--- title: "Through the Zwotaer Land 3" url: "https://www.visitsaxony.com/tour/through-the-zwotaer-land-3" description: "\"Saint Peter's Spring near Kottenheide\" The hike begins in the village center of Zwota and leads past the \"Harmonica Museum Zwota\" through the wild-romantic Glasbach valley up to Kottenheide. A beautiful village square or the \"Haus am Ahorn\" invite you to rest here. Afterwards, we reach the \"Saint Peter's Spring,\" which is the source of the Glasbach. The hike then continues over Schlosserberg and Sammerberg with a wide view to the Hoher Brand and into the Zwota valley." language: "en" type: "SportsActivityLocation" image: "https://dam.destination.one/2716826/389c38a88194c7f78276207662c2ba612554098eb5cb060db378762eaf518661/.jpg" breadcrumb: "Root > Home > Special > Destination.Data Details > Tour" --- GPX Share Through the Zwotaer Land 3 ========================== - 13.54 km long - Round trip - Difficulty: difficult - Condition: difficult - Great panorama - Hiking - 3:45 h - 13.54 km - 342 m - 341 m - 572 m - 779 m - 207 m - - Start: Hiking parking lot Zwota (Hammerplatz) - Destination: Hiking parking lot Zwota (Hammerplatz) Wonderful circular hike to Kottenheide with a beautiful village square and a place to get food and drinks. "Saint Peter's Spring near Kottenheide" The hike begins in the village center of Zwota and leads past the "Harmonica Museum Zwota" through the wild-romantic Glasbach valley up to Kottenheide. A beautiful village square or the "Haus am Ahorn" invite you to rest here. Afterwards, we reach the "Saint Peter's Spring," which is the source of the Glasbach. The hike then continues over Schlosserberg and Sammerberg with a wide view to the Hoher Brand and into the Zwota valley. Read more Waypoints --------- View on map Start Start Hiking parking lot Zwota (Hammerplatz) - Restaurant Destination Destination Hiking parking lot Zwota (Hammerplatz) Good to know ------------ Best to visit suitable Depends on weather - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec Directions 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. Read more Tour information - Loop Road - Stop at an Inn Equipment Sturdy footwear is recommended. Read more Directions & Parking facilities **Getting there**Drive on B283 toward the center of Zwota. Read more **Parking**Medium-sized parking lot, free of charge Read more **Public transportation**Vogtland Bahn, Zwota stop (approx. 400m away) Bus, stop Hammerplatz (directly at the hiking parking lot) Information about travel by bus and train is available from the Vogtland Tourism and Traffic Center: and hotline 03744 19449 Read more Additional information A visit to the Harmonica Museum Zwota, Kirchstraße 2, is highly recommended. Read more Author René Goram Organization Vogtland - Sinfonie der Natur License (master data) René Goram Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author A break at the village square in Kottenheide with the old school bell is highly recommended. Read more Map Dr. Barthel, Vogtland Music Region Edition, 7 Hiking Routes Through the Zwota Area (available at Gasthof zum Walfisch, Gasthof Zwota and Ferienhotel Zwotatal) Read more Nearby ------ View on map Contact 08267 Zwota Download GPX file - -