Hobbach: Cultural Trail, Churches and the Elsava

Hobbach combines hiking trails with buildings and stories that have shaped the village over the centuries. The European Cultural Trail leads to historic sites and a viewpoint overlooking the Elsava Valley. If you prefer to follow the river, the Hobbach Loop offers another route for walkers and cyclists.

The Hobbach Cultural Trail as a Circular Route

The route is about 7 kilometres long and climbs around 100 metres. It starts at St John's Church, passes through Dillhof and goes by Oberaulenbach Castle and a wolf pit dating from the 18th century. A viewpoint overlooking the Elsava Valley and the Hobbach school residential centre are also along the route; the loop then returns to St John's Church. The distance and elevation gain give you concrete information to help assess the scope of the tour when planning your day.

Churches and History in the Village

The Catholic branch church of St John the Baptist was built in 1757–59 by Johann Martin Schmitt, at the initiative of Franz Lothar von Mairhofen. Its design combines a single-nave hall with a three-sided chancel and a gabled roof. The projecting tower is especially striking: above its square base rises an octagonal belfry, crowned by a slate-covered onion dome. The Catholic parish church of the Visitation of Mary is also one of Hobbach's churches.

The village's history goes back a long way: Hobbach was mentioned in a document in 823 and was closely connected with Aulenbach Castle for centuries. From the late 18th century onwards, water-powered ironworks in the Elsava Valley provided additional opportunities to earn a living alongside farming and forestry. These included the hammer mill in Hobbach, the Höllhammer and the Neuhammer. Another historic landmark is the statue of St Nepomuk by the Elsava, a sandstone monument dating from 1743.

Along the Elsava and in Eschau

The Hobbach Loop follows a walking and cycling path along the Elsava towards Neuhammer. Sights along the loop include the “Maria am Weg” chapel. Hobbach also has an e-bike charging station at the “Spessarter Hof” inn; check that it is operational before setting off.

It is also worth considering the wider area when planning your trip: Hobbach is a district of the market town of Eschau. Well-marked hiking trails in the municipality connect its districts with cultural destinations such as Wildenstein Castle and Oberaulenbach Moated Castle. Numerous restaurants serving Franconian specialities are just a short distance from the routes' starting points. This allows you to focus your days on Hobbach's cultural trail and local history or include other hiking and cultural destinations in the municipality.

A Special Offering for Guests of the School Residential Centre

The Hobbach school residential centre is in Eschau, in the district of Hobbach, in the heart of Spessart Nature Park. TeamPark Hobbach is designed for guests of the school residential centre: it includes a professionally supervised high ropes course with thirteen permanent high ropes elements, as well as other team-building elements. The high ropes programmes are always supervised by at least two qualified instructors. If you are looking for accommodation, these different options can guide your planning: the cultural loop with its historic sites, the route along the Elsava, or other hiking destinations in Eschau.

For the main travel overview: Eschau.