The best traffic-free bike rides around Bad Steben

This old quarry impressed me a lot.

Beautiful resting place to slow down and enjoy the peace

The Frankenwarte (Frankenwarte) stands atop the 679-meter-high Hirschhügel (Hirschhügel). The eight-and-a-half-meter-high, round stone tower offers a panoramic view to the northeast, to the edge of the Höllental valley, to Lichtenberg and Bad Steben, and to the west to the hills near Nordhalben. To the south, Geroldsgrün, the 729-meter-high Spitzberg, and the 758-meter-high Schneidberg can be seen, and hidden behind them, the highest peak in the Franconian Forest, the 794-meter-high Döbraberg. To the southeast, the view extends to the Fichtel Mountains. The Frankenwarte was built and is maintained by the Franconian Forest Association. Plans to build an observation tower on the hill existed as early as 1930. However, the Frankenwarte was not inaugurated until August 12, 1951. In 2020, panoramic panels were installed on the parapet of the viewing platform, illustrating the towns and landscape features visible from here.

In Bad Steben, the topics of mining and geology are unavoidable. Gold was panned west of the spa town, and iron ore was mined around Bad Steben until 1858. The "Geology and Mining" educational trail from Bad Steben to Blechschmidtenhammer, with 17 display panels, vividly illustrates the more than 1,000-year history of mining in the region. In 1793, Alexander von Humboldt founded the "Bergschule zu Steben" (Mining School of Steben) in Bad Steben, the world's first vocational school for miners. A mine railway in the park opposite the spa building commemorates the coal and fluorspar mining, which ended in 1968.

Boots, slippers, and soccer cleats adorn this tree in the Seifengrund area. There are now over 50 pairs, and the number is growing. No one knows who came up with the idea of hanging the shoes, but spa guests know the tree and the idea behind it. At the rest area next to the tree, spa guests hold their farewell gatherings. By throwing their shoes into the tree, departing patients symbolically leave their old burdens behind.

This oak tree was planted in 1871 to mark the founding of the German Empire.

The Luther Church in Bad Steben was an architectural gem at the time of its construction. The material it was built from was only used for the second time in a church in Germany during its construction: reinforced concrete. With its slate slabs on the exterior surfaces, the red-tiled roofs, and the stone-decorated corners of the facade, the design reflects the Heimatstil (local style) that emerged in the 1870s. Its consecration took place on October 9, 1910, and it received its name even later.

A remarkable wooden bridge over the Selbitz River and a very popular photo subject in the Höllental Valley. According to legend, the Prince of Hell was once seen on the Devil's Bridge.