Circular route 'Eisvogel' (Kingfisher) - Along the Steinbach to Große Kanzel

Stages:
Parking area Jägerstraßl – Steinbach – Steinbachklause – Große Kanzel – Taferl – Steinerne Stiege – Parking area Jägerstraßl

Tour description:
At the parking area Jägerstraßl, we start our hiking tour by going uphill for a short time. Next, we turn right onto the hiking trail towards Steinbachklause with the signpost ‘Eisvogel’ (Kingfisher).The trail leads us parallel to the Reschbach without big differences in altitude and follows the abandoned railway line of the former Spiegelauer Waldbahn, which transported wood out of the forest near Mauth-Finsterau to Spiegelau as a narrow-gauge railway until the 1950s.
 
After about 500 meters, a detour to the right can be made to rest area Sandriegel (toilets).

We continue following the path. After about 600 meters, we reach the Steinbach, which we follow upstream to Steinbachklause. The landscape is shaped by the beaver which build dams in the river at several spots and created an impressive wetland.  Over time, the trail gets steeper and the Steinbach rushes down to the valley in small cascades. After about one hour, we reach the shelter of Steinbachklause. The Klause was formally used for timber drift and usually contains only small quantity of water, unless it is dammed up by the beaver who has settled there. There we can have a little break.

We cross the Steinbach over a little bridge and follow the signpost ‘Eisvogel’ (Kingfisher) for about one kilometer towards Seefilz (information panel). There we turn left and reach the crossroads to Große Kanzel after another 800 meters. We turn left and walk to the foot of the rock. On the right, a climb branches off, that brings us to the peak with its summit cross. You will have to climb, in order to get to the very top (Attention! Slippery when wet!). Then we reached the highest point of today's tour of 1001 meters above sea level. The summit is a great place for another break. The panorama offers a beautiful view to the national park apron, Lusen, or even up to the Alps on a clear day.  
Narrow forest paths lead us downhill through varied mixed forest. We still continue with the signpost 'Eisvogel' (Kingfisher). On the way, we pass the "Taferl", a historical shrine and climb the "Steinerne Stiege". After a total of about 2 3/4 hours, we reach the starting point at the Jägerstraßl parking area.

Correct on the go – all the time:

• Beware of falling trees and deadwood! The use of the path is at your own risk. At strong wind please leave the forest for safety reasons!
• Path regulations in order to protect endangered plants and animals in certain areas of the national park
• Please do not leave any trash! Dog poop bags or handkerchiefs do not belong in nature either. Please help to keep our wild forest clean. Thank you!

Always ensure to have good equipment: card, sturdy shoes, something to drink, first aid kit, bad weather clothing

Advice:
This tour passes the game reserve Riedlhäng. Due to the protection of red deer, this reserve may not be entered from 1st December to 16th May. Please use the signposted detour during that time. The marked paths (including the circular trail ‘Eisvogel’ (Kingfisher)) can be used again from 1st April on. Thank you!

Tour of medium difficulty with moderately steep ascents.
The path is consistently signposted with the marking ‘Eisvogel’ (Kingfisher).

Parking area Jägerstraßl
94545 Hohenau

Parking area Jägerstraßl

Igelbus top Mauth P+R
Finsterau-Bus, line 603

(Igelbus operating from mid of May until the end of the bavarian autumn holidays end of October/beginning of November)

For timetables see www.bayerwald-ticket.com
Schedules on www.bayern-fahrplan.de

The starting point of the tour is only few minutes away from the bus stop. Cross the river Reschbach and Reschbachstraße and then go uphill to the parking area Jägerstraßl.

• Eisvogel (Kingfisher)

Did you know it?

The rail network of the Spiegelauer Waldbahn was built at the beginning of the 20th century, in order to facilitate timber transportation from the woodlands around Spiegelau. Starting from train station Spiegelau, a main line to Mauth (23 kilometers away), as well as several short branch lines were built. It was a narrow-gauge railway with 600 millimeters of track gauge. At the end of the 1950s, timber transportation with the Waldbahn ended, as the necessary overhaul of the railway would have been too expensive.  Next, there was a complete dismantling of these tracks. Today, remnants of the former railway embankment can still be found in this area. In some places, the routes are now used as hiking trails.

A new native forest area emerges in the national park
Within the national park, there is no interference with natural development processes on most of its surface. Natural disturbances, such as windthrow, bark beetle and snow break, change the appearance of the landscape enormously within a relatively short time. Old trees die and remain in the forest. Between their remains, a new and stable native forest area with great biodiversity is created. Standing and lying deadwood is very important, as it offers a wide variety of habitats for a variety of life. Insects and fungi benefit from deadwood, for example. Young trees grow up under great living conditions in the area around deadwood with a good supply of water, nutrients and substrate.

Parking area Jägerstraßl Mauth, Jägerstraßl, 94545 Hohenau

Parking area Jägerstraßl Mauth, Jägerstraßl, 94545 Hohenau