Discover Speicherz: Trails by the Water and Local History

Speicherz lies in a tranquil valley and combines trails by the water with distinctive reminders of the village’s history. The four-kilometre Waterway Nature Trail along the Kleine Sinn offers an opportunity for hiking and cycling. A longer day of hiking is also one of the area’s attractions: the “Der Mottener” extra tour is listed as 16.5 kilometres long and taking 330 minutes. Other highlights include the sandstone church with its onion dome, an old village bakehouse and a historic vaulted cellar.

Hiking and cycling along the Kleine Sinn

The Waterway Nature Trail runs along the Kleine Sinn and is suitable for both hiking and cycling. Its starting point is next to the “Zum Biber” inn; it can also be reached via Oberzeller Straße in the Speicherz part of the municipality. At four kilometres, the route is considerably shorter than the designated extra tour and offers a different way to explore the area.

The “Der Mottener” extra tour is listed as 16.5 kilometres long and taking 330 minutes, and runs through the UNESCO Rhön Biosphere Reserve. The duration is equivalent to five and a half hours and is a helpful guide when planning a full day of hiking. A tourism notice from 2013 noted that the extra tour was first offered that year and led from Speicherz via the Großer and Kleiner Mottener Haube peaks and back to the starting point. When planning, it is worth checking the current route and trail conditions.

Village scenery and history in Speicherz

In Speicherz, the sandstone church makes a striking architectural statement with its distinctive onion dome. The old village bakehouse, one of the village’s sights, stands by the bridge over the Schmale Sinn. The vaulted cellar of the “Zum Biber” inn is also considered a sight: it was built in 1771, during the Gründerzeit era. Together, these buildings give your stay a distinctive connection to local history and architecture alongside the hiking trails.

Hiking and cultural highlights in the wider destination of Motten

In the wider destination of Motten, the premium hiking trail “Der Mottner” passes through changing forest, meadow and waterside landscapes. It follows historic boundary stones between Bavaria and Hesse and leads to the Pilsterfelsen geological site. Features along the trail include a mineral spring, old weather crosses and a small biotope where beavers have made their home. A fish nature trail, which the route leads to, provides information about the wildlife and plants around the Kleine Sinn. Four starting points are listed for this hiking trail: the car park at the watershed between Motten and Kothen, the village square in Motten, the hiking car park by Pilsterfelsen in Kothen, and the centre of Speicherz. The name “Der Mottner” is similar to that of the “Der Mottener” extra tour; the two routes are easy to distinguish by their respective features.

The cultural sites in the wider destination of Motten also have their own distinct focus. The Werberger Stube, a museum and memorial to the resettled village of Werberg, has been located in the Kothen part of the municipality since 1987. On display are objects salvaged from Werberg church—including the foundation stone, tower cross, bell and baptismal font—as well as old vestments, photographs of Werberg, and farming equipment and tools. The Kothen Historic Village Walk complements these themes with informative panels about the village’s earlier history. This volunteer-led project was created to make that history visible and engaging for young and old alike, with support from the municipality of Motten and the Brückenauer Rhönallianz.

Speicherz as a starting point for finding accommodation

If you mainly want to hike or cycle while also discovering historic village scenery, you can consider Speicherz as a place to search for accommodation. The different route lengths provide a concrete guide when choosing between a shorter waterside trail and a longer hike. If you also want to include the hiking and cultural highlights in the wider destination of Motten, you can take them into account when choosing your preferred starting point.

For the wider travel overview: Motten.