It's a phrase that every mountain biker knows: "This is not a cycle path!". It's a sentence that makes my personal mood plummet in a split second. For the sake of peace, I make my escape, but actually I should insist. Because the sentence is so stupid that you can't leave it in the room.

What the sentence actually means is that this is a hiking trail and is therefore reserved for hikers. The name says it all. Just like motorcycles have no place on a highway. And only devout Catholics are allowed on a pilgrimage route. Anyone traveling on a mule track must carry some serious merchandise. This also applies to the smugglers' trail. On a hunter's trail, on the other hand, shotguns are compulsory. It is also understandable why ladies are not allowed on the Herrensteig. That's why a hiking trail belongs exclusively to hikers, who else?

But: The word hiking trail is not a God-given designation. After all, trails existed long before people started enjoying themselves in the mountains in leather shoes and red socks. Alpine hiking as a leisure activity emerged in the 19th century, but the paths used are sometimes centuries old or date back to the two world wars.

"This is not a cycle path!" That's true. But it's not a hiking trail either. It's simply a path. A separation from nature in order to be able to move around easily. No more, but also no less. That's why I'll probably just carry on driving in such cases in the future. Because the only thing I can think of in response to this sentence is: "Yes, so?"

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