Ridge trail stage 07 "From Satzung to Bärenstein"
- 7:00 h
- 22.48 km
- 538 m
- 613 m
- 587 m
- 898 m
- 311 m
- Start: Marienberg OT Satzung, Hirtstein
- Destination: Bärenstein, hiking parking lot uphill at the edge of the forest
Passing the Lustiger Hans refuge, we enter the forest on the Poststraße, then walk steeply downhill to Schmalzgrube. Schmalzgrube station is the operating center of the Pressnitz Valley Railway. The museum railroad with its steam locomotives and historic narrow-gauge carriages is now the driving force behind tourism in the Pressnitz Valley. It is less than 20 minutes by train from here to Jöhstadt. It takes at least twice as long on foot along the Schwarzwasser. Passing the Loreley rock and Schlössel, we reach Jöhstadt railroad station. We stroll uphill, always along the edge of the forest, with fantastic panoramic views. Along the way, we repeatedly find boundary stones with the letters D for Germany and C for Česká republika. At the top of the Old Salt Road, we can already see the Bärenstein in the distance. We pass the Zigeunerfelsen rock and reach the Brettmühle inn. You should definitely take a break here. We continue along the cool Pöhlbach stream to the Fichtenhäusel adventure inn with its soft ice cream van. The Bärenstein is getting closer. Once again we have to take the "mountain walk" and then we are at the top of the legendary Bärenstein.
Milestones: Hirtstein (890 m) with mountain inn - Schmalzgrube - Pressnitztalbahn - Schwarzwassertal - Jöhstadt - Grenzweg - Brettmühle with inn - Pöhlagrund with adventure hotel - Kühberg - Berg Bärenstein (898 m) with mountain hotel
Good to know
Pavements
- Street (5%)Asphalt (4%)Gravel (46%)Trail (34%)Path (11%)
Best to visit
- suitableDepends on weather
Directions
Starting from Hirtstein, we continue along a meadow path at the edge of the forest to the "Lustiger Hans" rest area. The information board at the refuge explains the origin of the original name. We walk downhill through deciduous forest along the Alte Schmalzgrubener Straße. Along the way, we pass mining evidence and reach Schmalzgrube. For a short stretch alongside the road, we change to the Pressnitz Valley cycle and hiking trail. The narrow-gauge railroad, rebuilt by an interest group, meanders 8 km between Steinbach and Jöhstadt on weekends and public holidays through the charming Pressnitz valley, then the Schwarzwasser valley. The puffing steam locomotive is always a popular photo motif and can be heard from afar. Once you arrive in Schlössel at the station with its engine shed, the predominantly natural path leads slightly uphill past the fallow deer enclosure over the Dürrenberg and onto the border path, which is narrow in places.
Take a break at the border crossing for pedestrians and rest area, as all kinds of interesting facts about Jöhstadt are displayed on the information boards. Continue uphill following the white border stones and after 1 km you will see the Bärenstein with its viewing tower. There is still a long way to go to our destination. At the former mountain farm, the path turns off in the direction of Conduppelbach and Zigeunerfelsen. This hiker-friendly section of deciduous forest with climbing rocks and rest areas ends at the hikers' parking lot. After refreshments at the Brettmühle inn, the hike continues along the raft ditch. This is still used today to drive a hydroelectric power station.
The rushing of the Pöhlbach stream accompanies us in the Pöhlagrund. In the lower village of Kühberg, the trail first runs alongside and then along Königswalder Straße until it branches off uphill. The B95 (the main artery between Chemnitz and Oberwiesenthal) is reached via meadow and forest paths past the transformer station and the Bärenstein viewing mountain is close by. Now we just have to take care when crossing the road and follow the signposts along field paths to the abandoned quarry on the north side, which shows the pillar formation of the basalt. The Bärenstein plateau with summit cross and benches to take a breather is reached via the steadily ascending path of the summit circular trail, as well as the mountain inn with the 30 m observation tower about 100 m further on. Now you can finally enjoy the fantastic panoramic view of the highest mountains in the Erzgebirge, the Cranzahl dam and the Erzgebirge villages. This challenging stage ends at the mountain hotel or further along the circular route to the hiking parking lot at the edge of the forest.
Tour information
Cultural Interesting
Stop at an Inn
Equipment
Weatherproof clothing, sure-footed footwear and rucksack provisions are recommended.
Directions & Parking facilities
- Getting thereFrom Marienberg via K8104 or Annaberg-Buchholz via K7104 to HirtsteinParkingHikers' parking lot at the Hirtstein driveway or Hirtstein plateau
Hiking parking lot Berg Bärenstein
Public transportation Additional information
Author
Birgit Knöbel
Organization
Erlebnisheimat Erzgebirge
Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author
Steam-powered narrow-gauge railroad Pressnitz Valley Railway with vehicle hall
Technical museum waterworks and Brettmühle raft ditch
Map
Overview map Kammweg Erzgebirge-Vogtland, scale 1 : 25,000, Publicpress-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-89920-658-6, Leporello, weatherproof and tearproof, retail price: € 14.90
Hiking, skiing and cycling map Kammweg Erzgebirge-Vogtland, scale 1 : 35,000, Dr. Barthel Verlag, ISBN 987-3-89591-059-3, retail price: €10.90