 It was established by Mainz as a response to the Rienecks' foundation of "Kloster Himmelthal".In the Middle Ages, the Elsava valley and Hessenthal were located on the juncture of two important long distance trade routes, the "Via Publica" through the Spessart to the Main crossing at Lengfurt (today a part of Triefenstein) and the early-medieval "Salzweg" from Worms.The west-east route from Aschaffenburg to Würzburg gained in importance in the 18th century, resulting in the establishment by Mainz of a fortified road through the Spessart and an overland mail station at Hessenthal around 1800.