{{Short description|Hiking trail in Germany}} {{Infobox hiking trail | name = ''Eselsweg'' | embed = | cellstyle = | photo = Eselsweg near Rohrbrunn.JPG | photo_size = | photo_alt = | caption = ''Eselsweg'' near Rohrbrunn | title = | established = | length_km = 111 | location = ''Naturpark Hessischer Spessart'', <br> ''Naturpark Bayerischer Spessart'' Germany | designation = | trailheads = Schlüchtern, Großheubach, numerous places in between | use = Hiking | elev_gain_and_loss = {{convert|2071|m|ft|-1}} gain in; {{convert|2078|m|ft|-1}} gain out | elev_change = <!-- Use elev_gain_and_loss if the gain and/or loss is known. Use this field when only the change is known. --> | highest = 525 m above sea level (east of Bad Orb) | lowest = 212 m above sea level (western start near Schlüchtern) | grade = | difficulty = | season = | months = | waymark = black "E" on white | sights = | hazards = | surface = natural paths (35%),<br> gravel on forest roads (60%), tarmac (5%) | ROW = | website = www.spessartbund.de }}
The '''Eselsweg''' (English: "donkey trail") is a long-distance hiking trail that follows an ancient trade route through the ''Mittelgebirge'' Spessart, in the states of Hesse and Bavaria, Germany. It is 111 km long and leads from Schlüchtern in the valley of the Kinzig river to Großheubach on the river Main. The trail follows an ancient trade route on which donkey caravans used to transport salt, thus giving rise to the name.<ref name="Wander"/>
==History== The historic road ''Eselsweg'' has likely been in use since prehistoric times. It may have connected Celtic circular ramparts, found for example at Bürgstadt and Miltenberg to similar places near the Kinzig, such as the ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Alteburg (Biebergemünd)|de|3=Alteburg (Biebergemünd)|lt=Alteburg}}''. Since in pre-modern times the valleys of the Spessart were often swampy and water-logged, the path stuck to the higher elevations. This route also avoided the need for constant climbing into and out of the river valleys. The route's name derives from the caravans of donkeys used in the Middle Ages to transport salt from Orb to Miltenberg, where it was either loaded on ships or carried on by land. Miltenberg was an important toll station set up by the Archbishop of Mainz. The ''Eselsweg'' was first mentioned in 1339 as "Eßelspfadt".<ref name="Wander"/><ref name="Bund"/>
==Route== thumb|''Dr.-Kihn-Platz'' where ''Eselsweg'' and ''Birkenhainer Strasse'' meet thumb|Official detour sign on the ''Eselsweg'' near Heigenbrücken due to forestry work conducted by Deutsche Bahn, 2013 thumb|''Schloss Luitpoldshöhe'' near Rohrbrunn
The modern hiking trail mostly follows the historic route and crosses the Spessart as a high route which sticks to the peaks and ridges and avoids the valleys and villages. It is maintained and signposted by the ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Spessartbund|de}}'' with a black "E" on white.<ref name="Park"/>
The ''Eselsweg'' hiking trail starts at the train station of Schlüchtern, Main-Kinzig. It then climbs from the Kinzig valley into the Spessart hills and goes roughly southwest and then south. Near the {{Interlanguage link multi|Wiesbüttmoor|de}}, it reaches the Bavarian border and follows it west before turning south again, entering the ''Landkreis Aschaffenburg''. In this area, the ''Eselsweg'' also touches another ancient trade route, the ''Birkenhainer Strasse''. The two trails run alongside each other to the ''Dr.-Kihn-Platz'', where they part ways. The ''Eselsweg'' continues to lead mostly in a southerly direction, until it crosses the Autobahn 3 at Weibersbrunn before looping west and south back to the Autobahn at Rohrbrunn, a possible location of the inn that inspired a story by Wilhelm Hauff and the movie ''The Spessart Inn''. The trail passes a hunting lodge used by Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria, ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Schloss Luitpoldshöhe|de}}'', and snakes southwards and southwest, entering the ''Landkreis Miltenberg''. It reaches the Main valley at the ''Kloster Engelberg'', above Großheubach and then leads down over 600 steps (''Engelsstaffeln'') into the town.<ref name="Wander"/><ref name="Grieben"/>{{rp|37–38}}<ref name="Rother"/>{{rp|77}}
For most of its length after the initial climb the trail stays at an elevation between 400 m and 500 m and sports few significant climbs. It mostly passes through mixed coniferous forest. The only villages the trail directly touches are: Lettgenbrunn (a part of Jossgrund) and Weibersbrunn. It also passes quite close to the villages of Flörsbach (a part of Flörsbachtal) and Wildensee (a part of Eschau) as well as to Heigenbrücken, a larger town.<ref name="Wander"/><ref name="Kompass"/>{{rp|72}}
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="Grieben">{{cite book|editor-last=Thiemig|editor-first=Karl|title=Grieben Reiseführer, Band 137: Spessart (German)|publisher=Grieben Verlag, München|year=1972}}</ref> <ref name="Rother">{{cite book|last=Tubbesing|first=Ulrich|title=Rother Wanderführer Spessart (German)|publisher=Bergverlag Rother, München|year=2010|isbn=978-3-7633-4269-3}}</ref> <ref name="Kompass">{{cite book|last=Frosch|first=Norbert|title=Kompass Wanderführer Spessart (German)|publisher=Kompass Karten GmbH, Innsbruck|year=2010|isbn=978-3-85026-219-4}}</ref> <ref name="Bund">{{cite web|url=http://www.spessartbund.de/index.php?id=eselsweg0|title=Eselsweg (German)|publisher=Spessartbund|access-date=3 September 2015}}</ref> <ref name="Park">{{cite web|url=http://www.naturpark-spessart.de/wandern/wanderparadies/eselsweg.php|title=Eselsweg (German)|publisher=Naturpark Spessart|access-date=3 September 2015|archive-date=26 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726171136/http://www.naturpark-spessart.de/wandern/wanderparadies/eselsweg.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="Wander">{{cite web|url=http://www.wanderbares-deutschland.de/wanderwege/wanderwege-karte.html#eselsweg|title=Eselsweg (German)|publisher=Deutscher Wanderverband|access-date=3 September 2015}}</ref> }}
==External links== {{Commons category|Eselsweg}}
==Further reading== * Brigitte Wenninger: ''Der Eselsweg. Wandern im Spessart.'' (German) CoCon-Verlag, Hanau 2009, {{ISBN|978-3-937774-74-9}}.
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Category:Former trade routes Category:Hesse Category:Miltenberg (district) Category:Aschaffenburg (district) Category:Hiking trails in Hesse Category:Medieval roads and tracks Category:Historic trails and roads in Germany Category:Spessart Category:Hiking trails in Bavaria