Kleinziegenfelder Tal (lit

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

: Kleinziegenfeld Valley) is approximately twelve kilometers long, located in

Upper Franconia Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, wh ...

. It serves as the starting point of the Weismain Valley funnel in the Weismain-Alb region and is entirely situated within the town of

Weismain Weismain is a town in the district of Lichtenfels, in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 15 km west of Kulmbach Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town, once a stronghold of the Princi ...

, in the Lichtenfels district of

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

. The valley lies in the northernmost part of the

Franconian Alb The Franconian Jura ( , , or ) is an upland in Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. Located between two rivers, the Danube in the south and the Main in the north, its peaks reach elevations of up to and it has an area of some 7053.8 km2. Emil Mey ...

and is traversed by the Weismain River. It encompasses several inhabited settlements, with a combined population of approximately 240 residents. The valley is entirely encompassed by the Franconian Switzerland - Franconian Jura Nature Park and is particularly popular among hikers and motorcyclists.

Description

The valley stretches in a north-south direction, situated between the towns of

and Kleinziegenfeld in the Lichtenfels district of

. It is located approximately 24 kilometers northeast of

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in ...

. Flowing through the valley is the Weismain River, and the entire area is designated as a protected

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

. The sides of the valley are formed by towering limestone cliffs, which are eagerly used by climbers. Within the valley, one can find the villages of Kleinziegenfeld, Großziegenfeld,

Arnstein Arnstein () is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany. Geography Location The town lies on the banks of the river Wern and is roughly 20 km from Schwe ...

, Wallersberg, Schammendorf, and Weismain, all of which are part of the town of Weismain. The valley is renowned for its notable rock formations, including the Red Wall, Rolands Rock, Petrified Giant, Blade, Stone Monk, and Praying Nun. A local legend surrounds the Stone Monk, claiming that "once upon a time, a hermit resided there, who, on the day of his passing, directed Christ away from the door as he journeyed through the Kleinziegenfeld Valley, and consequently, turned into stone." The Stone Monk stands as an iconic symbol of Weismain.

Flora

The Kleinziegenfeld Valley is characterized by its dense

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

and mixed forests. In the vicinity of Kleinziegenfeld and Wallersberg, there are predominantly dry and semi-dry grassland slopes adorned with scattered

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

growth.Böhm (2000), pp. 24–25 These slopes have been shaped over centuries through the extensive sheep-grazing practices of the local villagers in the Jura region. The continuous grazing prevented the proliferation of dense vegetation, and the shepherds would periodically clear the juniper bushes to maintain clear sightlines for monitoring their herds. The valley boasts a diverse array of flora, including a variety of flowers, grasses, and ferns. Among them are columbines, mountain asters,

yews Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew (''Taxus br ...

, fringed gentians, spring gentians, large-flowered foxgloves,

honeysuckles Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae. The genus includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely known species include ...

, golden thistles, pasque flowers, perennial flaxes,

liverworts Liverworts are a group of non-vascular plant, non-vascular embryophyte, land plants forming the division Marchantiophyta (). They may also be referred to as hepatics. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in wh ...

lilies ''Lilium'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large and often prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are ...

of the valley, various

orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Earth ...

carnations ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' ( ), commonly known as carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus'' native to the Mediterranean region. Its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive cultivation over the last 2,000 years. Carnations ...

, Solomon's seals, cowslips, daphnes, ostrich ferns,

Turk's cap lily Turk's cap lily is a common name for several plants and may refer to: * '' Lilium martagon'', a species native to a wide area from central Europe east to Mongolia and Korea * '' Lilium michauxii'', a species native to southeastern North America * ' ...

, centauries,

white helleborine ''Cephalanthera damasonium'', the white helleborine, is a species of orchid. It is widespread across much of Europe and Asia. ''Cephalanthera damasonium'' is the type species of the genus ''Cephalanthera''. Description ''Cephalanthera damasoniu ...

and

red helleborine ''Cephalanthera rubra'', known as red helleborine, is an orchid found in Europe, North Africa and southwest Asia. Although reasonably common in parts of its range, this Cephalanthera has always been one of the rarest orchids in Britain. Descript ...

, pseudorchis albida, and willowleaf yellowleaf. Some of these plant species are considered rare, endangered, and thus protected.

