23 – (GER 23) – Schweinfurt – Bergtheim

Schweinfurt, on the right bank of the Main River, North East of Würzburg, is the third largest city of Lower Franconia in terms of population after Würzburg and Aschaffenburg. Its place name in German, which remains unchanged through the centuries, means literally Swine – Ford, but it intended to refer to wild boars; also the Latin name of the town “Porcivadum”, in its original meaning signifies “ford of the wild boars”. This is a stage which in its first section follows the River Main, while in the second part, it distances itself from this river, crossing a vast agricultural region dotted with villages, therefore an easy stage with no difficulties; even the gradient is progressive, both uphill and downhill. We depart from the Rathouse and turn right on the Spitalstrasse; we cross Albrecht-Durer-Platz, continuing on the Schultesstrasse, leaving it after 300 m to turn left to reach first the railway, which we cross, then the river bank where we turn right to walk along the Gutermann Promenade which we follow, along the river, for 3 km, first by crossing the bypass, then road 70. Immediately after we turn right, and again right, 200 m towards the motorway and see turn left. 750 m along the motorway and we turn right, we cross the road as we exit the town, we walk a broad circle to our right, then on the left and go on the Goethestrasse which takes us straight to Bergrheinfeld, a town not far from the Main. Unless we have a need for things to be got in a town, we shall remain in the outskirts and carry on in the same direction for 1,8 km; at the fork we take to the right and carry on for 800 m more; we are now out of town and we turn right; in 250 m we reach the Jahnstrasse. We follow its parallel road to the Jahnstrasse for 1 km, when we turn left to avoid going through a water purification plant and resume our walk along the River Main top to Garstadt along the Dorfstrasse. We pass the village and take the SW22 and follow it for a little less than 3 km up to a farm in a locality called Dachheim; we pass the farm, turning left and go back on the SW22, which we follow for a further 2,8 km to the small village of Wipfeld, where we turn left on the Schwanfelderstrasse or SW17; 2 km and we are in Schwanfeld, another small village in a rural countryside. We have now distanced ourselves from the Main. We walk out of Schwanfeld, first by walking the Kirchgasse, and then on the right the Pfarrgasse, we cross the Hauptstrasse and take the Heilingenthaler Strasse returning to open countryside. We keep the same directions and after 800 m we bypass a first farm, 800 m more and come across a second farm where we turn left; 700 m and we enter woodland which we cross on a straight line. Then 1,4 km and arrive in the outskirts of Bergtheim. We cross the railway line, new tale the Sommerrain, we turn left on the Friedhofstrasse, we continue along the Industriestrasse, we turn right on the Untere Hauptstrasse and we arrive at Bergtheim.

G.Caselli e Th.Dahms   Via Romea Stade-Mittenwald Pilgerfuher Duetschland  Ostfalia