The Nibelungensteig is labeled along the entire trail with a red “N” on a white background.
History
In 2007 the Odenwaldklub was instructed to create a new hiking trail, the Nibelungensteig. The first 40 kilometers of the trail lead from Zwingenberg to Grasellenbach. That first section is put together out of local loop trails and was officially opened in October 2008. In April 2010, around 90 kilometers were added to the first 40 kilometers of the Nibelungensteig. The now 130 kilometers make up the complete trail, leading from Zwingenberg to Freudenberg. In January 2012, the Nibelungensteig was certified as Qualitätsweg Wanderbares Deutschland by the German Mountain and Walking Clubs Association.
Route
Three feeder paths lead from Worms, which is a central setting of the Nibelungensage. The paths lead through the Hessian Ried to the Nibelungensteig. The three feeder paths include two biking routes, and one hiking trail. The first section of the Nibelungensteig is divided into three legs that are between 12 and 15 kilometers long. The first leads from Zwingenberg over the Melibokus hill and the Felsberg hill. At the base of the Felsberg lies the Felsenmeer to Reichenbach. The second leg passes by the Hohenstein, a quartzite rock popular with rock climbers, and Lindenfels. From there the third leg leads to one of the so-called Siegfried's spring, near Grasellenbach. Out of all the Siegfried's springs in the Odenwald, at which Siegfried was supposedly assassinated by Hagen, the one near Grasellenbach is the best known. Another of the springs is the Zittenfeldener Quelle. The extension of the Nibelungensteig from 2010 leads through towns like Amorbach and Miltenberg. It also passes landmarks like the, the, and the Ebersberger Felsenmeer. Furthermore, the trail passes the Quellkirche, a former pilgrimage site in Schöllenbach, and a pilgrimage church in Hesselbach, which is dedicated to St. Luzia and St. Odilia. Other notable sites along the route include:
at Bürgstadt, the , whose furniture includes the so-called Bilderbibel and
the Centgrafenkapelle, a ruined building which was never finished as a consequence of the Thirty Years' War
Nibelungensteig-Marathon
The Nibelungensteig-Marathon is a so-called ultramarathon, i.e. its distance of 53 kilometers is longer than the usual distance for marathons. The marathon has been taking place once a year, mostly in the fall, since 2008. The runners have to overcome approximately 1,400 meters elevation gain.
