Odenwald Break: Day 5

Our last day here (Wednesday, Sept. 21) was also the most beautiful, and not just weather-wise. The night had been close to frost at 2 or 3 Celsius, but the morning sun came streaming into our east-facing room, and it remained sunny all day.

Once again, we chose a circuit suggested by the hotel, starting directly from the hotel grounds and into the woods:

Burg Stolzeneck ("castle proud-corner"), another ruined castle in the immediate area, was where we were headed. I was particularly pleased to find that the route took us past the beautiful Neckarblick again, today even more beautiful than the first time we passed there:

A signpost inspired us to a little detour, a narrow path leading to yet another enchanted spot with a well and a place to take a rest:

Going back to the main path - more a lane, really - offered some good views:

Then we rounded another bend and stood in front of the castle:

Like the Minneburg we had visited a few days before, Stolzeneck is partly closed to the public because the walls are crumbling. But what is left of them is still truly impressive, and there is still plenty to see from the outer courtyard.

View from the castle across the Neckar valley

We did not meet a single soul but had the place all to ourselves. After we had explored the ruins as much as we could, we followed the suggested route down a narrow path to the bottom of the valley, reaching the river:

 

From here, good part of the lane (not open to general traffic and therefore pleasant to walk on) took us along the river, passing the village of Lindach on the other side of the Neckar before reaching Zwingenberg, a small town with yet another impressive castle - this time, lived in and not open to the public.

Lindach

Zwingenberg castle

Approaching Zwingenberg

A modern suspension bridge links the two sides of the river at this point. We briefly crossed it to have a look at the town, but could not find a place to have coffee in the immediate area and decided to make our way slowly and steadily uphill back towards Neunkirchen.

View from the bridge

Last view of Zwingenberg castle before the lane took us back into the woods

 Up in the woods, we came across this stone house:

It was erected in the 1850s to house tools and workers building the road that now links Neunkirchen and Zwingenberg. Working and living conditions clearly were not exactly pleasant for the men!

Shortly before reaching Neunkirchen again, we came past this nice spot in the sun:

We arrived back at the hotel with 17.3 km under our feet, and still in time for coffee - this time sitting in the sun on the hotel's terrace - before taking a quick turn in the sauna and, eventually, having dinner; our last one here.

It had been a truly wonderful day with a hike very much to my liking, and I was really sorry to have to leave here the next day.

If you wish to know a bit more about Stolzeneck, the link to the wikipedia entry is here, but it is only available in German. The castle was first built around the year 1200 and given up after 1610. In the following centuries, people seem to have simply forgotten about it, until in 1960 the ruins were rediscovered and made accessible.