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Landing Site of the 1979 Hot Air Balloon Escape

Landing Site of the 1979 Hot Air Balloon Escape

Highlight (Segment) • Historical Site

Landing Site of the 1979 Hot Air Balloon Escape

Recommended by 43 hikers out of 45

This Highlight goes through a protected area

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Naturpark Frankenwald

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Location: Naila, Landkreis Hof, Vogtland, Saxony, Germany

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Best Hiking Routes to Landing Site of the 1979 Hot Air Balloon Escape

5.0

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1. View of Naila – Small Pond Near Dreigrün loop from Naila

10.2km

02:53

220m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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5.0

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2. View of Naila – View of Naila loop from Parkeisenbahn

13.9km

03:49

220m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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3.7

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3. View of Naila from Spiegelwald – View of Naila loop from Marxgrün

7.37km

02:03

140m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

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Andrea und Huskys 🐺

June 19, 2025

In 1979, the whole world watched Naila. On the night of September 16th, two families escaped from East Germany to the West. Peter Strelzyk and Günter Wetzel had meticulously and secretly planned their escape with their families. For months, they clandestinely acquired the necessary materials. Hidden from their neighbors, they tirelessly worked on a balloon until it was functional for their escape. The balloon was 28 meters high and 20 meters wide. The square gondola had sides measuring 1.4 meters.

With this secretly constructed hot air balloon, they then embarked on a daring escape across the border into West Germany on that memorable night. When they landed, they weren't sure if their escape had been successful. They climbed out of the basket and searched for a clue. In a barn, they found an agricultural machine of a clearly Western type. At that moment, they knew they had made it.

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SvenN

December 23, 2021

This is where the balloon flight of 2 GDR families ended on September 16, 1979

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maria

April 23, 2024

On September 16, 1979, the Strelzyk and Wetzel families from Pößneck flew across the inner-German border at night in a homemade hot air balloon. They landed in a field near Naila after a 28-minute flight covering 22 kilometers (as the crow flies). There were four adults and four children on board. The original balloon is on display at the Naila Museum.

Source: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naila
The story behind it: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballonflucht

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Informations

Distance 959 m

Uphill 10 m

Downhill 10 m

Weather

Wednesday 17 December

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Location: Naila, Landkreis Hof, Vogtland, Saxony, Germany

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Landing Site of the 1979 Hot Air Balloon Escape

1. View of Naila – Small Pond Near Dreigrün loop from Naila

2. View of Naila – View of Naila loop from Parkeisenbahn

3. View of Naila from Spiegelwald – View of Naila loop from Marxgrün

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