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The Main-Kinzig district is investing around 79,000 euros in the repair of the European cultural cycle path “Pearls of the Jossa” – for more safety on the bike.
Main-Kinzig district – In spring 2025, district councilor Jannik Marquart announced that Elmar Sachs, cycling officer for the Main-Kinzig district, would hold talks with the mayors of the municipalities through whose district the cycle path runs. On the Hesse side these are Jossgrund, Bad Soden-Salmünster, Sinntal and Steinau an der Straße.
The “Pearls of Jossa” cultural cycle path in the Kinzigtal is being upgraded
District Administrator Thorsten Stolz and Marquart, representatives of the municipalities involved as well as HessenForst and Annika Ludwig, managing director of the Hessischer Spessart Nature Park Special Purpose Association, recently signed the corresponding usage agreement. Again Main-Kinzig district communicates, this contract regulates, among other things, the upcoming work and the distribution of costs.
The district finances the one-off repair, and the municipalities cover the follow-up costs, such as the necessary annual maintenance measures. HessenForst is responsible for maintaining the paths, while the Hessian Spessart Nature Park Association coordinates the maintenance.
“We have achieved something groundbreaking here. The district's task is, among other things, to unbundle traffic on the roads. We ensure traffic safety and at the same time create attractive alternatives to busy district and state roads. We can do this in cooperation with HessenForst, the neighboring communities and the Hessian Spessart Nature Park Special Purpose Association,” said district councilor Jannik Marquart.
Forest path sections of the cycle path should be made safer
When presenting the project, first district councilor Andreas Hofmann described the “Perlen der Jossa” cultural cycle path as “one of the Spessart attractions” that is also well used by the local people: “It should stay that way.” The cycle path leads over around 30 kilometers, largely flat and with a slight difference in altitude of around 200 meters from Jossgrund-Villbach to Emmerichsthal in Lower Franconia. According to Hofmann, the route's tourist appeal comes not only from its location in the attractive Spessart landscape, but also from information boards about special highlights such as the Jossa spring in Lettgenbrunn, the Burgjoß moated castle or the waterworks in Mernes.
Currently, some sections of the path run as unpaved forest paths through Spessart forests owned by HessenForst. According to the district, the paths in the forest are deep, large puddles form when it rains, ruts and overgrown grass in the middle as well as vegetation on the side edges impair use. In addition, some of the paths are used for wood removal.
According to a district statement, the municipality of Jossgrund repaired almost four kilometers of the cycle path between Lettgenbrunn and Pfaffenhausen last year. According to cycling representative Elmar Sachs, further sections between Burgjoß and Mernes over a length of almost three kilometers and between Marjoß and Jossa over a length of three kilometers are now to be thoroughly and sustainably expanded. For nature conservation reasons in particular, those involved decided to use a water-bound ceiling. The paths are excavated, built up with a material that drains water, and then provided with a top layer.
Work is also ongoing on the R3 long-distance cycle path through the Kinzigtal – this is what was done, for example Last year the section between Waechtersbach and Biebergemünd was renovated.
