Hiking - "Green Belt Thuringia" - Stage 3

On the third major stage on the Green Belt between the former GDR and West Germany, you will roam the forests and floodplains on the northern edge of the Rodachtal.

You start in the heart of the northern Franconian small town Neustadt bei Coburg. The marketplace is a real gem between the magnificent St. Georg's Church and the modern town hall. There is lively activity here especially during the summer months. You leave the town on Sonneberger Straße and follow the small river Röden northwards past the district Wildenheid and the family forest. Soon after you reach the state border again and follow the old Kolonnenweg opposite the protected Meilschnitz meadows uphill to the forest edge. After a strenuous climb, you reach the General's Viewpoint. From here you have a fantastic view down onto Upper Franconia.

The route continues past the Kuhlmann's Fountain always along the forest clearing on the former border route past Korberroth further on to Rückerswind on the Thuringian side. Here the Gaststätte Georgy invites you to take a break. Those who like can also enjoy the quiet of the small village by the pond. 

Soon after you reach the Froschgrundsee. The reservoir, created for flood protection, is a special feature in the border area. Although it is basically located on the Bavarian side, it stretches into Thuringia when the water is dammed. It was thus one of the few shared inland waters between the FRG and the GDR. 

The new valley bridge of the ICE high-speed line over the Froschgrund is hard to miss. With a span of 270 m, it is the longest railway arch bridge in Germany. 

At Froschgrundsee there is a pretty small restaurant directly at the dam. Especially the local specialties from their own barbecue smoker are worth a visit.

Under the monumental railway structure you soon reach the small village "Weißenbrun vorm Wald" and meet the Kolonnenweg of the Green Belt again at Emstadt. Past Görsdorf you soon reach the former border crossing point Eisfeld-Rottenbach. Today there is a motorway service area at the Eisfeld South junction. 

From the Thuringian Forest viewpoint, in good weather, you can see over Eisfeld to the Schneekopf, the highest point in the Thuringian Forest. Past Bockstadt and Harras you reach the wide plain of the Rodachtal. Continuing along the Kolonnenweg, you leave the Green Belt at Massenhausen and finish the stage in the spa town Bad Rodach. Those who stay overnight here can spend the evening in a relaxed way in the spa park or the spa .