Schneeberg walks

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".

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.

The hike along the nature and mining trail takes you to the "Hoher Forst" World Heritage Site in the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří mining region and is very well signposted with information boards.

Forest idyll, views of the water and World Heritage Site This easy circular walk starts at the car park near the Eibenstock Dam, Saxony’s largest drinking water reservoir. A wide forest path leads pleasantly around the Gerstenberg. At the first junction, keep left and follow the main path through dense coniferous woods. Views of the dam open up time and again, whilst information boards provide interesting facts about nature and the region. About halfway along the route, it’s worth taking a detour to the dam wall. The well-maintained path leads to impressive views, and you can also top up your drinking water for free here. Back on the route, a rest area with a view of the water invites you to linger. The peaceful surroundings are reminiscent of Nordic landscapes. Further along, traces of historic tin mining come into view. The tour ends at the starting point, combining nature, knowledge and history.

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.

This scenic circular walk follows the E3 for the most part and starts in Lauter near the outdoor swimming pool. The path leads through an allotment garden into the idyllic Griesetal valley, accompanied by the babbling of a stream. Passing a former ski jump and pastures, the route enters the forest and climbs steadily uphill. At the edge of the forest, it is worth making a short detour to the former nine-trunk beech tree. The path then winds through woodland and clearings before climbing once more. A pond marks the turn-off to the Conradswiese forest school. Shortly afterwards, the route leads to the Sachsenstein viewpoint, offering sweeping views across the Ore Mountains. Passing through the Danelchristelgut estate, where refreshments are available, the route descends back to Lauter with beautiful views. The route is not marked throughout, so we recommend using the digital route.

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.

Forest loop with sweeping views and a viewing platform This scenic circular walk starts at the Spiegelwaldbaude with the striking König-Albert-Turm, the highest point of the route. The path initially leads through typical spruce forests to the edge of the woods, offering beautiful views of Grünhain. The route then continues at a leisurely pace around the Spiegelwald. The alternation between shady woodland and open sections constantly offers new perspectives on the landscape. A highlight is the Aussichtspilz, also known as the ‘Balcony of the Ore Mountains’. Here, a rest area with an impressive panorama invites you to take a break. The route then follows a former railway embankment before a short climb leads back towards the Spiegelwaldbaude. To finish, it’s well worth the climb up to the observation tower for a 360-degree view of the Ore Mountains.

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.

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.

The Zwönitz Panorama Trail leads along scenic paths around the mountain town of Zwönitz, combining nature experiences with little cultural discoveries. From the market square, the route passes Blasius Church to the old Stollberg Railway, accompanied by sweeping views over Zwönitz and the Geyerschen Wald. Via Niederzwönitz, the tour leads up to the Galgenspitze and on to the Hammerteich with its waterfall. Along the way, walkers encounter legendary sites such as the ‘Headless Horseman’, enjoy views stretching as far as the Zwickau region, and reach the ‘Zwönitzblick’ viewing tower via Kühnhaide. A particular highlight is the Fuchsbrunn Bridge, an impressive relic of the former railway line to Scheibenberg, before the trail leads back to Zwönitz, passing traces of the town’s mining history.

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.

Dense forests and a special summit The roughly 9-kilometre-long route starts off uphill but soon turns into the dense forests of the Ore Mountains. Especially in autumn, the mist between the trees creates a mystical atmosphere. Small streams run alongside the path, lending the hike an extra sense of tranquillity. The actual ascent begins about halfway along the route. The Simmigweg trail leads steeply upwards to the Auersberg. At the top, the forest opens up, revealing a view of one of the most famous peaks in the Ore Mountains. The Auersberg, over 1,000 metres high, offers impressive panoramic views from the observation tower over forests, villages and the Sosa Dam. The summit inn invites you to stop for a bite to eat, whilst a nature trail provides interesting facts about the local flora and fauna. The return route takes you back via the historic Auersberg ascent to the starting point at Sauschwemme.

Experience the ridge trail, forest paths and reservoir panorama Weitersglashütte lies in the tranquil forests of the western Ore Mountains – the starting point for this nature-filled circular walk. From the turning loop, the path leads through the village to the Erzgebirge-Vogtland ridge trail, which you follow to the left. Initially, the route runs idyllically along the edge of the forest, later descending through dense woodland on narrow, root-covered paths. Small bridges cross babbling brooks before a rest area with a rustic log cabin invites you to take a break. The path then climbs gently. With every step, views of meadows and hills open up until Carlsfeld and its church come into view. A viewpoint invites you to stop for a moment. After crossing a ski slope, the route leads to the Carlsfeld dam. The tranquil expanse of water and the dam wall offer impressive views. The route leads back to the starting point via forest paths.

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.

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.

A challenging and wooded tour offering an unforgettable border experience, ideal for experienced hikers. This circular walk, approximately 16 km long, starts at the Rittersgrün outdoor swimming pool. Initially, there are beautiful views of the idyllic mountain village before the path leads into the shady Ore Mountains forest and soon crosses the border into the Czech Republic for the first time. The route climbs steadily through dense forest to the ‘Segen Gottes Stolln’ and on to the historic ‘Johannes-Stolln’, silent reminders of mining history. With a bit of luck, you might spot figures from the Christkindlweg. In Tellerhäuser, the route heads back into Germany. A rest is well worth taking at the lovingly designed “Zwergentreff”. Afterwards, the Erzgebirge-Vogtland ridge trail descends alongside a babbling brook. Via the “Wettinplatz” and past the “Himmelsstein”, the trail leads back to the starting point – full of impressions from two countries.