ダムピルクのおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

A quiet spot for a short break with a view of the reservoir.

Dam of the Pirk dam.

Castle ruins directly on the dam.

Majestic structure, the Elstertal Bridge

I visited the Pirk Dam. It was a small parking lot in the forest. After climbing a few steps, you could enjoy a beautiful view of the dam. Once past the dam, you could also read some interesting facts about the dam. After a short walk, you could easily return to the parking lot below the dam.

A trip to the Stein ruins is highly recommended! There's a well-maintained circular trail for hikers, and ample parking beneath the dam for those traveling further afield. Access is via stairs up to the dam or an asphalt ramp. The path to the ruins is well-maintained, but the ruins are not wheelchair accessible. Interestingly, the castle once stood inaccessible on a 40-meter-high cliff above the White Elster River... It still stands there today, but is now flooded to its foundations, and you could dock a canoe directly in the moat.

A beautiful dam with a variety of recreational activities on its waters, including rowing and stand-up paddleboarding. The water is usually calm and the temperature is very pleasant for swimming. A trip to the dam wall is also recommended.

The Pirk Dam impounds the waters of the White Elster River and is located in the Vogtland region near Oelsnitz, not far from the former inner-German border. The reservoir was built in the 1930s because the growing Vogtland textile industry required increasing quantities of process water 100 years ago. The dam wall is over 200 meters long. Today, the reservoir is a large local recreation area offering activities such as swimming, sailing, surfing, cycling, and hiking. During modernization, a bird island was artificially created.