The Vogelsberger Südbahnradweg connects Waechtersbach in the Kinzigtal near the former railway with Hartmannshain below the Herchenhainer Höhe, which is the Hoherodskopf and the Baptismal font The cycle route is part of the railway network BahnRadweg Hessen.
The Südbahnradweg is an exemplary regional cycle path: There are information boards, shelters and rest areas along the way. A well-developed route goes without saying, and there is also a leisure bus service with free bicycles.
Route profile
- Length: 35 km
- Signposting: Signposted with arrows based on the FGSV guideline ("ADFC norm")
- Slopes: from Wächtersbach (located at about 180 m above sea level) to Hartmannhain it goes mostly uphill (up to about 580 m above sea level). However, the route also has some hills on the way.
- Path condition: The route is complete asphalted. Unfortunately, like on the Vulkanradweg, there are still post barriers and jostling bars that have already led to serious accidents on other cycleways - so be careful!
- Traffic load: Usually free of traffic outside of town; Quieter residential streets are partly used in town. Be careful on sections of the route that are used by agricultural vehicles (be careful!)
- Suitable bike: Everyday bike is enough. Those who drive uphill, however, need a gearshift that is suitable for mountains for inclines of up to 10%.
- Family suitability: Yes - especially when driving downhill. However, the children should be able to master the bike safely, as braking and steering must be mastered safely on slopes of max. 10%.
- Inline suitability: The trail is for inline skaters actually not suitable - even if the route is paved throughout.
- The route has many tight curves and gradients of up to 10 percent. In urban areas, the route usually runs on roads. Agricultural roads are often used outside of built-up areas. Some of the dirt can be found here. Only Inline freaks may have fun along the way.
- For the majority of inline skaters: it's best to get on your bike. For most people this is the safe means of transport on the Südbahnradweg.
background
Even if the bike route is available as a Railway cycle path is marketed, the cycle path does not have the character of a "cycle track". Only for a few kilometers does the route run directly on the embankment of the former Vogelsberger Südbahn. In many places, the former railway line had already been transformed into a valuable biotope at the time of construction. Therefore, the route could no longer be used for the cycle path there.
Information about the old railway line:
- Data from the former Vogelsberger Südbahn Forgotten-Bahnen.de (with historical pictures)
getting there
By train
- Railway line Frankfurt - Hanau - Fulda: Get off at the train station Waechtersbach. Regional express trains run from Frankfurt to Fulda with double-decker cars. These have spacious bicycle compartments (first and last wagons of the train). Taking bicycles with you in RMV is free of charge (as of 02-2010).
Bicycle bus
- Parallel to the route of Waechtersbach until it is connected to the Hoherodskopfsteig and the Volcano bike path in Hartmannshain and on to the Hoherodskopf runs the leisure bus route VB-95 with free bike transport, the RMV tariffs apply. It is a line in the network of the Vogelsberger Vulkan-Express. · For more see Bicycle tourism website "Vogelsberger Südbahnradweg" and Vulkan-Express-Linien: route network map, 2012 timetables and brochure with lots of leisure tips
Tip: use the DB Navigator app. There you can easily see the departure times in the connection information and all the stops in the map view.
By bicycle
Connection Hartmannshain:
Connection Kinzigtal:
- Hess. Long-distance cycle route R3: Rhine - Main - Kinzig
- BahnRadweg Hessen to Hanau
In the street
If you arrive by car, it is best to put the car in Waechtersbach and can use the bus line parallel to the route (arrival via the A66 Hanau - Fulda motorway)
Route description with sights
- Higher Vogelsberg: The upper forest with the highest elevations is not directly on the bike path. An integration into the tour is advisable. The baptismal font with Bismarck tower, the highest vantage point on the Vogelsberg, is worth seeing here. In the summer months there is an exemplary network of leisure bus routes (with bike transport) on Sundays and public holidays. The different lines meet in a star shape at the Hoherodskopf. (For more see here or also VGO.de)
- From here you can take the signposted Hoherodskopfsteig at the beginning of the Südbahnradweg near Hartmannshain.
- Herchenhainer height: If you want, you can take an "intermediate spurt" from Herchenhain to the Herchenhainer Höhe (via an approx. 10% steep road). The hill is the southernmost 700er of the Vogelberg. From the top you have a beautiful panoramic view to the south. The best way to do this is to walk up the meadow from the KZF parking lot towards the edge of the forest. At the car park there is also a restaurant for refreshments (is a motorcycle meeting point).
- Hartmannshain - saddle point of the Volcano cycle path. The actual Südbahnradweg begins here.
- Brachttal: Eisenhammer Castle with a Kneipp facility above the castle. You can rest at the pizzeria Alt Budapest. The food is very recommendable.
- Tip: Cycle from Waechtersbach another 10 km along the Kinzig direction Gelnhausen on the route of the Hess. Long-distance cycle route R3 . In Gelnhausen there is a historic old town with numerous sights. Of course you will also find various restaurants that are ideal for a tour end.
- Total length of the tour: Hoherodskopf - Gelnhausen: approx. 60 km with approx. 700 hm downhill; there are only a few smaller hills to overcome.
trips
- Connection Hartmannshain: Volcano cycle path · See also: BahnRadweg Hessen
- Connection to Kinzigtal: Hess. Long-distance cycle route R3: Rhine - Main - Kinzig · See also: BahnRadweg Hessen
References to literature and maps
- Cycling atlas Wetterau - Vogelsberg M 1: 50000 - see Esterbauer publishing house
- Map on the side of the Vogelsberger Südbahnradweg
