Planet Trail Bad Koetzting

Popular nature trail in the Upper Bavarian Forest Nature Park, Bavaria. The planet path illustrates the dimensions of our solar system. The distance of 4.5 billion kilometers from the sun to the most distant planet Neptune is scaled to a hiking distance of 3.5 kilometers. It is another 800 m to the minor planet Pluto at the entrance to the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell. The planetary path with the sun begins in the spa gardens of Bad Kötzting, where the rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars can also be found. The gas planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune follow along the hiking trail Bk2 (Baierweg) over the Ludwigsberg in the direction of Wettzell. Stelae made of local granite provide information about the individual planets and their properties and special features. The circular base plate with a diameter of 1.10 meters makes it possible to estimate the size ratio of the respective planet to the sun. In comparison, the earth is only a sphere of one centimeter! In the area of the Wettzell Geodetic Observatory there is a memorial plaque for Pluto: since 2006 it has only been counted among the "minor planets". In the beer garden of the Lindner brewery, a high table made of granite 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: - Refreshments at the Lindner brewery - numerous information boards - Kurpark Bad Koetzting