Saturday in Zoigl County Part 1: Falkenberg and Hiking the Goldsteig Zoigl Trip - Part 9 of 13

 This post is part of a 13 part series, if you want to start from the beginning, click here. 

Saturday in Zoigl County  Part 1: Falkenberg and Hiking the Goldsteig

Zoigl Trip - Part 9 of 13 

I was really sick at this point. The night before I suggested that maybe I should skip the hike but Rich encouraged me to do it, so I was in. And I’m glad he did.

Gear for the hike. I was ready for any weather condition. More tissues would have been useful.

We were up early for breakfast at the hotel. Ferdl would be picking us up at 9:30am to drive us to Falkenberg. Ferdl is German, so 9:30am really means 9:15am. Rich, Billy, and I are all prompt people so it wasn’t a problem.

There used to be a bus between Windischeschenbach and Falkenberg but it was discontinued, so Rich arranged for Ferdl to give us a ride to Falkenberg. Unfortunately Ferdl would not be able to join us for any portion of the day as he was busy with a martial arts event. It really was a missed opportunity that Billy and I didn't get to spend more time with Ferdl. The timing of that event meant he would drop us off in Falkenberg well before anything was open. 

Each of the Zoigl Kommunbrauhauses have sculpture out front. This is an example of how the EU has invested in Zoigl tourism. 

Getting there early was okay as it meant we got to explore ALL of Falkenberg. It’s a small town so that didn’t take long. Falkenberg has an old castle on a low hill that has been converted into a hotel. 

While it was misty and damp all day, the only real downpour we experienced was in Falkenberg. By the time it really started raining, Zoigl Kramer Wolf (https://www.zoigl-kramer-wolf.de/) was open and we were able to dry out over a beer before heading out on the trail. 

We settled into a table in Kramer’s Zoigl Stubn, their first floor taproom. Being early, the place was empty. Just three older guys at a table. One turned out to be the owner (Herr Wolf) who was setting up and serving. The other two were hanging out drinking beer. Kramer has a really cool second floor banquet hall too. The bathrooms are on the second floor, so you won’t miss it even if it isn’t open at the moment. 

Then it was off to the Goldsteig trail. The Goldsteig is the longest hiking trail in Germany. We would only be hiking about 14k of it, which with rest of our wanders for the day would be about 4.5 hours of walking. Our hike through the Waldnaabtal Nature Reserve, would take us from Falkenberg to Neuhaus. Neuhaus is right across the narrow Euro-sized river from Windischeschenbach, where we were staying. 

Rich points the way.

Despite dealing with a cough and a non-stop runny nose, I made sure to enjoy the moment and the scenery. 

A little less than midway through, there is a restaurant, Waldnaaptal Blockhütte, where we stopped for lunch and more beer.  Waldnaaptal Blockhütte is accessible by both car and by foot, so it was pretty crowded when we got there. But not too crowded to get a table. It’s obvious their beer garden must be a really hopping place when the weather is nicer. (Rich's entry on the Blockhütte https://www.beerwanderers.com/2018/07/waldnaaptal-blockhutte/)

Waldnaaptal Blockhütte

This leg of the Goldsteig is pretty easy going. There are some hills, but nothing crazy. Well, not until you get to Neuhaus. Neuhaus is really up there and it’s a lengthy steep walk. It won’t kill you, but you’ll have earned a few beers when you get there. Luckily, Neuhaus has a lot of Zoigl waiting for you. And that will be the next post.

Even with rainy weather, it was a lovely walk in the woods.

Next Post : Saturday in Zoigl County  Part 2, Neuhaus and Night 2 in Windischeschenbach