Of steam locomotive dreams and forest magic

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A delightful hike between the railway, the dam and a World Heritage Site.

The starting point for this varied circular walk is Schmalzgrube station on the historic Preßnitztalbahn railway. On the Erzgebirge-Vogtland ridge trail, walkers follow the tracks towards Jöhstadt – with a bit of luck, a steam locomotive will be passing through the valley.

The trail runs through a cool stream valley with rest areas before passing the railway depot in Jöhstadt. Natural paths with beautiful views then lead on to Dürrenberg.

Here, the route turns into the forest and crosses the border into the Czech Republic. The destination is the Preßnitz Dam, beneath which lies the village of Preßnitz, abandoned in the 1970s.

The route heads back towards Schmalzgrube via Christophhammer. Shortly before the finish, the historic ironworks with its blast furnace, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, makes a striking impression. The tour ends at the starting point.

Details

n°95453849
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.26 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 362 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 358 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 832 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 599 m
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Photos

Preßnitztalbahn under steam
Cute wooden art
On the way through spruce forests
At Schwarzwasser

Description of the walk

Start: The walk begins at the railway station in Schmalzgrube.

Signposting: The route is not consistently signposted throughout. Please use the digital route map.

(S/E) From here, follow the signs for the Erzgebirge-Vogtland Ridge Trail through the idyllic Schwarzwassertal valley.

(1) In Jöhstadt, you pass the Preßnitztalbahn depot before the path leads uphill to the left into the forest. At the edge of the forest, keep to the right and continue to follow the Kammweg markings. Turn right again to stay at the edge of the forest, then left until you reach the border with the Czech Republic.

(2) Do not cross the border just yet, but head right, past a few houses and continue along a path.

(3) Just before the first mountain hut, turn left into the forest and you will enter the Czech Republic.
Passing numerous birch trees, the path leads to the next junction, where you turn left. At the following junction, keep right, then left again, and at the next fork, continue half-right. Straight ahead, you will eventually reach a road which, after a short distance to the left, leads to the dam wall of the reservoir.

(4) Cross the dam wall, take the stairs down in the middle on the left, then continue to the right along the path. At the next road, keep left and walk straight ahead until the path leads to Christophhammer.

(5) From here, continue straight ahead until the path crosses the border again and eventually meets a road.

(6) There, turn right and you will reach the Schmalzgrube hammer mill.
After a break, the route continues uphill. At the next junction, turn left onto Schulberg and walk to the village centre. A few metres further on, on the right-hand side, you will reach the starting point of your tour at Schmalzgrube station. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 600 m - Station in Schmalzgrube
  2. 1 : km 3.44 - alt. 676 m - Preßnitztalbahn depot
  3. 2 : km 4.97 - alt. 764 m - Border with the Czech Republic, follow the road to the right
  4. 3 : km 5.49 - alt. 727 m - Cross the border to the left
  5. 4 : km 9.42 - alt. 735 m - Dam wall of the reservoir
  6. 5 : km 10.86 - alt. 677 m - Christophhammer
  7. 6 : km 13.98 - alt. 625 m - Turn right towards the Schmalzgrube hammer mill
  8. S/E : km 15.26 - alt. 600 m - Station in Schmalzgrube

Notes

Safety instructions

Only cross the tracks if you are certain that no train is coming.

Equipment

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

Getting there

Public transport

By train and bus via Wolkenstein or Annaberg-Buchholz to Schmalzgrube

Stops on or near the hiking route

  • Schmalzgrube, railway station
  • Schmalzgrube, swimming pool
  • Jöhstadt, Schlössel
  • Jöhstadt, supermarket

How to get there

Take the S271 to Jöhstadt, then continue to Schmalzgrube.

Parking

  • Schmalzgrube: Schmalzgrube car park, car park at the Forellenhof stop
  • Jöhstadt: at the vehicle depot (Schlösselstraße 65), ski resort car park (Gründelweg), Preßnitztalbahn car park (Schlösselstraße), museum car park (Am bhf 78), car park at the station (Äußere Bahnhofstraße 133B)

Coordinates

  • DD 50.530357, 13.130178
  • GMS 50°31'49.3"N 13°07'48.6"E
  • UTM 33U 367479 5599270
  • w3w ///bahnübergang.neue.steppe

Refreshments

https://www.forellenhof.com/

Worth a visit

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