Through the Zwotaer Land 3

Our hike begins at Hammerplatz at the bus stop toward Bad-Elster or Schöneck. In the parking lot behind the "Gasthof Zwota" has been the old parochial school with parsonage since 1840. Following the yellow trail, we head toward Schöneck, passing by the school and church.

The school was built in 1888-89 and opened in 1890. Zwota without Zechenbach had 416 schoolchildren and 4 teachers at that time. In the summer of 1993, the school was closed due to too few students. Today, the school houses the "Stadtorchester Klingenthal", the "Akkordeonorchester Klingenthal", the band "Hämoriders", the "1st Vogtland Shooting Club Zwota", the "Senior Treff Zwota", and the "Harmonica Museum Zwota" plus a dialect and experience room.

Regarding the church: Zwota received its own parish on the 9th Sunday after Trinity, August 2, 1840, and thus was separated from the Schöneck parish. One condition from Schöneck during the new church construction was that the altar space should be built not as usual to the east but toward Schöneck. The laying of the church's foundation stone was on March 9, 1885, and it was already in use for the early Christmas mass of 1885. Before that, Zwota had a hammer chapel. Zwota with Zechenbach had 1100 inhabitants at that time.

We continue on Schönecker Straße (yellow), turn into the Glasbach valley, and pass the Glasbachteich. After about 200 m, we continue the route to the left on the "Alten Kottenheider Weg" (yellow marking).

Near Kottenheide by a rock at the Glasbach, a glassworks is said to have existed during the Middle Ages. According to tradition, the glassmakers in Vogtland came from Bohemia or were Venetians.

600 m later, we reach the upper Hammerteich and about 800 m further are on the Glasbachweg (blue, red, and yellow markings). We walk to the center of Kottenheide, passing Glasbachweg No. 3, where previously a path led left across the meadow and through the forest to Schlosserberg (721 m).

In the center of the village stands a tower in which the old school bell is still visible today. Kottenheide had the smallest school in Saxony, which was closed in the course of the district reform in 1952.

We follow the signposting there and continue to the Saint Peter's spring. The spring is the source of the Glasbach. (Further explanations can be found on an information panel.)

We then continue on the Häusersteig, cross the state road Schöneck-Zwota, reach the Steinbruchflügel, and arrive at the Mühlweg at the shelter.

On the right side of Steinbruchflügel is an old quarry. The stones from there were used for building houses on Schlosserberg, Kottenheide, and for path construction.

We continue along Mühlweg toward Zwota-Zechenbach to Schlosserberg. Mühlweg formerly led from Kottenheide to the mill in Zechenbach at the Vogtlandbahn stop. Timber from the forests around Kottenheide was transported there by horse-drawn carts for the cutting mill.

At Schlosserberg, we encounter again the Höhensteig Klingenthal (green) and take the Pechhüttenweg into the Zechenbach valley. The site of the pitch hut and a related charcoal burning site was located close to a spring that still exists today. In summer months, when wells ran dry, families from Schlosserberg fetched their drinking and utility water there. The path continues to Sammerberg. An old local resident (Rosa Sammer) went year-round with a carrying basket to Unterzwota to make necessary purchases for her family.

We continue our hike over Reuth and Kleiderberg on the Höhensteig Klingenthal (green) back to Hammerplatz.

Dr. Barthel, Vogtland Music Region Edition, 7

Hiking Routes Through the Zwota Area (available at Gasthof zum Walfisch, Gasthof Zwota and Ferienhotel Zwotatal)