Walberla and Rodenstein from Kirchehrenbach

The walk starts at Kirchehrenbach station, on the branch line from Forchheim to Ebermannstadt. It goes up through the village past the church and climbs steep zigzags to the Walburgis chapel on the Walberla, 513 m. From the chapel it crosses the open saddle to the Rodenstein, 532 m, the higher of the two tops, with a summit cross above unfenced dolomite crags. The way back returns over the saddle and takes a different path down the hillside to rejoin the lane into the village.

It is 6.4 km with 277 m of ascent; allow about 2¼ hours. The grade is Easy, though the last climb to the chapel is steep.

The Ehrenbürg, as the whole hill is called, stands alone at the western edge of Franconian Switzerland, with a view over the Wiesent valley and the Regnitz plain. Its plateau was fortified from the Bronze Age and held a Celtic hill town in the 5th century BC. The dry grassland is a nature reserve, known for its orchids: keep to the paths.

There is nothing to pay. The top is exposed, and the crags of the Rodenstein need care with children. On the first Sunday in May the Walberla festival, called the oldest spring fair in Germany, fills the hill with stalls and crowds.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.