Rohrbrunner Forest: Ancient Forests and Hiking Trails

Eichhall lies within Rohrbrunner Forest; the Faun-Reise trail and the Eichblatt Steinthor Rohrbrunn nature park trail run through the surrounding area. This keeps the ancient forests and the individual hiking options distinct as planning priorities.

Ancient oaks in Eichhall and on Rohrberg

The Eichhall nature reserve is located in the Heisterblock area of the unincorporated Rohrbrunner Forest, in the district of Aschaffenburg in Lower Franconia. It is home to oaks around 400 years old. The Eichhall woodland area has not been used for forestry since 2002; the focus is on preserving and researching near-natural ancient forests.

The Rohrberg nature reserve lies nearby, between Geiersberg and Rohrbrunn. It is a mature oak wood pasture with remnants of oaks over 500 years old. The age figures refer to two different benchmarks: oaks around 400 years old in Eichhall and remnants of even older oaks on Rohrberg. The woodland features described also differ: preservation and research are the focus in Eichhall, while Rohrberg is characterized by its oak wood pasture.

Hikes in the surrounding area

The Faun-Reise trail starts at the hiking car park and follows a small dirt track through varied forests and along the Rohrberg nature forest reserve. There you can discover different habitats of woodland animals. The stations provide information about stag beetles, bats, woodpeckers, and other important species. The hike also passes bat boxes and woodpecker cavities and crosses the highest mountain in the Spessart; the climb is considered not difficult.

Below the car park, a path on the Faun-Reise trail leads toward the Rohrberg nature forest reserve. It passes ancient oaks, larches, and other tree species before reaching a first station about deadwood. Along the route, you will encounter information about individual animal species, various tree species, and the topic of deadwood.

Another option in the surrounding area is the Eichblatt Steinthor Rohrbrunn nature park trail. This 5-kilometre circular hike starts at the Steinthor hiking car park in Rohrbrunner Forest, near Weibersbrunn. After about 600 metres, you reach a junction at the “Zum Puck” signpost. This wayfinding point comes early in the loop; check local signs and any applicable restrictions before setting out.

Cycling and hiking trails in the wider Aschaffenburg destination

The wider Aschaffenburg destination offers further regional options for cycling and hiking. The family-friendly MainRadweg runs through the Main valley in the district of Aschaffenburg and is well signposted. The also well-signposted Kahltal-Spessart-Radweg runs through the district’s landscapes. In the eastern Hochspessart, four challenging cross-country routes are signposted as Bikewald-Spessart routes.

For hiking, Spessart Trails 1, 2, and 3 cross the district of Aschaffenburg. They have been awarded the German Hiking Association’s “Wanderbares Deutschland Quality Trail” certification four times. Another regional cycling option is the Denk mal – Rad mal app: it offers recreational cycling tours in nature with stories, quizzes, and information about places of interest. Check whether the app is available before your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kleinostheim, Großostheim, Bessenbach, Schöllkrippen, Sommerkahl, Karlstein am Main, Haibach, Goldbach.

Back to the wider travel overview: Aschaffenburg.