park from the beginning of the 20th century, in which the mausoleum of the Lords of Schwanberg is also located.

Since the 1960s, the “Communität Casteller Ring”, an evangelical monastic community of women, has lived on the Schwanberg. The “Spiritual Center Schwanberg”, which owns some of the buildings on the Schwanberg, is closely connected to this community.

Due to its location and the monastery, the Schwanberg is an important destination for people who are looking for a break from everyday life, as well as for hikers, walkers and Sunday excursions.

getting there

By plane

The nearest airports are the airport in Nuremberg and in Frankfurt am Main.

By train

The next train station is in Iphofen at the foot of the Schwanberg. There is no public transport connection from there. If you want to hike, you can walk from the Iphofen train station through the town and the vineyards up the mountain, but you have to climb more than 200 m; the walk takes about an hour in total.

If you take part in meetings and events at the Spiritual Center, the sisters can arrange for you to be picked up in Iphofen.

In the street

• From the east: Via the Motorway A 3 (Nuremberg - Wurzburg), Wiesentheid, continue via Rüdenhausen and Wiesenbronn towards Rödelsee; before Rödelsee the road branches off to the left on the Schwanberg;

If you come from other directions, you usually travel over Kitzingen at:

• From the west: over the Motorway A 3 (Wurzburg - Nuremberg), Rottendorf, continue on federal road 8 in the direction of Nürnberg / Neustadt a.d. Aisch to the exit of Kitzingen.
• From the north: Via the A 7 motorway (kassel - Ulm), Kitzingen, continue on federal road 8 to the exit of Kitzingen;
• From the south: Via the A 7 motorway (Ulm - kassel), Market wide, further over Market wide to Kitzingen, there on the B 8 in the direction of Nuremberg to the exit.

At the exit of Kitzingen if you stay at the roundabout in the direction of Hoheim and Rödelsee, drive on this road while maintaining the direction of Rödelsee and then turn right. From the junction, the road winds up the slope to the summit plateau 200 m higher. There is no other public access to the Schwanberg. There is a large free car park at the entrance to the village (no parking in the village).

mobility

The sights on the Schwanberg are only accessible on foot. There are boards with information and maps at the parking lot.

Tourist Attractions

• St. Michael Church: The church of St. Michael by the Munich architect Alexander Freiherr von Branca is the church of the community Casteller Ring. It was inaugurated in 1987 and is open to the public all day long (until night prayers). A small and quiet cloister next to it is also open to the public.
  • The architecture of the church should radiate the openness to which the community feels obliged. Each side of the church has a semicircular window; the roof is partially designed as a glass roof.
  • Unlike in traditional churches, the altar and the sisters' stalls are at the lowest point and in the middle of the church; so the sisters are sitting up straight Not higher than the congregation, but sit in the middle of the congregation around the altar at the lowest point in the sense of the biblical “From the depths I call, Lord, to you. (Ps. 130) "
  • The roof over the altar rests on four pillars, which is supposed to remind of the canopy at a Jewish wedding (the sisters make their vows under this canopy).
  • The church still has three chapels (in the anteroom and to the left of the organ through the arch); one of them is explicitly intended as a retreat for silence and prayer.
• Schwanberg Castle: The castle belongs to the Schwanberg spiritual center and is therefore not open to the public. However, guided tours through the castle and church are offered on the 1st Sunday of the month in the summer. Occasionally you can visit the castle as part of events (Schwanbergtag, concerts).
• The Castle Park is open to the public; it can be reached by going straight on past the church through the gate and then immediately turning right again (stairs). Alternatively, you can follow the road around the church and then turn left at the end of the fence. The palace park combines elements of a classic baroque garden and an English landscape garden. The park had been a bit shabby in the last few decades; From 2009 it was renovated again over the course of several years and has now largely been restored.
  • In the front part of the park (on the castle side or at the entrance via the stairs by the gate building) there are stone benches and some putti as well as an obelisk.
  • An extensive avenue of lime trees connects to the east; about halfway there is a round basin with a Neptune figure, the so-called Neptune fountain. It was one of the first parts of the park to be completely renovated.
  • A transverse axis runs at the level of the Neptune Fountain; On the left there is a former viewing terrace (at the moment you can't see anything anymore because the trees in front of the terrace are too high), on the right there is a pergola with the bronze figure “Hubertushirsch”.
  • The avenue continues behind the Neptune Fountain before a meadow adjoins it. From this meadow there is a small path to the right after about halfway that leads to the cemetery of the community. The mausoleum of the Lords of the Schwanberg forms the end of the park.
• A little behind the mausoleum is the first and so far only one Friedwald in church sponsorship.
• If you follow the road parallel to the park into the forest (if you were in the park: right in front of the mausoleum, then left again), after a short time you come across a wall several meters high, the so-called "Celtic Wall"which runs across the path and through which a breach has been made for the path. These are the remains of an old fortification structure with which the summit plateau of the Schwanberg was protected on the flat east side. The remains of another wall are a long way down in the forest (some more information can be found here).
• There are quite a few on the Schwanberg Viewpoints, which allow a very nice view of the landscape on the Main. There are two viewpoints at the southern end of the mountain, right on the last sharp bend in the road. To the south you can see Iphofen, among other things; Just a few meters away, at a second vantage point, you have a clear view to the west and see Kitzingen and the surrounding towns in the Main Valley. The most famous viewpoint of the Schwanberg, however, is the so-called "Kappelrangen" or "Kapellrangen". This exposed vantage point just below the castle can be reached by going down the stairs opposite the church and then following the path along the castle walls. After the tower, the path leads a few meters through the bushes before it opens into an open area from which one has a wide view of the landscape (bronze plaque with explanations is available). On a clear day you can go from here to the Bavarian Rhön look. The Kappelrangen is also an excellent place to watch sunsets with a glass of wine.

