Schnelldorf: Erlensee Lake, Hiking Trails and History

At the northern edge of Schnelldorf, Erlensee Lake lies in a forest clearing. The lake is a bathing lake, with a large sunbathing lawn on its eastern shore. Swimming, barbecuing, playing and fishing are listed as leisure activities at Erlensee Lake. Swimming is at your own risk. The lake offers a chance to spend time by the water, while the municipality’s trails provide other landscape and historical impressions.

Water and Trails as Different Ideas for the Day

The European Watershed Trail also leads to Schnelldorf: it runs from Ansbach to Schnelldorf and is 97 kilometres long. This makes it a very different scale from the shorter routes in the municipality. If you are weighing up different ideas for walks, you can choose between a longer route and trails whose descriptions highlight specific family or landscape themes.

The 4.0-kilometre Ant Trail is well maintained and easy to walk. It is suitable for family outings with children and pull-along wagons. The 3.8-kilometre Salamander Trail follows well-maintained, family-friendly paths that are also suitable for pushchairs; trail conditions may vary. The similar route lengths make comparison easy: the Ant Trail specifically takes ease of walking and pull-along wagons into account, while the Salamander Trail is suitable for pushchairs.

The Salamander Trail also passes clearly visible remains of hollow ways. They point to medieval transport routes and add a historical note to the walk. At Burgstall Wildenholz, an impressive moat shows traces of a medieval fortification. Nature and history sit side by side here, without any one trail needing to cover every kind of experience.

The Fish Trail passes the Ampfrachsee nature reserve, with its large biotope. This family walk offers lovely views into the Ampfrach Valley; it starts at the hiking car park at Ampfrachsee. The trail is not fully accessible. This is important to bear in mind when planning if you need accessible paths.

Trails and Discoveries in the Municipality

The Hedgehog Trail starts at the town hall in Schnelldorf. Its route follows Sonnenstraße and the old sports ground to St. Bonifazius Church, connecting the village with long-distance hiking trails towards Wildenholz. Some sections are not accessible. If you are interested in a route through the village with named stops, this trail offers one; it is also worth taking the restriction on some sections into account in your plans.

The village centres in the municipality also offer historical points of interest. In the centre of Oberampfrach, the former schoolhouse and former parsonage are worth seeing. In Wildenholz, the church is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May to October for visits and quiet reflection; pilgrims on the Way of St James are welcome. Check opening hours before your trip.

The Wider Travel Destination of Ansbach

The Frankenhöhe Nature Park offers a broader perspective in the wider travel destination of Ansbach. It covers about 1,100 square kilometres and lies within the districts of Ansbach and Neustadt a.d. Aisch–Bad Windsheim, as well as the independent city of Ansbach. The nature park is the source area of the Altmühl, Fränkische Rezat and Zenn rivers, and provides information about hiking and cycling trails as well as ranger-led tours.

The Literature Trail Franconia in Wolframs-Eschenbach adds a cultural dimension. The 2.2-kilometre, fully accessible circular trail runs around the town fortifications. Its 15 information panels cover authors from the Middle Ages to the present day whose works explore Franconia.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Schnelldorf, these themes can help you choose the focus of your trip: Erlensee Lake as a bathing lake, trails suited to families, or historical traces in the landscape and village centres.

Discover more destinations: Bechhofen, Windsbach, Wettringen, Petersaurach, Lichtenau, Ehingen, Wörnitz, Dürrwangen.

Back to the wider travel overview: Ansbach.