Tourist Attractions

The Kleinziegenfeld Valley consists of rocky hills, castle ruins, romantic half-timbered villages, and numerous mills. One of its notable attractions is the presence of the

Apollo butterfly The Apollo (''Parnassius apollo''), also called the mountain Apollo , is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. Etymology The species is named in the classical tradition for the deity Apollo. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''Parnassius apol ...

, which represents the last known occurrence of this species in Franconia. This butterfly is closely associated with the open, unspoiled limestone cliffs found in the area. The

caterpillars Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

of the Apollo butterfly rely solely on the white stonecrop ''(Sedum album)'' as their food source, which grows exclusively in this region. Additionally, visitors can admire the juniper slope near Kleinziegenfeld, where a statue of a cyclist is visible on a rock above the village.

Statue of cyclist Claudius

The original statue of a cyclist was installed in 1905 by two brothers from Kleinziegenfeld, who aimed to create a distinctive landmark in the area.Weiskopf; Raab-Aydin (2000), pp. 194 Using sawdust and wood, they crafted a life-sized figure dressed in a

tailcoat A tailcoat is a knee-length coat (clothing), coat characterised by a rear section of the skirt (known as the ''tails''), with the front of the skirt cut away. The tailcoat shares its historical origins in clothes cut for convenient horse-riding ...

and

top hat A top hat (also called a high hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally made of black silk or ...

, mounted on a

penny-farthing The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler or ordinary, is an early type of bicycle. It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds, owing to it travelling a large distance for every ro ...

bicycle, and securely positioned it on the rock. Interestingly, this bicycle was also the first and only one in Kleinziegenfeld at that time.Böhm (2000), pp. 32 The idea for this unique installation was proposed by Georg Ammon, a grammar school professor in

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

who hailed from Kleinziegenfeld. The exact motivation behind the statue's placement is no longer documented, and several theories exist: it might have been erected to commemorate the era when the Kleinziegenfeld valley attracted numerous cyclists or to serve as a contrast to the

cannons A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during t ...

and

dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

situated on other rocky outcrops. Another explanation suggests that a cyclist once intended to cross the valley using a bridge that had long vanished, and instead of turning back, he is immortalized on the rock to this day. Initially, the figure stood on the rock for several years until it was blown away during a strong storm. In 1933, a new statue of a cyclist was built. Because it carried a

swastika flag The flag of Nazi Germany, officially called the Reich and National Flag (), and also known as the Nazi flag or swastika flag ( – ) featured a red background with a black swastika on a white disk. This flag came into use initially as the banner ...

, the statue was dismantled during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

so as not to draw the attention of the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

to the village. In 1952, a third statue was built, which had to be renovated in 1971 after vandalism. In the process, the legs and arms were made of solid spruce wood with joints. The Claudius statue has carried a red and white flag since 1952.

Hiking trails

Apollofalter-Wanderweg (Apollo butterfly trail): A designated circular hiking route, approximately six kilometers in length, was established by the Landschaftspflegeverband Lichtenfels e.V. (Lichtenfels Landscape Conservation Association) and the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection. It traverses the central part of the valley and connects the villages of Weihersmühle,

, Kleinziegenfeld, and Schrepfersmühle. Two small parking lots near Kleinziegenfeld and Arnstein, equipped with information boards, serve as convenient entry points for hikers. The paths along the trail are mainly paved, but there are also sections with gravel. Additionally, the hiking trail offers opportunities to explore additional routes and extend the hiking experience. The primary objective of the trail is to provide a chance to explore and gain knowledge about the natural habitat of the rare Apollo butterfly.

References

External links

Commons: Kleinziegenfelder Valley
- Collection of images, videos, and audio files
Hiking in the Kleinziegenfelder valley

Detailed and illustrated hiking report through the Kleinziegenfelder valley

Kleinziegenfelder Valley- picture gallery
*

* ttps://megov.bayern.de/static/GEOTOPE/GEOTOPE_1547.html ''Hohe Wand'' natural monument in the Kleinziegenfelder valley
PDF about the Apollofalter hiking trail through the Kleinziegenfelder valley

Information brochure "Juniper slopes near Wallersberg"
Valleys of Germany Valleys of Bavaria Lichtenfels (district) Upper Franconia