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Vogelsberg
Vogelsberg
dance on the volcano
Where do you go when the next weekend is coming up and you want to take a lot of corners under your wheels? In the Alps. Clear. Or to the Vogelsberg area. It is not for nothing that one of the most beautiful historic race tracks in Europe is located there.
Rolf Henniges
04/20/2000
“Welcome to the largest volcano in Europe.” That’s what it says on a sign on the side of the road in Upper Hesse, and of course something like that fires the imagination. A fire-breathing monster that pours its red-hot lava flow over the black boulders. But for that you have to go to Iceland or Italy ?? the Vogelsberg has been extinct for seven million years. Still, once a year things get hot here too. And always when the Schottenring Grand Prix is ​​due in August and up to 400 participants on historic motorcycles compete in thrilling duels on the 1.4 kilometer long street circuit of Schotten. Last year, despite the rain, almost 14,000 visitors came. But watching is only one thing, driving yourself is another. And there is really no shortage of great routes in the Vogelsberg. It starts in Gedern on the B 276 via Schotten to Laubach. A flawless cornering dream that lasts 40 kilometers. Sometimes the road leads through dense forests, then again over hills, from which the view extends far over the country. In the town center of Laubach with its narrow streets and ancient half-timbered houses and nice cafes, you can park your motorcycle for a tour. If you have a lot of time, you can also visit the castle. In the direction of Ulfa and via Eichelsdorf, Eichelsachsen, Hirzenhain and Nieder-Seemen, the tour ends again in Gedern, where a castle also watches over the city. But you are probably too tired for that. Because of the many curves. Or you are already on your way again. To Grebenhain and from there to Schotten, which is practically in the center of the Vogelsberg. On the way there, shortly before Breungeshain, you pass the 773-meter-high baptismal font with the Bismarck Tower on the top. In good weather, the view extends from above to the Thuringian Forest, the Taunus and the Rohn. When you arrive in Schotten, you have the choice. Either visit the Vogelsberg local history museum. Agricultural implements, furniture and traditional costumes from different eras are lined up in 17 rooms. Uninteresting for motorcyclists? Are you kidding me? Are you serious when you say that. Here you can also find various historical motorcycles, many of them with an eventful sporting past? which took place practically on the doorstep: Or take the Schottenring north of the city under your wheels, on which races were held as early as 1925 and which was one of the most beautiful hill climb routes of all up until the 1950s. A lap over this fantastic route is undoubtedly one of the highlights in the Vogelsberg. And also the route from Laubach via Ulrichstein, on which you get back to the starting point of this round, to Gedern. Endless driving fun. Guaranteed. You would like to start again for a round over one of the most powerful volcanoes in Europe instead of saying goodbye to it now.
Info
The Vogelsberg is an ideal motorcycle area: lots of landscape and endless curves. And if you visit in August you shouldn’t miss the legendary Schottenring Grand Prix for classic motorcycles.
Arrival: Coming from the south-east, take the A3 to Aschaffenburg, then continue on the A45 to the Wolfersheim exit. From there the B 455 leads in the direction of Schotten. Northern lights reach the destination area via the A 5, Alsfeld West exit, and the B 49. Tour enthusiasts from the south-west drive on the A5 to the Fernwald exit and continue on the B 457. Spend the night: pensions or hotels can be found in every larger town. Some tips: Pension / bistro »Die Theke«, Vogelsbergstrasse 84, 63679 Schotten, phone 06044 / 701. The double room costs 125 marks including breakfast, the bistro is a well-known meeting place for motorcyclists. Also: Gasthof “Zum Felsenmeer”, Jean-Berlit-Strasse 1, phone and fax 06643/336, double room including breakfast around 90 marks. In the many private pensions there are rooms from 25 marks per head. Campsites can be found in Schotten, in Gedern (on the bathing lake) or directly on the Nidda reservoir. Further information is available from the Vogelsberg Tourist Office, Goldhelg 20, 36341 Lauterbach, phone 06641/977275, fax 06641/977336. Schotten has a well-designed Internet homepage with plenty of information about everything that is going on in the city and the region: www.Schotten.de.Motorradtreffpunkt: Go to the “Oldtimer-Cafe” in Grebenhain-Herchenhain, phone 06644/7026. The kitchen is definitely worth a stop, and vacation rentals are available if needed. The Landhotel Gartner, Bahnhofstrasse 116, 35325 Flensungen, organizes a “biker-cone tour”. The price of 198 marks includes two nights, a guided Vogelsberg tour, a picnic in the countryside, a barbecue evening and a rustic party in the fireplace bar. Information under phone 06400/8191; Fax 06400/6360. It is also worth taking a detour to the “Falltorhaus”, which is located in the middle of the forest on the B 276 between Schotten and Laubach. Not only local motorcycle fans meet here. Opening times: Weekdays from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Often closed when it rains. Rental motorbikes: In Laubach, Harley-Davidson Fat Boy or BMW can be rented for a two-day tour through the Vogelsberg. The price for the Harley, including two nights, half board and maps, is 549 marks, for a BMW R 850 you have to pay 295 marks. A co-driver costs 150 marks. Further information and booking: Kultur- und Tourismusburo, Friedrichstrabe 11, 35321 Laubach, phone 06405 / 921-321, fax 06405 / 921-313. Activities: Hikers will get their money’s worth on the countless marked trails in the Vogelsberg. 60 refuges are available for overnight stays. Further information: Telephone 06041/4083. The Hoherodskopf attracts with a 750 meter long summer toboggan run. Water rats can let off steam at the Nidda reservoir, and those who prefer to see all the hustle and bustle from above can climb into a hot air balloon. Information from Klaus Werth, phone 06041/1738, fax 21502. Worth seeing: The Vogelsberg local history museum in Schotten offers an interesting look back over this region. Of course you can also find racing motorcycles and literature about the Scottish Grand Prix there. For art and culture lovers, we recommend a visit to the Gothic Church of Our Lady in Schotten, where you can admire a monumental winged altar. The Laubach town church attracts with an interesting baroque organ. In Hirzenhain, the Buderus Art Casting Museum offers an insight into a relatively unknown craft. The old town centers of Laubach and Schotten as well as the castles of the region are worth seeing. Information about opening times is available from the Vogelsberg Tourist Office (address see overnight stay). Map: A very good map comes from Mairs Geographischer Verlag: Sheet 13 of the German General Map on a scale of 1: 200,000 for XY Marks. Time required one day, distance traveled 200 kilometers
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