Mountain bike trail on the Schillerhöhe: Construction begins in autumn 2025!

Mountain bike trail on the Schillerhöhe: Construction begins in autumn 2025!

The city of Holzgerlingen can look forward to an exciting innovation: construction work on a new mountain bike trail on the Schillerhöhe will begin in autumn 2025. This trail is intended not only to attract experienced mountain bikers, but also to help reduce wild growth in other forest areas. The proposal for the project was previously controversial and attracted discussions for several years. Danny Theiler, head of the new "Mountain Bike" division at the Kalteneck Motorists' Association (KfV), presented the project at the most recent meeting of the local council, where he pointed out the importance of the trail for the region and emphasized the positive aspects of the planned implementation, as reported by Stuttgart News shows.

The citizens of Holzgerlingen were already involved in the process as part of a participation project that took place in March and April 2022. The results of this citizen participation were presented to the local council on July 19, 2022, which made important decisions, including approval to establish an official mountain bike trail on the northeastern slope of the Brockenberg/Schillerhöhe. The forestry permit has been granted since April 30, 2024, and the initiators are currently clarifying the final framework conditions such as association membership and financing in order to start construction, as on the official website of the city of Holzgerlingen documented.

Challenges and solutions

The background and challenges in creating such trails are complex. In the Baden-Württemberg region there are often conflicts between hikers and mountain bikers who disturb each other. Illegal mountain bike trails are also a problem, scaring wildlife and causing erosion damage. Against this background, ForstBW, the responsible agency for the state forest in Baden-Württemberg, has developed a new concept for mountain bikers. Legal trails are to be created in several forest districts, using the Freiburg model as inspiration, reports Schwäbische.de.

Another aspect is the so-called two-meter rule, which in Baden-Württemberg stipulates that cycling is only possible on paths that are at least two meters wide. This regulation is viewed by many as outdated. The BUND Baden-Württemberg and the Swabian Alb Association are therefore committed to creating further legal trails. Critics, such as the FDP, are calling for the designation of these routes to be implemented more quickly, as cycling is the most popular natural sport in Germany after hiking.

Overall, the project at Schillerhöhe promises to make a positive contribution to the mountain bike scene in the region and at the same time promote respectful treatment of all visitors to the area. The construction of the trail not only represents an interesting leisure opportunity, but also aims to protect nature and the animal species that live there.