Up the Katzenbuckel - Odenwald and Neckar valley

Beautiful hike through meadows and forests to the Katzenbuckel. I hiked on Pentecost in wonderful weather. There are always shady passages to walk. Overall not difficult.

From Eberbach past the ruins of Eberbach Castle, we went up the Katzenbuckel (highest mountain in the Odenwald) on Sunday. Enjoyed the wonderful view from the tower and then slowly back along the Holderbach and wild boar enclosure. Finally, a short detour to the Ludwig Neuer Hütte and Löwenfelsen. The weather was excellent, what more could you ask for.

The section directly along the river bed from the game reserve to Unterdielbach (an educational bird trail) is currently closed, so use the parallel forest/service path! Otherwise nice comfortable tour in great weather 😎🤙🏼🥾🌞

Eberbach - Katzenbuckel - Eberbach Castle Ruins and back The eroded chimney of an extinct volcano is, at 626 meters, the highest mountain in the entire Odenwald. On this approximately 18-kilometer circular hike, you climb the summit from Eberbach and through the Holderbach Valley and are rewarded with a fantastic panorama. The tour begins at Eberbach train station. The next eleven kilometers are uphill. After all, there are 550 meters of elevation ahead of you. But don't worry, the climb through the Holderbach Valley is a feast for the eyes for nature lovers. Once you reach the top in Unterdielbach, it's only a few kilometers and you're already standing on the highest point of the Katzenbuckel and tackling the last 18 meters of elevation up to the observation tower. From the top you have a fantastic panoramic view of the Odenwald and, if the visibility is good, even as far as the Taunus. If you've packed a snack, you'll also find a few places to sit by the tower. The last part of the hike is downhill again. There is a lot to discover, such as the Freya fountain, the highest fountain in the Odenwald, the Emichsburg ruins, a little off the path, a ruin of a former hunting lodge and of course the Eberbach castle ruins with a wonderful view of the Neckar valley. Description: From the car park on Güterbahnhofstrasse in Eberbach, follow the red "R" towards the GRN clinic and continue into the forest. Here the "R" path turns right. But you now follow the yellow "V" in the yellow circle. Shortly before the flood retention basin, continue with the "51" sign towards Unterdielbach. From the retention basin, however, it is advisable to use the parallel forest path, as the hiking trail along the Holderbach is partially impassable due to fallen trees. At the entrance to Unterdielbach, continue with the "51" to the edge of the Katzenbuckel. From here, follow the “cat path” markings (green serpentine line on a white background) past the lake up to the tower. Return along the “cat path” to the Freya Hut. From here, follow the yellow St. Andrew’s cross, past the ruins of Eberbach Castle, back to the starting point.

The Katzenbuckel is an eroded crater of an extinct volcano and, at 626.8 metres, is the highest mountain in the Odenwald. On the summit there is an 18-metre-high observation tower from 1820, which offers a good panoramic view over the treetops as far as the Feldberg in the Taunus.

"The Katzenbuckel is an eroded crater of an extinct volcano and, at 626.8 m above sea level, the highest mountain in the Odenwald"...with this rudimentary Wikipedia information in mind, we set out to conquer this summit in the best possible conditions😆 But first on the agenda was a visit to the observation tower on Eberbach's local mountain. The Ohrnsberg tower offers a view of the entire city and it was the only opportunity to take a look at the Neckar today. Then things get serious, a steep😜 very natural climb🌿🌱🪵😬 takes us up to the Eberbach castle ruins. Although only a few walls remain, the typical vegetation with blackberry vines, flowers and grasses decorates the old stones wonderfully😍 It buzzes and hums and all attempts to catch a few photos of butterflies have failed again 🤷‍♂️ The goal is soon reached and the 18m high observation tower on the Katzenbuckel offers a great view in almost all directions 😍 A few steps downhill you reach the ski jump of the Eberbach Ski Guild 😯 Only built in 1994, the best times seem to be over. Does this facility still have a future or is it another lost place😏 We linger a while at the pale green Katzenbuckelsee, which was created from a quarry, and watch the fat carp that we attracted with a few crumbs of bread 😆 The Villa Katzenbuckel, a restaurant with a modern look, is unfortunately closed. It's a shame, we would have liked to have had a little refreshment 🍻 The long descent through the Holderbachtal brings us back to the outskirts of Eberbach, and the train station is quickly reached. The train then surprises us again with delays and unplanned transfers, but that couldn't spoil our good mood🤩

It wasn't 10 hours (Komoot again), but it was a decent route with a short rain shower. The view was all the more amazing!

I thought that you should also go to the Katzenbuckel, the highest mountain in the Odenwald (626.8 m above sea level)... and you also have a really great view from the top of the tower 😀 What more could you want in this weather? On the Neckar we waited what felt like an eternity until a boat came along. It doesn't seem to be a busy waterway 🤔