Tour 12 Härtsfeld Green Trail - On the trail of coal mines and corals

From the parking lot at the church square to the southern end of the village. Here a cycle path leads left into the Dossingen valley (dry valley, popular hiking area with climbing rocks). The tour continues through Dossingen and along a paved road to Neresheim. After the riding stables, cross the B 466 main road and continue along the road to Auernheim. At the waterworks (on the left), turn right onto the cycle path parallel to the main road down into the Kuchen valley. At the hikers' parking lot with barbecue area, the path leads south up an incline and past a weekend settlement to Auernheim. After the Zehntscheuer, the tour continues in the direction of Fleinheim until you reach the Schwäbischer Albverein hiking trail in the forest (approx. 2 km). This gravel path leads in a straight line through the forest to Nattheim. For a detour into the village, take the path to the left past the building yard and left again to the village center. After the detour, continue straight on towards the B 466 main road, cross it just before the traffic circle and cycle on towards the forest. Here you come to a parking lot for hikers and a sports field. Leave this on the left, a right-hand bend then leads into the forest. Follow the signs, which run along the Nattheimer Albvereinsweg, the “Jubiläumsweg”. You will see an information board about Stefanshof on the left, cycle straight on and shortly afterwards turn right onto another cycle path, the “radorado-Härtsfeldtour”.

The route continues along this cycle path for a while, but just before Kleinkuchen, follow the junction to the left while the “radorado” continues straight ahead. Follow the signs to Rotensohl. There, turn right into the road until you reach the local road to Nietheim after a few meters on the left, opposite the Waldhorn inn, at the bus stop.

Follow this road and cross under the highway. The charcoal burning plant is on the left. Continue along this road to Nietheim and continue straight on through the village. At the Großkuchen - Ebnat district road, follow the road to the left until the next junction, then turn right past the Hagenbucher Hof farm and continue to Niesitz. Here, turn right into the village and then immediately left again towards Ebnat. Before Ebnat, follow the cycle path on the right, cross the district road and cycle along the edge of the forest, leaving the hamlet of Diepertsbuch on the right and cycling into the forest and downhill to the highway underpass. Turn left at the junction and descend into the Krätzental valley. Cycle uphill on the paved gravel path. Cycle slightly downhill out of the forest and straight on to Elchingen and back to the starting point.

Information about the Green Trail and the sights in the region can be found at www.haertsfeld.de