Gornau walks

Three districts and sweeping views around the Heidberg This enjoyable circular walk connects the three districts of Gornau, Dittmannsdorf, Witzschdorf and Gornau, forming a varied tour around the Heidberg. You can start the walk in any of the three villages. Those starting in Dittmannsdorf pass a lovingly designed farm with a pond before a small forest provides shade and finally wide views over fields and meadows open up. With these panoramic views, the route gently climbs uphill on a wide dirt road before descending towards Gornau. A quiet deciduous forest with small ponds provides relaxation before a bridge leads into the village. Shortly afterwards, the path plunges back into nature and runs along meadow paths with impressive views of the Höllmühl and Zschopau valleys. Augustusburg Castle – the "crown of the Ore Mountains" – majestically accompanies the last section of this harmonious little hike in the distance.

The mining trail covers 13.7 kilometres through the "Greifenstein area" and features over 30 stations with impressive evidence of historical mining as well as traces in nature, landscape and culture.

The steam trains of the Fichtelberg Railway puff between Cranzahl and Kurort Oberwiesenthal several times a day. Those who like to be active themselves can cover the entire route or just a section of it on the "Erlebnispfad Bimmelbahn" (Bimmelbahn Adventure Trail), which runs largely parallel to the railway. The Bimmelbahn adventure trail combines nature, technology and Erzgebirge culture in a special way. It starts in Cranzahl, where a visit to the Räuchermannmuseum (smoking man museum) is well worth it. The trail runs parallel to the narrow-gauge Fichtelberg Railway through fields, meadows and shady forests. The whistling and puffing of the steam locomotive accompanies the hike and offers beautiful photo opportunities. In Neudorf, hikers can visit the "Zum Weihrichkarzl" workshop, which showcases traditional handicrafts, and the original Soup Museum. Along the route, rest areas, shelters and panoramic views invite you to take a break. The destination is the spa town of Oberwiesenthal with places to stop for refreshments and sights to see. The return journey can be made comfortably by steam locomotive.

Everything comes from the mine! On the mining and remediation nature trail, visitors experience the close connection between people and mining. Nature lovers and history buffs alike will find something to enjoy here.

Everything comes from mining! – This motto characterises the mining town of Schneeberg. Here, nature, geology, history and world heritage come together. Rich silver finds led to the emergence of the mining town of Schneeberg in 1471. After the decline of silver mining, the rich cobalt ore deposits gained worldwide importance from the 16th century onwards. From the 16th to the 19th century, the Schneeberg district was the world's largest and most important source of cobalt ore. The popular cobalt blue extracted from the ore was used in ceramics, porcelain and glass design. The lovingly decorated Baroque buildings are also witnesses to this period. Many valuable artefacts from the historic mining era in Schneeberg have been preserved, especially in Neustädtel. As early as 1978, the unique landscape, characterised by mining, was declared a protected monument. Since 6 July 2019, the Schneeberg mining landscape has also been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Ore Mountains/Krušnohoří Mining Region".

Around the idyllic village, the route takes you along scenic paths and through the deep green forests of the Ore Mountains. The scenic hike starts in Breitenbrunn at the car park by the adventure playground and leads uphill to the Pasterle rock, where you can enjoy impressive views. It then continues into the deep green Ore Mountains forest and past the Rabenberg before opening up again to a sweeping view of the Breitenbrunn valley – very much in keeping with the spirit of the "Panorama Trail". The trail leads downhill to Dorfstraße, crosses it and climbs again through a small settlement. Passing the dual university, the St. Christoph visitor mine and the Hexenhäusel museum, the trail continues uphill with beautiful views back into the valley. The route reaches the edge of the forest via scenic heights before the descent begins via the Steinweg. At Riedelfels, panoramic loungers invite you to take a final break. The return route finally leads past the church back to the starting point.

The circular hike leads along the Köhlerweg around Sosa and offers magnificent views of the charcoal burners' village. To this day, one of the oldest craft techniques known to mankind can be experienced first-hand in Sosa. The circular hike on the Köhlerweg around Sosa leads past historic charcoal kilns and offers magnificent panoramic views of the idyllically situated charcoal burner's village. Along the way, you can watch the last commercial charcoal burner in the Ore Mountains at work in his sooty craft. Near the large car park at the dam is the former quarry for the quarry stones used in the dam wall of the Sosa dam, built between 1949 and 1952, which later also housed a charcoal kiln and where a show charcoal kiln is currently being built. Another impressive sight is the dam wall of the Sosa dam, from where there is an impressive view over the water to the Auersberg or deep into the wild and romantic rocky valley of the Höllengrund.

A hike through the Ore Mountains forest and deep silence to the moor and nature reserve "Kleiner Kranichsee". The Henneberg/Oberjugel circular trail begins in Johanngeorgenstadt with its Christmas pyramid, exile procession and the largest free-standing Schwibbogen. Passing the Pferdegöpel, a technical monument to mining, the trail leads into the forest, while the natural swimming pool shimmers through the trees on the right. Along the Henneberg wing, the trail leads deep into the quiet Ore Mountain forest to the Kleiner Kranichsee high moor, one of the best-preserved moors in the low mountain range. A platform offers impressive views of the sensitive moor landscape. New to the route is a nature trail with rare moorland plants. The trail continues to the edge of the Oberjugel forest with sweeping views. It descends via the old bobsleigh run to the romantic Lehmer Grund valley and finally back to the starting point.

Circular walk with many attractive viewpoints through the idyllic, rocky Steinbach Valley in the town of Schwibbogen: Johanngeorgenstadt. The circular hike through the Steinbach Valley begins with an impressive ensemble consisting of a procession of exiles, a large pyramid and the world's largest free-standing Schwibbogen. After a short section through the village, the trail leads downhill into nature, past the edge of the forest and across a meadow with beautiful views of Rabenberg, Fichtelberg and Plattenberg. Soon the path plunges into the forest and reaches the idyllic Steinbach Valley, where it is accompanied by the splashing of the stream. Then the imposing Teufelssteine (Devil's Stones) rise up before the path climbs, crosses a road and leads back into dense forest. At the edge of the village, wide views open up. The way back passes the natural swimming pool and the horse-drawn galley, a gem of technical history and a fitting end to the tour.