"Höhensteig" Circular Route Klingenthal

Iconic landmarks of the music and winter sports town of Klingenthal are the town hall and the round church "Zum Friedefürsten", located above the market square. From the town center, it is only a few steps to the start of the circular route: The path begins by crossing Auerbacher Straße (B283) and then flows into Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Straße. Here, the route leaves the street and leads up a meadow path to Körnerberg. Meadows and small groups of beech, birch, and maple trees alternate generously, and a view back reveals a panorama with views of the town: in the valley, rows of houses adapting to the foot of the mountains line the roads, and on the ridge, vast areas of spruce forest take over.

Alternating ascents and descents take you over Kamerun, Dreihöf, Gösselberg, and Pudelmützhäuser onto the ridge trail. The path runs high there where Saxony and Bohemia shake hands: steep slope to the left towards the town area, wavy land to the right that in a few kilometers leads into the Czech neighboring village of Bublava/Schwaderbach.

However, the circular route already has the next height in sight, the 936-meter-high Aschberg. Grenzstraße and Aschbergstraße lead up the steep mountain, past cozy houses with typical wood cladding and inviting inns. Before following the Höhensteig further, a short detour to the "Otto-Hermann-Böhm" observation tower on the summit of Aschberg is worthwhile. Meanwhile, the Höhensteig follows the Hirschlecken and Glashütter paths to the district of Mühlleithen, which has gained international fame as the starting point for numerous sports competitions. The circular route also crosses the Loipen bridge, past the areas used as a ski stadium in winter. On the nearby summer toboggan run, a rapid sled ride is possible even in the snow-free season.

The path now turns southward back to Klingenthal. The route goes past the lower Floßteich and follows the Floßgraben, where heavy logs were once safely transported to the valley through a system of water ditches. A branch leads into the Steinbachtal, where granite and phyllite unite on a wild romantic nature trail – the "Radiumquelle". The circular route, however, follows the ridge and finally reaches the site of the former Aschberg ski jump. Next destinations are Mittelberg with its viewing possibilities and the remarkable arboretum in the Forstwinkel. Another highlight along the way is the Vogtland Arena. The large ski jump (HS140) is considered one of the most modern large ski jumps in the world and is the venue of significant sporting and cultural events in summer and winter. At the same time, the jump is a symbol of the more than 100-year history of Nordic skiing in Klingenthal.

The circular route continues over the Alberthöhe, where the view opens to the town with its sonorous name. Bohemian exiles once brought the knowledge of violin making into the mountain-surrounded valley and thus created the "sound valley – Klingenthal", whose tradition of handcrafted musical instrument making lasting more than 150 years brought the town worldwide renown. Past the animal park on Richard-Wagner-Höhe, the route sharply descends the slope to the outdoor swimming pool and the Dürrenbach campsite.

After Meiselteich, one turns back toward town, walking above the residential area "An der Huth", then down into Klausenbachtal. The steep Knockweg demands stamina once again before leading over Herrenberg to Hammerplatz in Zwota. A detour to the Harmonikamuseum Zwota next to the church is a "must". Over 1000 instruments from Klingenthal and Zwota production of accordions and harmonicas as well as electronic keyboard instruments are exhibited there.
From the town center of Zwota, the route leads steeply uphill over Alten Weg and Schieferbergstraße, the historic connection to Kottenheide, to the foothills of the Schönecker Landstufe. The path offers views of the Glasbachtal and Zwotatal - stretching into Klingenthal. After a stretch through a mixed spruce-beech forest, the "Reith", a formerly agricultural high plateau, is reached.

Over Sammerberg, another viewpoint, the path first descends into the valley of Zechenbach, an old mining area, and then ascends on the opposite slope to Schlosserberg, reached at an elevation of 721 meters. From there, there is a view of the upper Zwotatal and Raunerbach valley as well as Hohen Brand (805 meters). Passing the houses of the mountain settlement inaugurated in 1937, the path descends into the valley and passes the Zwotatal holiday hotel before steeply climbing the northern slope of the Hohen Brand to the forest road coming from Gopplasgrüner Höhe. From there, the path turns left to the Erlbacher hunting lodge, whose antechamber can be used for a rest. From there, the ridge path leading toward Wegspinne was a section of the race course at the 1929 German Ski Championship relay competition.
At Wegspinne, the route turns left into the Hüttenbach valley, the upper part of which has been a nature reserve since 1961. Past two retention basins from the 1930s, the path continues to Waldhäuser, a settlement originally built for forest workers in 1875. From there, there is again an impressive view of Zwotatal. Shortly before reaching the Zwota town center again, the path passes long-closed quarries where roofing slate was mined between 1820 and 1857.

The path continues along the cemetery on the northern slope of "Döhlerwald" with fascinating city views to the rest area near the Czech border. From there, the mountain panorama of the already traversed "Höhensteig" can be reflected on once more with an impressive view. Steeply downhill over a meadow path finally leads back to the town center. Those who do not want to end the day yet should opt to visit the nearby Music and Winter Sports Museum. There, visitors learn all about the centuries-old tradition of musical instrument making and the 100-year history of skiing in Klingenthal. – The "Höhensteig" circular route Klingenthal offers the hiker not only naturalness and scenic beauty but also an unforgettable cultural experience with views of the town’s best leisure facilities.

Appropriate good hiking equipment should be used for the trail.

Tourist Information Klingenthal
Schloßstraße 3
08248 Klingenthal
www.klingenthal.de

Newly created according to GPX track by Peter Meisel (Klingenthal Hiking Club) on 29.08.2018

• Visit to the Music and Winter Sports Museum Klingenthal
• View from the observation tower on Aschberg
• Ride with the WieLi adventure train to the jump at the Sparkasse Vogtland Arena and view from the capsule

The circular route, certified as a "Qualitätsweg Wanderbares Deutschland" (Quality Trail Walkable Germany), offers impressive views of the Saxon-Bohemian border region.

Pay attention to your fitness and take adequate amounts of drinks with you on the hike.