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Natural Monuments

Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen

Birx

Gerstenstein Memorial and Rest Area

Natural Monuments

Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen

Birx

Gerstenstein Memorial and Rest Area

Highlight • Viewpoint

Gerstenstein Memorial and Rest Area

Recommended by 103 hikers out of 109

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Biosphärenreservat Rhön

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Location: Birx, Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany

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Best Hikes to Gerstenstein Memorial and Rest Area

4.8

(93)

291

hikers

1. View of Wasserkuppe – Dwarf Pines in the Black Moor loop from Birx

11.9km

03:07

100m

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

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Moderate

4.8

(29)

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2. Boardwalk Rhönhut Moor – Grabenberg Border Tower loop from Birx

20.3km

05:26

240m

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Hard

4.7

(23)

hikers

3. Grabenberg Border Tower – View of Wasserkuppe loop from Seiferts

17.0km

04:45

320m

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

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Moderate

Tips

Der Hoedoetter 🌲⛰️🌳

December 23, 2021

Here at the historic boundary stone you have a beautiful view. There is also enough seating.

Translated by Google •

Uschi

November 9, 2017

Rest and memorial place Gerstenstein.
A very nice rest area with an audio station about the history of the people who lived here in the GDR border area.
Here at the barley stone the following happened:
A border incident went down in German-German history here in 1962: The 20-year-old officer candidate Hilpert Spohr from Heilbronn and three friends went on a trip to the inner-German border and climbed the three-meter-high "barley stone" in the GDR despite warning signs . The East German guard Lothar Kießling saw the young men on the rock and decided to put an end to the "border provocation". After shouting and firing a warning shot, he is said to have shot the young men with the machine gun from a distance of a few meters, seriously injuring one of the three visitors.
A six meter long banner with the inscription: “At this point Private Lothar Kießling became a criminal” was put up on a private initiative. On the East German side, a counter table was set up on which Hilpert Spohr was referred to as a provocateur.

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Marco 🥾 🚲 🌞

March 7, 2021

Great place with a breathtaking view of the valley 👍☀️

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Details

Informations

Elevation 810 m

Weather

Monday 8 December

11°C

7°C

0 %

If you start your activity now...

Max wind speed: 14.0 km/h

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Location: Birx, Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Thuringia, Germany

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Gerstenstein Memorial and Rest Area

1. View of Wasserkuppe – Dwarf Pines in the Black Moor loop from Birx

2. Boardwalk Rhönhut Moor – Grabenberg Border Tower loop from Birx

3. Grabenberg Border Tower – View of Wasserkuppe loop from Seiferts

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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