activities

The Schwanberg is a nice destination for a day trip or for hiking in this part of the Steigerwald. On beautiful sunny days, however, you will meet a relatively large number of people in the immediate vicinity of the place who want to hike or even just go for a walk. A whole series of hiking trails begins on the Schwanberg or leads along there, including regionally important ones such as the Celtic hiking trail or the Steigerwald panorama trail. Shorter ways lead to Iphofen and Castell.

If you are looking for spiritual experiences or a break from everyday life, you can go to Offered by the community take part; Usually these are events with overnight stays, but there are also offers that are open to everyone. The focus is on Christian topics and meditation. The three weekly ones are also public Church services with Last Supper (Sunday 9.00 a.m., Tuesday 7.30 p.m. and Friday 6.30 a.m.) and the times of prayer for the sisters with traditional Gregorian elements (daily 6.30 a.m., 12 noon, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., different on Sundays) in the Church of St. Michael.

shop

• In the "meeting point", which is also the reception for the conference houses (under the café), religious and art objects and works from workshops for the disabled are sold.
• In the café, regional products are sold on a small scale (especially wine, liqueurs and brandies, and sometimes also food).

The next "real" shops are in Rödelsee, supermarkets and more specialized shops in Kitzingen.

kitchen

An important starting point for day trippers and hikers is the Schwanbergcafé next to the church:

• Schwanberg Café & Wine, Schwanberg, 97348 Rödelsee. Tel.: (0)9323 32-130, Fax: (0)9323 32-230, Email: [email protected]. The café with adjoining beer garden offers average prices and very good, home-made cakes and pies. From the seats at the window above the street you have a wonderful view of the Main valley.Open: Tue-Sat: 11 a.m.-7.30 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.-7.30 p.m.last change: not specified

nightlife

It probably corresponds fairly exactly to the character of the Schwanberg and the place that a “nightlife” in the true sense does not exist. Unless it is occasional Evening events there are usually concerts in the church or in the castle.

accommodation

• The former forester's house Schwanberg was rebuilt and now houses three holiday apartments; those who do not want to take care of the food themselves can take part in meals in the castle.
• In principle, you can also take a room in the conference houses (castle, meditation house St. Michael) - also outside of events.

The reception at the Spiritual Center can provide further information on the above-mentioned Accommodations; Email: [email protected]; Tel .: 09323 / 32-128; Fax: 09323 / 32-116.

Work

There are various ways of doing this on the Schwanberg Living and working with Temporary, including internships and FSJ.

health

General practitioners and specialists as well as a larger clinic are located in Kitzingen (approx. 10 km away).

Practical advice

• A public toilet is located in the basement of the church tower.
• There are information boards at various points on the Schwanberg, and a map of the area at the car park. Various hiking trails are signposted, and there are always signs that lead back to the place. Orientation in the forest is sometimes not that easy, but you can hardly get lost if you do not descend from the plateau and do not walk into the forest behind the front Celtic wall, because then you are in a relatively clearly delimited - albeit relatively large - area emotional.

There is a public mailbox and a telephone booth at the castle.

trips

• Iphofen is a well-known Franconian wine village on the southern slope of the Schwanberg.
• The Schwanberg is part of the wine-growing community Rödelsee, which is also at the foot of the mountain.
• Kitzingen am Main with its famous butterfly tower can be reached by car in about 10 minutes.

literature

Web links

• Homepage of the spiritual center (also contains some additional general information).