Greetings from Strössendorf: A Foggy 6 a.m. Run and a Proper German Breakfast

Greetings fromStrössendorf

Strössendorf · Upper Franconia, Germany · October 2025

Seven time zones, one sleepless night, and a foggy sunrise run through the village I grew up in. Then fresh rolls and coffee.

GERMANY OCT2025

There's a special kind of tired that only happens after flying east. My body was sure it was the middle of the night back in Oklahoma, but in Strössendorf the day was about to start. I had two choices: crawl back into bed and lose the whole day, or put on my running shoes and get outside.

I went for a run.

The run, step by step

1. 6:00 Out the door for a 5K, past the town sign
2. Climb Up the old stone steps to the church
3. Fields Out on the farm roads and gravel tracks
4. Spring A stop at the Biber-Brunnen spring
5. River Back over the river as the fog lifts
6. Reward Breakfast at Landgasthof Zum Anker

Made it home. Still on Oklahoma time.

The village square before sunrise

back where it all started

My hometown

Strössendorf is my hometown, a small village in the municipality of Altenkunstadt in Upper Franconia, northern Bavaria. It's the kind of place where everyone knows whose kid you are, even if you moved away years ago. Coming home feels like stepping into an old photo: the church tower, the old barns, the stone walls. The village hasn't changed much. I'm the one who has.

At 6 a.m. it was still dark, and the fog was so thick the streetlights glowed through the trees.

the climb

Up the old church steps

I started with the climb I've known my whole life: the old stone steps up toward the church, covered in moss and fall leaves. At the top, the church tower with its onion dome and the old round tower next to it were coming out of the fog.

The steps I've climbed a thousand times

Church and round tower in the fog

Fall in Franconia

the fields

Out on the farm roads

From the village I headed out on the farm roads. This is my favorite part of running here. Past the old barns, the road turns into narrow lanes lined with big trees, then gravel tracks between the fields. With the fog, you could only see a few hundred feet ahead, and the hunting stands at the edge of the woods just appeared out of nowhere.

Old barns on the way out of the village

Nobody else out this early

Gravel tracks into the fog

Hunting stands are everywhere here

a quick stop

The Biber-Brunnen

In the woods I stopped at the Biber-Brunnen, a little spring with a stone basin, moss everywhere and ferns hanging over it. Cold water, quiet woods, and nobody else around. This is the Brunnen where I grew up, and stopping there felt like the real welcome home.

The Brunnen where I grew up

Back in the village

the best view

Over the river

On the way back I crossed the river, and this was the moment that made the whole run worth it. The water was completely still, and the church and the village were reflected in it like a mirror, with the fog just starting to lift.

5K done. Jet lag 0, me 1.

the reward

A proper German breakfast

There's no better reward after a run than a German breakfast. At Landgasthof Zum Anker, the table was ready: a basket of fresh Brötchen, or Weggla as we call them in Franconia, light and dark, with butter and jam. Then a plate of ham, salami, cheese and cucumber, a soft-boiled egg in its little cup, orange juice and a strong cup of coffee.

Weggla, fresh from the bakery

Coffee, juice and the good stuff

On the table

• Fresh rolls, light and dark
• Butter, jam and honey
• Ham and salami
• Cheese and cucumber
• A soft-boiled egg
• Orange juice and coffee

German breakfast isn't something you rush. You sit, you build each roll exactly the way you like it, you have a second cup of coffee, and you talk. After a sleepless flight and a foggy run, it was the moment it really felt like I was home.

for fellow travelers

Why a morning run helps with jet lag

The time difference between Oklahoma and Germany is 7 hours, so your body clock arrives a day behind you. Getting outside into daylight early, moving, and staying up until a normal local bedtime helps your body catch up faster. A run checks all three boxes, and you see a place at its most beautiful and quiet.

Tip: get outside early on your first morning and stay up until at least 9 p.m. local time.

Good to know

Best time to go

Spring through fall. October mornings are often foggy, which made this run special.

How long

A day or two for the village, then use it as a base for the rest of Franconia.

Budget

$$ Village guesthouses and breakfasts are good value.

Getting there

Fly into Nuremberg or Frankfurt, then train or car to the Lichtenfels area.

Running tip

Farm tracks are gravel and wet in the morning, so trail shoes help. Bring a light, since it's dark until around 7 a.m. in October.

Where we ate

Landgasthof Zum Anker, a traditional Franconian inn

see you on the road

Have you ever gone for a run to reset after a long flight?

Tell me in the comments below, or send me a question if you're planning a trip to Franconia.

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