Auf historischen Wegen unterwegs

The hike starts at the historic "Sonne" town hall in Seewald - Besenfeld. The Schillingerweg takes you to the edge of the forest and, looking back, you will not only recognise the Swabian Alb in the distance, but also that Besenfeld originated from a village of woodland hooves . Continuing through the forest, you reach the Charlottenhütte and reach one of the historic paths, the Schäufler Weg. The Schäufler were the day labourers who built the important paths for timber transport and also kept them clear of snow in winter. This path leads to the so-called Obere Neue Haus, of which only the remains of the foundation wall remain. This was once a huge timber storage area for around 40,000 cubic metres of wood from the Murg Valley and transported on to the Enz and Nagold rivers. Accommodation and shelter were also needed to supply the foresters, as well as room for the caretaker, etc. It developed into a forest inn. There are many stories about this place. It also served as the setting for "Das Wirtshaus im Spessart" by Wilhelm Hauff, whose uncle was a priest in Schwarzenberg. Opposite, two mighty cabbage slabs are still clearly recognisable. Soon you come to the junction with the Neuhaus Hütte (Forstrat Ebert Hütte), where the Alte Weinstrasse - the Schäuflerweg - and the Scheiterweg cross. The Scheiterweg was used to transport timber from the Murg to the heights with ox and horse-drawn carts. The Alte Weinstrasse, on the other hand, was a trade route that came from the Vorderen Murg Valley and led via Gernsbach - Loffenau and Hohloh to Besenfeld and once also connected the monasteries of Reichenbach - Alpirsbach and Kniebis. Follow this path back to Besenfeld. Once you reach the edge of the forest, the Robert Schneider Hütte offers another beautiful view of the village and the countryside.