Knight's Tour

FROM Stolzenberg Castle I noticed a footpath leading through woods, so I decided to see where it would take me.

Coats of arms on a tree

I soon came to a point where I had a choice of trails to follow, and I picked one marked Spessartfährten*, as I knew I was in the Spessart mountain range, and there seemed a good chance the route would be circular.

Attractive display

The trail is well waymarked - much better than you get in Britain.

Orange usually shows up well from a distance

There were a couple of times when I was unsure as to which path to take.

I find then the best course of action is to choose the more promising, give it five minutes of brisk walking, while keeping a sharp lookout, and if no more waymarks appear, double-back and try the alternative route.

Both times I was uncertain I chose the right path, but I got lucky when what I thought was a waymark - you might be able to see it on the lefthand tree - proved to be sawn-off branch (turned out I was on the correct route anyway)

Clear views over mainly flat terrain

Just one shrine on the seven-plus-kilometre trail, at least as far as I noticed

Some natural colour

Striking cemetery at the finish in Bad Soden

*It turns out Spessartfährten means Spessart trails, that they are a series of circular hiking paths, and I was joining one called Stolzenberger Ritterblick, which means something like Views of the Knights of Stolzenberg Castle.