rises in the Fichtelgebirge mountains near Bischofsgrün. The Red Main is long (source to mouth), the White Main . At the confluence of the two headstreams a bridge was built in 2009 where the young Main may be crossed right at its beginning. Information boards on the bridge describe the rest of the river's course, the local walking and cycle routes and the surrounding countryside. Bodenmühlwand geotope In the vicinity of the Bodenmühle mill east of Bayreuth the Red Main has carved out a bluff (Prallhang) on a bend in the river caused by erosion, the so-called Bodenmühlwand, a steep slope in height. This has exposed rock strata from the Middle Keuper period. Around 225 million years ago the area was a coastal region with frequent changes caused in the influence of land and sea. As a result, today, layers of claystone and Benker sandstone (Estheria) lie on top of each other. In the latter, geologists found fossils of ostracods (Palaesteria minuta), after which the layers are named (in German), the remains of coelacanth as well as the scales, teeth and fin spines of prehistoric sharks. The highest and thickest rock layer belongs to reed sandstones (Stuttgart-Formation) of the Carnian stage. Fauna The Red Main is a habitat for brown trout, grayling, barbel, bullhead, lamprey, carp, tench, carp bream, roach, perch, pike, pike-perch, eel and burbot. Tributaries Simmelbach (right) Eschingbach (right) Hühnerbach (right) Kupfergraben (Kaingraben) (left) Tiefenbach (left) Schwarzbach (right) Metzelersbach (right) Gosenbach (left), (7.95 km) Schliefgraben (right) Schwarzweiherbach (left) Weihersgraben (left) Brunnengraben (right) Schamelsgraben (right) Mühlwässerlein (left) Schnerfenbach (right) Thiergatenweihergraben (left) Ölschnitz (right), (with the Laimbach 14.72 km) Gereutbach (right) Bühlersbach (left) Warme Steinach (right), (24.61 km) Mistel (left), (11.42 km) Grünbaumgraben (right) Preuschwitzerin (left) Cottenbach (right) Tannenbach (left) Dühlbach (left), (7.01 km) Seebach (right) Köhlersgraben (left) Rottelbach (left), (6.93 km) Pechgraben (right) Erlgraben (right) Reuthbach (Rotbach) (left), (5.94 km) Schellenbach (right) Friesenbach (left), (8.85 km) Aubach (right) Erlenbach (right) Hirtengraben (left) Krummer Lachengraben (right) Proßer Bach (right) Trails The Red Main Trail (Rotmainweg), which was laid out by Fichtelgebirge Club, begins near the source. This main footpath is marked by a red M on a white background throughout its length. Its 60 kilometre long route is as follows: Source of the Red Main-Creußen-Eimersmühle-Schlehenberg-Eremitage-Bayreuth-Martinsreuth-Altenplos-Grüngraben-Jöslein-Langenstadt-Affalterhof Katschenreuth-Steinenhausen Castle near Kulmbach (confluence with the White Main). The Main-Mies Trail (Main-Mies-Weg), established by the Upper Palatinate Forest Club (Oberpfälzer-Wald-Verein) also begins near the