Planet Trail Bad Koetzting

Popular nature trail in the Upper Bavarian Forest Nature Park, Bavaria. The planet trail illustrates the dimensions of our solar system. The distance of 4.5 billion kilometres from the sun to the most distant planet, Neptune, is scaled down to a hiking route of 3.5 kilometres. It is a further 800 metres to the minor planet Pluto at the entrance to the Wettzell Geodetic Observatory. The planetary trail begins in the spa gardens of Bad Kötzting with the sun, where the rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars can also be found. The gas planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune follow along the Bk2 hiking trail (Baierweg) over the Ludwigsberg in the direction of Wettzell. Stelae made of local granite provide information about the individual planets and their characteristics and special features. The circular base plate with a diameter of 1.10 metres makes it possible to estimate the size ratio of the respective planet to the sun. In comparison, the earth is only a small sphere of one centimetre! In the area of the Wettzell Geodetic Observatory, there is a memorial plaque for Pluto: since 2006, it has only been counted as a "minor planet". In the beer garden of the Lindner brewery, a granite bar table represents the minor planet Wettzell. It was discovered in 1999 at the Heppenheim Observatory and named after the local Geodetic Observatory. Highlights of the hike: - Stop off at the Lindner brewery - Numerous information boards - Bad Kötzting spa gardens