Taunus Hike
Day 1: Frankfurt to Glashütten

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7/2/01, On the trail, about 4 km from Oberursel Hohemark. The plane from Washington, D.C. arrived in Frankfurt at 6:00 a.m. and by 7:3O I was on the trail; what a way to fight jet lag! No problem making it to the trail head, just needed to take the S-Bahn from the airport (S8 to Hauptwache, then U3 to Oberursel-Hohemark) and the trail starts right where you get off. So far the trail has run alongside a creek and through the woods, mostly logging roads. It looks like it will open up a bit now. The temperature is about 60°F (15°C) and sunny, great for hiking. I'm looking to follow the E1 signs (see intro), which are plentiful at this point.


Trail signs at Hohemark - Trail begin - Fuchstanz (crossroads & inn 7 km from start) - Trail view

11:00 a.M., Großer Feldberg. No woods for a change, the top of the mountain is bare, with a fire tower and observation tower (3DM to climb). At 880 meters, this is the highest elevation in the Taunus. Wonderful views all around, including of Frankfurt, although it is hazy today. I'm relaxing on a bench, with my feet up. It feels good to take a break after about 10 km, all uphill. There are several snack bars here, as well as public toilets, and an expensive hotel-restaurant.


Tower on the way up Feldberg - Feldberghof (hotel/restaurant) - Views of Frankfurt (through haze) and valley

7:00 p.m., Glashütten. Sitting on the terrace of the hotel restaurant, sipping a Pilsener beer. I got here at 2:00 and was able to find a room right away. I washed my clothes, took a shower and then a much-needed nap. I think I must have slept only about 3 or 4 hours on the plane. The room has a tv (2 channels), so I've been able to watch the news and a re-run of "Derrick", one of the worst krimis ever made. Glasshütten is a very nice small town, with a medieval church in the center of town. The town overlooks the valley below, so virtually all the houses have a great view. Just outside of town, you can visit the remains of a 15th-century glass maker, who made "Waldglas", a fairly primitive kind of bowl.

Today I had a Bratwurst for lunch on the Feldberg (3.60 DM), then Wienerschnifzel here (26 DM). I actually had to buy water today, which really pains me - a half liter at the airport for 2 DM and a third liter at Feldberg for 1.50 DM. The hotel room (Jägerhof), with breakfast, is 70 DM.

Total today: 15 km (includes 1 km getting lost)



Taunus Hike - Bob Godwin-Jones
© 2001