Route chatacteristics:

medium difficulty, strenuous in parts
mountain bike recommended
time required: 3-4 hours
length: 34 kilometres
altitude difference: 129 metres

We begin the cycle tour at the camper van site in Osseck, from where we take the pedestrian and cycleway along Hofecker and Hirschberger Straße, cycling downhill as far as the “Falter” brewery and inn. After the car-park, we turn left into a road called “Am Saaleufer”, which crosses a bridge over the River Saale after 200 metres. To the east we see another bridge, Unterkotzauer Brücke, built in 1854. The Zedwitzer Straße takes us up Hofer Straße, where we will probably have to push our bikes for the first time. The railway bridge is a good place for a short stop. From here there is a good view of Hof and the Unterkotzau bridge. The route continues along Hofer Straße to Schleizer Straße (federal road B2), which we cross. We are now on a lane between fields, Oberer Trappenbergweg. At the fork after 500 metres keep right and pass a solitary farm and some weekend homes to finally reach Trogener Weg, which is the road leading to Feilitzsch.

On the other side of the road we continue on the agricultural track, enjoying the view over to the Theresienstein, until we get to Haidt, where we should take a look at the equestrian centre and the estate buildings. In Haidt we hit on the Plauener Straße (B173), turn left for a few metres before leaving it to turn right in the direction of Leimitz into Hubertus Straße. After an easy climb and an unhindered view over to the Labyrinth and Eichelberg, the route goes downhill into Leimitz, through which we then ride. Reaching Oelsnitzer Straße, we cross the road into a lane which goes up to a tower called Wartturm. This is another steep stretch and does not make good cycling. If you want, you can push again! From here however you certainly have one of the best views of the town of Hof.

At the top of the hill, you can leave your bike and walk about 100 metres to have a look at the Wartturm, which was a signal tower built around 1500 by the Margraves of Bayreuth and, having been ruined by fire, now belongs to the municipality of Hof. After taking in the panorama view, we continue along our lane to Neutauperlitzer Weg, where we turn left onto a tar road taking us to Neutauperlitz. Here we immediately turn right into Waldstraße and at Eichenweg we turn right again, riding as far as Hofer Weg. Turning right once more, we soon reach the sports grounds and then turn left into Ascher Straße.

Here we take the separate cycleway, heading towards the town until we reach a junction. Now be careful: there can be very heavy traffic on this road! On the other side we turn left onto the new Saale cycleway, Saaleradweg. Passing under a bridge, we cycle along the riverside at first, then parallel to the railway line until we turn left at the bottom of the major road B15 in the direction of Moschendorf/ Untreusee. We now reach Oberkotzauer Straße, which we take, turning left and going slightly uphill, past Moschenmühle (the Moschendorf mill) as far as the HOMA furniture store.

There a cycleway between the furniture store and the main road takes us under a bridge, crossing the Oelsnitz to our right. The local people prefer to call this stream “Untreubach”. The route then goes to the left, beneath the county council buildings, between a wood and a miniature golf site, and takes us to the dam of the Untreusee. The lake has a water surface of 63 hectares and is 13 metres at its deepest point. We cycle straight on and round the lake, past the bathing area at its western side. At its end we again join a tarred road and pass the Eppenreuther Mill on the left, where our route now takes us to the right, past a fish pond and a solitary house, into the wood. Here we first cycle uphill, but after a few metres the track goes steeply downhill. Good brakes are needed because the track gets worse and inexperienced cyclists require some skill here. At the foot, we reach the Untreubach stream, which now accompanies us for the next stretch.

The signposted route, bumpy and with lots of tree roots, goes straight ahead. Our tour now runs along to the left of the stream, sticking to the edge of the wood as far as Glänzla Mill near Martinsreuth. Having left the wood, we turn right along a tar road past the sawmills as far as the major road B2 from Hof to Konradsreuth. Shortly before this road we cycle right, keeping to a new cycleway for a few metres until we cross the B2 at the first house and turn into a narrow pass. We now have a slight climb, past some fish ponds, past a compost site and sports fields, until we get to the old country road from Konradsreuth to Pirk. Turning right, we stay on this road to the airport Hof/Plauen, where we immediately turn left to cycle round the runway and reach a forest on the other side.

At the highest point we turn left into the forest. Now we go downhill, past a fallow deer enclosure and through a subway under the B15 staying on Pirker Weg as far as Wölbattendorf. Now we must ride through the village centre to the road through the valley, where we turn left. The tarred road soon becomes a track.

This track takes us to a single farm (“Quetschen”). We go straight on and come very close to one of the biggest radar stations in Europe. Riding down Quetschenweg, we then cross Köditzer Straße, pass under the railway bridge and keep straight on to Ernst-Reuter-Straße. Here we cross a busy road for the last time before passing a filling station and a car dealer to reach the start of our tour, the camper van site.