Between Raithalden and Steinmatratzen

The tour is a must for all mining enthusiasts. Discover witnesses of an eventful almost 800-year history of mining, embedded in an extremely charming landscape. We begin our tour at the Altmarkt. The first stops are the St. Laurentius Church and the 42 m high watchtower, which houses the city’s local museum. On seven floors you will find minerals, trimmings, a functional model of the Binge, the bell tower and much more – a visit is definitely worthwhile. Not far from these historic walls is the Bingekrater uphill (signposts Binge or Huthaus). The city’s landmark is a natural monument and evidence of mining in Geyer since the 15th century. After two major Binge collapses in 1704 and 1803, the Binge was used as a quarry from 1851. On the way through the Binge, old tunnels and fire sites are clearly visible. From the Huthaus (restaurant) we follow the Bingeweg along the EB-Weg Eisenach-Budapest down into the Greifenbach Valley. Before that, we enjoy the beautiful ridge view above the residential area. At the small wooden bridge over the Greifenbach we allow ourselves a detour downstream. Only a concrete base in the forest still points to what was once the largest narrow-gauge railway bridge in Germany, which crossed the Greifenbach valley at a height of 36m and a length of 186m until 1977. Shortly afterwards is the Reicher-Silber-Trost-Stolln, one of the most historic tunnels in the region. Back to the small wooden bridge the path leads us upstream to the ski jump complex, where Eric Frenzel also learned the ABC of winter sports. The green trail marker leads us past the water treading basin and the feet are thankful for a cooling off. After the next large crossing, we climb the stairs on the right to the Greifensteinstolln, the youngest representative of mining activity in the Greifenbach Valley with an original length of 1564m. Here a worthwhile rest is offered - on rustic seating groups with a panoramic view to the Fichtel and Keilberg. Refreshed, we continue along the Röhrgraben towards the Greifenbach reservoir. The Röhrgraben, one of the oldest artificial ditches in Germany, is an important cultural-historical monument with a gradient of only 23.5m over a length of 5 km. Water has been diverted from the Greifenbach for about 650 years to supply the mines in Ehrenfriedersdorf. Accompanied by the cheerful babbling of the Röhrgraben, the path leads us to the Garisch-Stolln (first mentioned in 1490) and just five minutes further to the old remains of a stamping mill and a sorting bench. Here the ore was once separated from the barren rock. Only a few hundred meters downstream, the Röhrgraben branches off from the Greifenbach at the so-called “divider” and right next to it is the entrance to the “Goldene Adler-Stolln”. This has been used as a water reservoir since 1904 and was also used to drain the mines. Another 750m upstream through the idyllic Greifenbach Valley, we reach the Greifenbach reservoir, one of the oldest dams in the Ore Mountains. It was built in the mid-14th century in connection with the construction of the Röhrgraben and primarily served to secure the high water demand of the Ehrenfriedersdorf mines. Those who are not yet tired of hiking can take a detour to the well-known Greifensteine. From its viewing platform, visitors are offered a magnificent view over the entire Ore Mountains and, in good visibility, even as far as the Battle of the Nations Monument in Leipzig.

Tourist Information Geyer, Altmarkt 1, 09468 Geyer, Tel. +49 37346 10521,
Fax +49 37346 10561,
touristinformation@stadt-geyer.com,
www.stadt-geyer.de

RADschlag
Sights:

- Tower Museum Geyer (Tel. 037346-1244)
- Binge Geyer
- Greifenbach Valley
- Röhrgraben
- Old mining relics
- Greifenbach reservoir
- Greifensteine

AT THE TABLE
Dining options:

- Restaurant Huthaus at the Binge (Bingeweg 21, Tel. 037346-6524)
- Snack bar at Greifensteinstolln (Tel. 01702363151 or 016096421894)
- Snack bar at the dam
- Mountain hotel Greifensteine (Greifensteinstraße 42, 09427 Ehrenfriedersdorf, Tel. 037346-1234)