Between heaven and valley in Breitenbrunn

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This cross-border hike takes you to some of the area’s highlights.

The starting point for this varied hike is the Rittersgrün outdoor swimming pool. After just a few minutes, you’ll reach the Erzgebirge-Vogtland Ridge Trail, one of Germany’s most beautiful long-distance hiking trails. The route climbs over the Fritzschberg to a rest area with impressive panoramic views.

The route then leads deep into the Erzgebirge forest and soon leaves the Kammweg for a detour into the Czech Republic. The destination is the Halbemeiler Wiesn, a historic site of the vanished village of Halbemeile, which invites you to pause for a moment. Shortly afterwards, you reach the small chapel of St Nepomuk, a quiet spot in the middle of the forest.

Back in Germany, the route takes you across the Himmelswiese to the Oschützfelsen, offering a beautiful view of the valley. The descent leads to Rittersgrün, past the narrow-gauge railway museum. The return route runs along the other side of the valley, offering magnificent views.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.26 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 438 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 439 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 941 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 609 m
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Photos

Freiberger seating area on Fritzschberg
Nature conservation in the Erzgebirge district
Out and about on the Kammweg
Halbmeil Chapel

Description of the walk

Start: The starting point for this impressive hike is the Rittersgrün outdoor swimming pool.

Markings: The route is not consistently marked throughout. Please use the digital route map.

(S/E) Just before the outdoor pool, hikers turn right and soon reach the Kammweg. This leads steeply downhill to the village road, which you cross straight ahead.

(1) Then keep to the right and turn left at the first opportunity. The path now climbs steadily up the Fritzschberg.

(2) Keep left at the edge of the forest and follow the path for a considerable distance.

(3) Follow Mückenbachweg and then cross the junction with Kranbächelweg to reach Grenzweg. Follow this to the left as far as the Halbemeile settlement. Then turn right across the border into the Czech Republic and head left across the Halbemeiler Wiesn to the Chapel of St Nepomuk.

(4) Turn sharp right there and continue straight on to the border crossing at the Himmelswiese.

(5) Continue straight ahead and turn right onto Hirschsprungweg. After a few hundred metres, turn right again towards the Oschützfelsen.

(6) From there, return to the main path and continue downhill to the right.

(7) Keep right at Breitenbrunner Straße and turn left shortly afterwards.

(8) Then cross the main road in the valley and turn right onto Pestalozziweg, walking to the narrow-gauge railway museum.

(9) Continue along Kirchstraße and then turn right onto Hammerbergstraße.

(10) Keep right again onto Roten-Adler-Straße and continue along it.

(11) Finally, turn left onto Badweg, which leads back to the starting point. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 658 m - Rittersgrün outdoor swimming pool
  2. 1 : km 0.49 - alt. 646 m - Cross Dorfstraße
  3. 2 : km 1.37 - alt. 719 m - At the edge of the wood, turn left
  4. 3 : km 3.23 - alt. 868 m - Leave Kammweg at Kranbächelweg to the left
  5. 4 : km 5.04 - alt. 941 m - Chapel of St Nepomuk, sharp right
  6. 5 : km 6.63 - alt. 929 m - Border crossing at Himmelswiese, straight ahead
  7. 6 : km 8.94 - alt. 826 m - Oschützfelsen
  8. 7 : km 10.34 - alt. 726 m - Breitenbrunner Straße, on the right
  9. 8 : km 10.85 - alt. 636 m - Cross the main road and turn right onto Pestalozziweg
  10. 9 : km 11.15 - alt. 609 m - Narrow-gauge railway museum
  11. 10 : km 11.52 - alt. 643 m - Roten-Adler-Straße, on the right
  12. 11 : km 12.76 - alt. 654 m - Badweg, left
  13. S/E : km 13.26 - alt. 658 m - Rittersgrün outdoor swimming pool

Notes

Equipment

We recommend weatherproof clothing, sturdy footwear and a rucksack with provisions for the journey.

