At the moment, art lovers - like all friends of the fine arts, really - rely primarily on online offerings. But there is one place in Frankfurt where art can currently still be enjoyed - and even in combination with a walk through nature. Not only does it sound nice, but it is. We are talking, of course, about the Schwanheimer Alteichenpfad.
Here, as of now, walkers can once again discover a picture frame that reproduces a painting by artist Fritz Ferdinand Wucherer: "Bei den Schwanheimer Eichen", painted in 1899. The art replication, which had become outdated and smeared, was renewed and put up again. The painting depicts a landscape of a kind that can hardly be found in Germany today: Gnarled imposing individual trees in an open pasture, under which pigs are foraging for acorns. Since the cattle were driven into the forest to look for food there, nothing grew back in these places in the forest and so a light forest, the so-called Hutewald, developed.
That the Schwanheimer old oaks look so particularly bizarre and gnarled, they owe to the sandy subsoil. The extraordinary ensemble of the Schwanheim old oaks already impressed numerous artists in the 19th century, especially those of the Kronberg painters' colony, among whom was Fritz Ferdinand Wucherer (1873-1948).
Since 2002, a path a few hundred metres long has led along the gnarled old oaks, providing information about the historical use of the landscape and its artistic representation in the 19th century. The newly erected painting now again allows a glimpse into the past and contrasts today's situation with the historical one.
For families, the walk is perfect with a final visit to the Schwanheim Forest Playground - of course, in compliance with all applicable Corona rules.
To get to the Alteichen, take tram line 12, get off at Harthweg or Ferdinand-Dirichs-Weg and follow the signs from there after about 100 meters.
For more information, visit https://frankfurt.en/topics/environment-and-green
