Through the Main meadows from Zeil to Haßfurt

On the way from Bahnhofstraße to Zeil market square, the romantic flair of the little town becomes more and more noticeable. Half-timbered houses and small inns, typical of the Abbot Degen wine valley. Abbot Alberich Degen, who brought Silvaner wine to Franconia, was born in Zeil. If you want to stock up on local wine for a picnic, we recommend the Nüsslein wine house in Zeil, Am Marktplatz 1 in Zeil.

The market square boasts a unique half-timbered ensemble, with late Gothic and Baroque masterpieces in between. The town fountain and the town hall are also worth seeing. You can already see the Witches' Tower from the market square.

Zeil am Main was once heavily involved in the history of the "witch hunt". In the "Zeil Witch Tower" documentation centre, the history of the "witch hunt" is vividly presented. With the help of individual fates and numerous contemporary documents, the topic is vividly conveyed to the visitor and encourages reflection on mechanisms of exclusion. In addition, the centre also offers space for special exhibitions.

This is where the actual hike begins: Walk back a little in the direction of the railway station until you reach the Sparkasse bank. From here, turn right into Sander Straße, which you follow for 2 km.

Once you arrive in Sand, you can take a short detour to the Rippstein Winery, Anger 14 in Sand am Main. You can also drop in outside opening hours by prior arrangement by telephone. Telephone: (09524) 5167. From here you can easily find the Sander Baggersee and campsite, where the "LIFE-Natur-Erlebnispfad" is signposted.

The LIFE Nature Experience Trail is about 2.4 km long and can be extended to 4.5 km. A high lookout provides a central information point where visitors can learn about the still diverse flora and fauna on information boards. At the same time, the view can stretch far across the water into the reed-rich floodplain. There are also bird-watching spots and information points along the way. For children, there are numerous play elements and tasks along the way. On hot days, the nature trail delights with its lush and shady-cool nature. There are also great play elements for getting to know nature. It is recommended to bring binoculars for bird watching. You can see the grey heron, the great egret, the curlew, various species of geese. And if you are lucky, you might even see a kingfisher.

Continue walking along the Main towards Augsfeld/Haßfurt until you reach the Mainauen. The bird watching tower is visible from afar.

The birdwatching tower near Hassfurt stands in the middle of the 146-hectare nature reserve. Numerous rare bird species have gradually reestablished themselves here. The tower offers information on the birds living here, which visitors can also observe well from up here if they have time. The tower rewards the climb up the spiral staircase with a magnificent panoramic view over the Main meadows.

Continue to orientate yourself along the Main and walk first between water and meadows, finally past the Hassfurt-Schweinfurt airfield, onto Flugplatzstraße. From there, keep walking in the direction of Haßfurt city centre. At the large crossing Obere Vorstadt - Heideloffplatz, the Ritterkapelle is already visible.

The landmark and most important building in the historic town of Hassfurt is the late Gothic Knights' Chapel. It was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The name Ritterkapelle (Knight's Chapel) has become established because of the numerous coats of arms that can be found on the cornice of the choir. It is a book of coats of arms of the German nobility that has never been seen. The foundation stone of the choir was laid around 1390, that of the long house in 1431. The sacred building has some valuable works of art. For example, above the door of the west portal is the "Fourth Virtue Man" stretched between the four cardinal virtues, whose symbols are on his hands and feet: Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Prudence. The late Gothic parish church also houses valuable works by Tilman Riemenschneider, such as the sculptures of John the Baptist and Mary with the Child.

If you would like to stop off at a traditional pub to round off the day, we recommend the Wirtshaus zum Fass, at Hauptstraße 59, only 500 metres from the Ritterkapelle. From here, walk along the main road in the direction of Bahnhofsstraße and you will be at Haßfurt railway station in no time.