Bring your ID card (as this is a cross-border tour to the Czech Republic)

Places to stop

Getting there

Public transport

Stops on or near the hiking route:

  • Rittersgrün, Halbmeiler Str
  • Rittersgrün, School

Directions

Access via the B101 and S271 to Rittersgrün

Parking

  • Car park at the Rittersgrün outdoor swimming pool
  • Rittersgrün border car park

Coordinates

  • DD 50.464270, 12.820216
  • GMS 50°27'51.4"N 12°49'12.8"E
  • UTM 33U 345297 5592522
  • w3w ///bathtub.clay.heated

Worth a visit

Other walks in the area

Walking "The panoramic trail through Breitenbrunn"

Tourist office
↔13.42 km ↗+326 m ↘-321 m ◔4h 45 ▲Moderate
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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.

Walking Panoramic views & a journey through time – hike from Erlahammer to Pöhla

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UNESCO World Heritage Site, sweeping views and Ore Mountains charm on the Silberberg hiking trail and the E3. The tour begins at Herrenhof Erlahammer, an impressive ensemble of half-timbered buildings and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ore Mountains/Krušnohoří Mining Region. A small exhibition on regional history sets the mood for the hike.The trail then leads uphill across meadows, fields and through shady forests – always accompanied by beautiful views of the valley and the Ore Mountains. In Pöhla, it is worth stopping at the ski jump and the idyllic pond with rest areas.From here, the route follows the E3 long-distance hiking trail through the village and uphill on a quiet road.It then returns to Herrenhof through open countryside and forest.

Walking Old town charm and European traces in Schwarzenberg

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Altstadtzauber und europäische Spuren in Schwarzenberg
↔13.86 km ↗+431 m ↘-424 m ◔5h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Schwarzenberg/Erzgebirge (Erzgebirgskreis)
Old town idyll, history and panoramic views around Schwarzenberg The tour starts at the historic Erlahammer manor, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ore Mountains/Krušnohoří Mining Region. A small exhibition introduces visitors to the region's eventful history.From here, the route continues uphill along the Silberberg hiking trail through meadows, fields and woods, with ever-widening views. In Pöhla, the ski jump dominates the townscape and an idyllic pond invites you to take a break.Then you continue along the European long-distance hiking trail E3 towards Schwarzenberg, accompanied by magnificent panoramic views. In Schwarzenberg, the old town with its castle invites you to explore at length before finally returning to the manor house along the Schwarzwasser river.

Walking Henneberg/Oberjugel circular hiking trail

Tourist office
Rundwanderweg "Henneberg/Oberjugel"
↔8.33 km ↗+185 m ↘-185 m ◔2h 55 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Johanngeorgenstadt (Erzgebirgskreis)
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.

Walking "Steinbachtal" circular hiking trail

Tourist office
Rundwanderweg "Steinbachtal"
↔11.26 km ↗+276 m ↘-282 m ◔4h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Johanngeorgenstadt (Erzgebirgskreis)
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.

Walking Eric Frenzel Tour

Tourist office
Eric-Frenzel-Tour
↔3.35 km ↗+127 m ↘-132 m ◔1h 20 ▲Easy
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Walking On the E3 to Sachsenstein near Lauter

Tourist office
Auf dem E3 zum Sachsenstein bei Lauter
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⚑Departure from Lauter-Bernsbach (Erzgebirgskreis)
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Walking Distant views guaranteed – on EB and E3 between Lauter and Schwarzenberg

Tourist office
Fernblicke garantiert - auf EB und E3 zwischen Lauter und Schwarzenberg
↔21.06 km ↗+590 m ↘-587 m ◔7h 40 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Lauter-Bernsbach (Erzgebirgskreis)
This challenging hike follows the E3 and EB trails and offers beautiful views of the low mountain range landscape. This varied hike combines sweeping views, quiet forest paths and culture in the Ore Mountains. It starts in Lauter near the outdoor swimming pool on the E3 long-distance hiking trail toDanelchristelgut,whereyou takethe turnoff to the Sachsenstein viewpoint with its impressive panorama .Passing Conradswiese and the Morgenleithe mountain restaurant, a long section through the dense Ore Mountains forestfollows .Later, the route leads via Antonsthal with its historic silver wash towards Schwarzenberg. In addition to further fascinating views, a detour to the famous forest stageawaits. The route then takes you back to the starting pointvia the Griesetal valley and the nine-trunk beech tree.

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