Route 2 - Offenbach in action

The cries that visitors to the Offenbach Forest Zoo hear on the forest path to the entrance are piercing and a little hoarse. The two donkeys Fritz and Gonzo are the ones who make themselves heard so heartbreakingly. They are almost like the mascots of the private zoo. Gonzo is the favorite of many children, not least because of his faithful eyes. If you approach him carefully, you can even stroke him. The forest zoo is not home to elephants and giraffes. But it does offer direct contact with the animals.

Things are rustic at the Offenbach Forest Zoo. Goats roam freely on the unpaved paths and are happy to receive the food that children hold out to them. Feed bags are available at the entrance for 50 cents. Corn kernels left on the ground are guaranteed to be picked up by the snout of the pot-bellied pig, which tirelessly scans the paths with the reliability of a vacuum cleaner.

Predominantly "domestic animals" can be seen at the Offenbach Forest Zoo: Scottish Highland cattle with shaggy coats and respect-inspiring horns, rabbits and sheep, goats and - not to be forgotten - domestic pig Babe. There are also ponies: Shetland ponies in the usual small and particularly small versions - the so-called mini-Shettys.

There are also some exotic animals among the zoo's 200 or so inhabitants: A llama and some kangaroos, tortoises and, most recently, three maras, a species related to the guinea pig. The zoo's feathered inhabitants include cockatiels, parrots and cockatoos.

We suggest at least one hour for a visit to the forest zoo.

After visiting the forest zoo, we cycle from the outskirts of the city via the Bieber district towards the city center. We cycle towards the Stadthalle and turn right shortly before into Neue Schneise, following the cycle path towards Tempelsee. The path leads along the Offenbach city forest. Continue left along Lohrweg and straight ahead along Obere Grenzstraße past Amerika-Wäldchen. Behind this, we turn right into Hölderinstraße, cross Heusenstammer Weg and then follow Tambourweg into the forest park. After crossing Bieberer Straße, we arrive at Leonhard-Eißnert-Park. The park begins on Bieberer Straße and borders directly on the Offenbacher Kickers stadium.

The forest playground in Leonhard-Eißnert-Park offers children various opportunities to play in a relaxed park atmosphere. There are various climbing frames and suspension bridges between the trees. There is also a slide.

Overlook Offenbach from lofty heights. Fun Forest GmbH operates an adventure climbing park in Leonhard-Eißnert-Park. On the approximately three-hectare site, more than 140 trees are connected at a height of five to fifteen meters with around 12,000 meters of steel cable and footbridges. The 14 courses are secured with helmets and harnesses, two of which are especially suitable for children from the age of three.

Safety is of course guaranteed. The adventure park is run by an experienced team of professional climbing experts. You will receive a detailed briefing and a climbing set with harness and helmet for the courses. Before climbing, you will receive a detailed briefing and a via ferrata set with harness and helmet. Your equipment will be thoroughly checked before use. A safety steel cable accompanies you along the entire route. Your harness is attached to it with safety lines via 2 carabiners. Our permanent safety system "Coudou Pro" prevents accidental complete unhooking. This means maximum safety, stress-free supervision and therefore more fun for all visitors, especially for school classes and children. Dare to cross wobbly bridges and swing from platform to platform using ropes!

After an exciting climbing session, it's time for a break. In addition to sports and leisure activities, Leonhard-Eißnert-Park naturally also offers plenty of space to relax and unwind in the greenery. Neither sophisticated garden architecture nor accurate flower beds characterize the park. This was the vision of the park's namesake, Leonhard Eißnert (1866 - 1949), who had the park laid out from 1911 onwards as a municipal department head. He wanted to offer the city's population a balance to the sometimes very cramped living conditions.

Waldpark was the name of Offenbach's largest park, covering 22 hectares, before it was given the name of the later mayor. Even today, a large part of the park still consists of a forest interspersed with walking paths. The tree species found in Leonhard-Eißnert-Park are diverse: in addition to beeches, pines and oaks, there are also unusual species such as the sequoia, the tree of life and the red-leaved sycamore maple.

It was not until the 1960s that the park became a real public park. A leisure park with a mini-golf course, refreshment kiosk and water spray field was created on a tenth of the area, a total of 2.5 hectares. Since then, the youth traffic school has also been part of the park's image. Generations of Offenbach residents have learned how to behave in traffic here. This is still the case today.

Children become a living part of a work of art while playing in the water spray field. Offenbach painter and sculptor Ludwig Plaueln created the sandstone-colored, spraying concrete sculptures. In warm summer weather, the spray field becomes a playground: your children can cool off under the water fountains. The adjacent, spacious lawn offers room for play and relaxation. At the back of the long, tree-lined lawn is the memorial to the fallen soldiers of Offenbach from the two world wars

After relaxing in the park, we cycle to the Bieber observation tower in the late afternoon. We cycle along the north side of the park and past the Offenbacher Kickers stadium towards Bieber (following the cycle path). We cross the pedestrian bridge directly to the observation tower.

From the 24-metre-high tower on Bieberer Berg, you have a sweeping view as far as the Spessart and the Frankfurt skyline. Three districts border the tower: Bieber, Bürgel and Rumpenheim. Although the tower is located just under 10 meters from the Bieber district boundary on Rumpenheim territory, it bears the name Bieberer Aussichtsturm - because of its geographical proximity to Bieber and its location on Bieberer Berg.

The tower was built in 1880 by the "Verschönerungsverein" of the city of Offenbach, which, in addition to the construction of the observation tower, also had the development and maintenance of walking paths, the installation of benches and shelters as part of its program. The tower was completed in 1882 and inaugurated as part of a large celebration. The beautification association then disbanded and the tower was forgotten for many years. In 1984, the Die Offenbacher 03 association and the Eintracht 1898 music society took over joint sponsorship of the tower and have been looking after it ever since.

We get back on our bikes and cycle down Linzer Straße towards Bieber. After the S-Bahn station, we turn left into Dietesheimer Straße, which runs below the S-Bahn line. Pass the Bieber cemetery and follow Dietesheimer Straße, which crosses the B 448 and leads directly to Käsmühle. On the way, you can once again experience nature up close. The cycle path leads through the Kuhmühlgraben nature reserve, directly alongside the Bieber.

In the inn "Zur Käsmühle" you can enjoy home-style Hessian cuisine with seasonal specialties in a cosy atmosphere every day from 11.00 am to 11.00 pm. In summer, the garden restaurant with 300 seats is particularly popular in the popular excursion restaurant. There is a playground with a goal wall and an entrance for the disabled as well as plenty of parking spaces.

Our route ends in the beer garden at the Käsmühle. Here you can relax after your cycle tour and round off the day in comfort.