Walking on the path of silence
We go hiking in the Jagsttal. From our accommodation in Landgasthof Jagstmühle in Mulfingen-Heimhausen let's leave for a four-hour one Hike on the path of silence, a name that this hiking trail between Heimhausen, Mulfingen and Simprechtshausen rightly deserves and that of the WanderSüden organization Baden Wuerttemberg was awarded. This hiking tour leads through an agricultural landscape with villages, gems like the St. Anna Chapel, through deciduous forests and past yellow flowering meadows where the dandelions are just showing their splendor. We also pass rapeseed fields that stretch to the horizon.
Hiking in the Jagsttal on lonely paths
As soon as we leave Heimhausen on a tarred road that leads up the mountain, we reach a world in which the clocks run more slowly. Away from the traffic in the valley road, we hear the birds singing here. In the distance, a cuckoo calls and reminds its adoptive parents of its hunger. We walk past piles of wood that are waiting for the next winter. We take a look back towards Heimhausen, which is soon below us. The path of silence is one trailthat encourages you to let your mind wander. To come to rest. Again and again we stop and listen to the rustling of the wind in the tops of the beech trees above us.
What you need for a hike in the Jagsttal
- The roads on the way are sometimes rough. Find suitable walking shoes for wide feet here
- Check our hiking checklist whether you have packed everything for your hike.
- Make sure to bring a backpack with, because there are hardly any places to stop off along the way.
First stage to Mulfingen
As soon as we leave the shelter of the forest, we feel that the temperatures have cooled off significantly in the past few days. Here in the meadows the wind whistles freshly around our ears and we make sure that we get back into more protected terrain. We find this around the St. Anna Chapel, a small pilgrimage chapel on the outskirts of Mulfingen, in which icons can be seen. There is a small Marian grotto in front of the chapel, and I can imagine that this is a popular stop here in summer as well, as several benches invite you to take a break. However, the morning temperatures are still too cool for us to rest here, and so we continue towards Mulfingen.
Do you like to travel by motorhome?
- The closest campsite to Mulfingen is Waldcamping Hollenbacher See. There you can relax after a day trip in a Dutch Oven or on the portable grill after a day trip. You can also find Dutch oven accessories here.
- Do you want to rent a motorhome? Then you will find information here as well as booking options. Or would you prefer to stay overnight roof tent on the car? Also the overnight stay in camping tents is possible.
- Check our packing list for campers to see whether you have packed everything for your motorhome tour.
- You want to know where you can stay overnight in Germany and are looking for parking spaces and campsites? You can find information about this under this link.
- Why is a folding e-bike useful when camping?
A place in the Jagsttal - Mulfingen
The place is the largest settlement in this region of the Jagsttal and has some pretty half-timbered houses. We continue hiking, following the signs that clearly mark the Path of Silence. In the vicinity of the sports hall we discover a heron in the bed of the Röggelshäuser Bach and try to approach carefully. However, he discovers us and flies away.
The sheep take our advances much more calmly, they continue to pluck their grass from the steep slope comfortably and like to be photographed by us. We look in vain for the Limburg pasture cattle, which were once popular export hits among the princes of Hohenlohe, and whose meat even went over the sales counters on the French markets as “Boeuf de Hohenlohe”. Perhaps it is still too cold at this time of year and you will still stay in the warm stable?
Hiking in the Jagsttal to Simprechtshausen
The reservoir of Röggelshäuser Bach is also not yet dammed up - probably because we are still here a little earlier in the year. We continue through forest trails to the small village Simprechtshausen, before our way past blooming rapeseed fields and deciduous forests again tends down into the valley of the Jagst. From the top we once again have a beautiful view of the Jagstmühle, which is invitingly located in the valley below the blossoming meadows with scattered fruit trees.
A picnic near Zaisenhausen
Because we want to see even more of this beautiful cultural landscape, we get into the car here and set off on another journey of discovery through Hohenlohe, which takes us on a leisurely tour to the highlights of another stage of the Path of Silence: we drive back to Mulfingen and branch off there to Ochsental. A small sign on the left side of the road shows us the way to Zaisenhausen, which takes us along a narrow tar road past fields and meadows to a wonderful one picnic Area above the valley of the Ette. In the meantime the sun has won the battle against the wind and warmed up the air so much that we decide to take a look at this willow-fringed view Lunch picnic to do with a great view of the Zaisenhausen below us.
You discover the Lourdes grotto while hiking in the Jagsttal
After our rest, we drive down into town and follow the small sign to the left of the road that shows us the way to the Lourdes Grotto. In the past this was said to have been a preferred meeting place for the village youth. However, since this was not particularly appropriate for the "virgins" of the place - as it is described in a description on a blackboard - it was turned into a sacred place where the village still meets today.
We discover the old linden tree in Hollenbach while hiking in the Jagsttal
Our journey continues to Hollenbach. In front of the church of this village is a remarkable almost 1000 years old linden tree, which impresses especially by its huge trunk and the huge crown. Behind it, the village church almost disappears despite its towering church tower.
Worth seeing: Ailringen in the Jagsttal
We follow the valley of the Hollenbach up to the Rißbach, which flows into the Jagst at Ailringen. Ailringen is one of those pretty villages with half-timbered buildings that belong here in the region. The church towers over the village on a steep hill. Although I don't like to hike uphill, I climb up the mountain and the further up I get, the more beautiful the view becomes. The church is surrounded by flowering fruit trees with bees and bumblebees buzzing around their flowers.
After a short rest on a park bench after the steep ascent, we go into the cemetery, which looks unusual with its wooden crosses. As we learn, the graves are only allowed to be decorated with wooden crosses, with unmarried deceased receiving white wooden crosses and married brown wooden crosses. We could not find out why the graves of the priests also have brown wooden crosses. The floral decorations on the graves of Ailringen are also unique: they consist exclusively of “God's eyes”.
The Ailringen cemetery
After this hike and tour through the Hohenloher country, we return full of new and interesting impressions back to our Landgasthof Jagstmühle after a day that has helped us to inner peace and retreat. Hiking Baden Württemberg with WanderSüden is fun and very easy to plan with the information on their website. The perfect place to slow down and relax after a fun-filled journey! We will be back. Hiking holiday Germany, as he can hardly be more beautiful.
For overnight we recommend the
Landgasthof and Hotel Jagstmühle
Mulfingen-Heimhausen
Information, availability check and online booking *
How to reach us
Book yours here Arrival by plane, bus or train*. It is possible to travel to Heimhausen-Mulfingen by car or train.
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Source: own on-site research on friendly invitation of hiking Baden Württemberg
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline