History meets nature – Erzgebirge-Vogtland Ridge Trail

On your first day on the Kammweg, the Erzgebirge welcomes you with wonderful views, a varied landscape and memories of historic mining. On your way through the east of the mountains you will hike through light forests full of blueberry bushes, past block heaps and through beech forests to (at least… read more

It's good that the second stage of the Kammweg is of the more relaxed kind, because you will pass an old-established brewery on the first third of the route. This includes a museum with guided tours and tastings that will tempt you to take a break early on on the way.



You start today's stage with the… read more

Incense smokers, nutcrackers and angel pyramids: yes, is it Christmas again? On the third stage you will get to know even more of the culture of the Ore Mountains, which is closely interwoven with the art of wood. Decorations for the festive season at the end of the year are made here all year round… read more

The fourth stage can be done in half a day and that's a good thing. Because at the destination in Olbernhau, the Saigerhütte is a cultural highlight that needs to be explored extensively. From the beginning, the path remains true to a steady up and down, but it is more downhill.



You hike into the valley… read more

Today you have to dress warmly! Because the destination of the fifth stage is considered the coldest inhabited place in Germany. In addition, you can expect a comparatively long route with more vertical meters uphill than downhill. The path runs through an extensive forest area, always close to the Czech… read more

The sixth stage on the Kammweg will be amazing and promising. It is mostly only slightly uphill until the ascent to the Hirtstein is waiting for you at the end. In the Schwarzwassertal you start north and walk alongside the river Schwarzen Pockau. The Graben, which was created in the 17th century as… read more

The seventh stage is again one of the longer ones on the Kammweg. During the warmer months of the year, on public holidays and weekends, you have the opportunity to shorten part of the way with a historic steam locomotive. It just takes a little planning.



From the Hirtstein you walk slowly downhill at… read more

At the end of the stage, the Fichtelberg, the highest peak in Saxony, is waiting for you - well, if that's no motivation! It even ranks second in the entire Ore Mountains; only the Keilberg on the Czech side is 29 meters higher. But it gets interesting right at the beginning of the hiking day. After… read more

On the ninth stage you are practically only allowed to hike downhill - where else should you go when you start at the highest point in Saxony? You slowly climb down to the ski arena, where cross-country skiers train in winter and summer. Here you turn north, where you will soon walk a short distance… read more

You can tackle the tenth stage of the Kammweg in a relaxed manner, because at just ten kilometers it is the shortest of the long-distance hiking trail. On this day you always orient yourself on the Czech border, which runs faithfully by your side.



As usual, the route is densely wooded and so you step… read more

On the eleventh stage you will discover further evidence of historical mining, an old ski jump and of course a lot of nature and great views. You walk up through Johanngeorgenstadt to the west. You cross a fairly green part of the place where the old town used to be. This had to give way after the Second… read more

Today you hike over to the Vogtland. On the first meters of the twelfth stage you will get through the forest to just before the village of Carlsfeld. Here you could just go straight ahead; But a detour to the dam in the south is nicer. After marveling at the blue shining water and the mighty dam wall… read more

From Mühlleithen, at the beginning of the route, you will first overcome a few meters in altitude before going mainly downhill. In the forest you will soon discover the Schneckenstein, the only topaz rock of this size that can be found above ground in the northern hemisphere. If you want to find out… read more

On the fourteenth stage of the Kammweg you move between nature and agricultural areas through the Vogtland. The forest portion of the stages is slowly becoming less. But right on the outskirts of Schöneck you dive under the treetops again. Between Gunzen and Eschenbach you can then look forward to clearer… read more

On this stage you are already close to the border with Bavaria where the inner-German border used to run. At the beginning of the day you will cross a larger forest area on moderately hilly terrain. Then the path slowly loses altitude and occasionally leads over a few fields.



You descend into the valley… read more

Today you are traveling a good bit directly on the former inner-German border. The day starts with a highlight: At the start of the stage you can visit quite well-preserved ruins. There were two stately pilgrimage churches here in the Middle Ages. Why are there two of them? The border between the dioceses… read more

You can really savor your last stage on the Kammweg again, because you hiked the route in half a day - enough time to enjoy all the beautiful views again and review the route so far.



First you follow the banks of the Saale to Rudolphstein in Bavaria. By crossing the place, you skilfully skip a loop of… read more