Birkenhainer Strasse

Birkenhainer Strasse
Birkenhainer Strasse near Ruppertshütten with waysign "B"
Length	71 km (44 mi)
Location	Naturpark Hessischer Spessart, Naturpark Bayerischer Spessart Germany
Trailheads	Hanau, Gemünden am Main, numerous places in between
Use	Hiking
Elevation
Elevation gain/loss	976 metres (3,200 ft) gain in; 947 metres (3,110 ft) gain out
Highest point	c. 540 m above sea level (west of Bayrische Schanz)
Lowest point	c. 130 m above sea level (western start)
Hiking details
Waymark	black "B" on white
Surface	natural paths (40%), gravel on forest roads (55%), some tarmac (5%)
Website	www.spessartbund.de

The Birkenhainer Strasse (English: "Birkenhainer road") is a long-distance hiking trail that follows an ancient trade route through the Mittelgebirge Spessart, in the states of Hesse and Bavaria, Germany. It is 71 km long and leads from Hanau to Gemünden am Main, cutting across the so-called Mainviereck, a large loop of the river Main. The trail follows an ancient trade route which in the Middle Ages was an important road for moving troops and for long-distance trade. The Birkenhainer Strasse was a part of the link between Nuremberg and Antwerp. Its origins may lie back as far as the Neolithic period. The name likely derives from a prominent copse of birch trees that used to exist near the road at Geiselbach (Hesse).

Nearby findings and burial sites from the Neolithic and circular ramparts from the Iron Age indicate that the historic road Birkenhainer Strasse or at least an assortment of its paths was used that long ago. In the Middle Ages, it was an important link between Eastern Franconia and the Rhine-Main region (Rhenish-Franconia). Past Hanau, the route crossed the river Main at Steinheim and continued along its southern bank to Mainz. It was used by travelling Emperors like Frederick Barbarossa on his way to the Reichstag at Würzburg, as well as by military forces. Back then, the Birkenhainer Strasse also served as an important trade route between Nuremberg and Antwerp and was used for cattle drives. It was used by the renowned wagon drivers from Frammersbach, who dominated long-distance trade along several key routes.