Through the Sinngrund in the Spessart

From Rieneck railway station, follow Bahnhofstraße and the "red crossbar" sign and turn right into Hauptstraße, which leads to the centre of the small town. There you will find the unique architectural ensemble of the Schindel House on pillars, the neo-classical church of St John and the historic town hall, which also houses a museum. Outside the town hall is a relic of rude justice: a neck iron pillory.

If you want to treat yourself to a little break at the start of this tranquil hike, we recommend the "Klein und Fein" café. The historic half-timbered house at Hauptstraße 7 is cosy and offers a variety of drinks and fresh, homemade pastries. Take a moment to get in the mood for your visit to the castle, which dominates the panorama of the town from afar.

It is only a few steps from the town centre to the time-honoured walls, of which the "thick tower" is open to hikers.

The so-called "castrum Rinecke" was built around 1150 by Ludwig I, Count of Loon and Rieneck, to secure his sphere of power against the interests of the bishoprics of Mainz, Würzburg and Fulda. The fortification walls around the castle courtyard were reinforced on the vulnerable mountain side in the north-west by the heptagonal "Thick Tower". A small chapel was even built into its outer wall, which was up to 8 metres thick - a unique feature on the European mainland! There were also other half-timbered buildings at this time. The "Fat Tower" can be visited all year round. From there you have a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Behind the thick walls, an old fireplace and sleeping niches bear witness to the way of life of the former castle guards.

Around 1200, the castle was fortified more strongly and the Romanesque courtyard chapel and the octagonal "Thin Tower" were built, which, unlike today, originally only had small hatches in the masonry. After the counts of Rieneck died out in 1559, the castle was only inhabited sporadically, leading to its steady decline. In the 19th century, the castle was privately owned and was extensively restored in the neo-Gothic style. In 1929, the building was remodelled again and the "Thin Tower", for example, was given its windows. Today, the castle has been home to the national centre of the Association of Christian Scouts (VCP) - formerly the Christian Scouts of Germany - since 1959.

The chapels can be visited by appointment at the castle; rooms used by the accommodation centre are not freely accessible.

Back on the main road, turn right into Sinnberg and then shortly afterwards cross the bridge over the Sinn on the left. At the roundabout, go straight ahead, then turn left onto the local hiking trail R 1, which starts approximately at Walther-Bloem-Ring. Follow this road and continue straight ahead at the fork. After the last houses, the road becomes a gravel path, but it is easy to walk on. You soon reach the forest and continue along the very varied R1 hiking trail in its cooling shade.

Views of the river valley below your path open up again and again. After a kilometre or so, steps lead you to the right to a bench next to a statue dedicated to St. Anthony. A short distance further on, you will come across a rescue path that branches off to the left, but please do not use it as it is forbidden to enter the railway grounds.

You cross the northern entrance to the two-kilometre-long Sinnberg tunnel and continue northwards above the ICE railway line. There are still two climbs ahead of you, but you will be rewarded with a wonderful view of the Sinntal valley after the almost 100 metres of ascent. Finally, the forest opens up and you continue along the R1 to Burgsinn, pass the outdoor pool and can then enjoy the freshly babbling Aura stream.

On the way to the moated castle, there is of course the opportunity to stop for a break, for example at Cafe Müller in Hauptstraße 12 or Gasthaus Stern in Hauptstraße 8, from where it is only a few steps to the moated castle.

The "Alte Burg", situated in the centre of Burgsinn, is a typical moated castle. However, a moat still filled with water like the one here is rare! The entire complex has a trapezoidal ground plan with towers at the corners. A bridge on the west side provides access to the interior. The castle is dominated by the 22 metre high keep, built from massive humpback ashlars. Its square ground plan has a side length of 8.5 metres. With this massive tower, the moated castle still characterises the townscape today.

The rest of the masonry was built from quarry stone, supplemented and renewed several times. The wall of the northern residential building, which extends from the first floor upwards, is half-timbered. A small timber-framed building was also erected on the square north-east tower. The first feudal tenants were the counts of Rieneck in 1317. A few years later, the Bishop of Würzburg granted the castle and all its possessions to Dietz von Thüngen. The surviving structure is essentially based on construction work carried out by the latter between 1339 and 1342. The castle is still owned by the von Thüngen family, but is no longer used as a residence today.

The castle itself cannot be visited, but the imposing building can be walked round from the water and park side.

You leave the castle park through the stone gate into Mittelsinner Straße. If you turn right into Poststraße, you will reach Burgsinn railway station and can shorten the tour. If you want to continue on foot, turn left at the crossroads into Wiesenweg and follow the Schachblumenweg along or above the nature reserve and the Sinntal valley.

On the outskirts of Mittelsinn, leave the "Schachblume" markings and turn left into Hauptstrasse. Turn right over the Sinn and then left to reach the railway station for a shortcut. Turn right into Brunnenstraße and follow the cycle path northwards. You will come to the "Roter Schrägstrich" markings, turn right here over the bridge and walk on the other side of the Sinn to the centre of Obersinn and the pretty ensemble of the Leo Weismantel House.

The little half-timbered house that now houses the Leo Weismantel House is tiny - the entire ground floor covers just 40 square metres. Originally, the house and its neighbouring building formed a contiguous farmstead. It was not until the 19th century that it was divided into two residential buildings, in which day labourers, stonemasons and workers lived. Shortly after the year 2000, several houses in the village centre were put up for sale. The municipality of Obersinn acquired them and planned the construction of a new village square. It organised the renovation of the "Blue Villa", the renovation of the "Alte Schusterei", the construction of a bakery and the erection of a new building for the savings bank. Most recently, she had the house at Schulgasse 3 renovated and set up the Leo Weismantel House in it.

The permanent exhibition in the Leo Weismantel House is not simply about the life of the writer, educationalist and cultural politician, who was born in Obersinn in 1888. Instead, it aims to make his world of thought comprehensible and uses modern audiovisual media to do so.

An initial focus is on the influence that Weismantel received in his birthplace of Obersinn. He experienced first-hand the intrusion of modernity into the secluded world of the upper Sinntal, which was characterised by deep faith and old customs. Throughout his life, he developed ideas to mitigate the consequences of these far-reaching changes. These ideas repeatedly brought him into contact with the political, religious and scientific programmes of his time and into conflict with their representatives. The exhibition also focuses on these conflicts.

After visiting the museum, you may want to round off your hike with a good meal. We recommend the Gasthaus Eck at Hauptstr. 40, but please note that Thursdays are closed. (Tel. 09356 5447)

To reach Obersinn railway station, follow Schulgasse and after a good 100 metres turn right into Eller. The tour ends at the railway station in Obersinn.