- 14.5 km
- 310 m
- Difficulty: moderate
Hiking between the railway, the dam and the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The starting point of this multifaceted sightseeing tour is Schmalzgrube station - a quiet stop on the historic Preßnitz Valley Railway. On t“Kammweg Erzgebirge-Vogtland” ridge trail, hikers follow the tracks towards Jöhstadt. With a bit of luck, a steam locomotive will pass through the narrow valley - a real highlight for railway lovers.
The trail leads through a pleasantly cool valley with a stream, past charmingly designed resting places. In Jöhstadt, the trail leaves the forest and heads first to the locomotive depot of the Preßnitz Valley Railway. From here it continues along nature trails at the edge of the forest with impressive views of the idyllic Ore Mountains town until the ridge trail leaves at Dürrenberg.
Now the trail turns left into a dense forest and crosses the border with the Czech Republic. After a while, hikers reach Preßnitz Dam - a quiet and fascinating place steeped in history. Beneath the water lies the submerged village of Preßnitz, abandoned in the 1970s for the construction of a drinking water reservoir.
The route continues through the small village of Christophhammer back through the Preßnitz Valley towards Schmalzgrube. Just before reaching the finish line, another highlight awaits: the Schmalzgrube Ironworks with its historic blast furnace - an impressive testament to industrial heritage and part of the Ore Mountains UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After a tour of this monument to bygone times, the route ends back at Schmalzgrube station, leaving the hiker full of impressions of nature, technology and history.
Part of the guided tour will take place on the historic Přísečnice Railway, so please have €10 per person available for the fare.
Attractions
- Schmalzgrube (railway station) – starting point
- Preßnitz Valley Railway (historical line)
- “Kammweg Erzgebirge-Vogtland” ridge trail
- Locomotive depot of the Preßnitz Valley Railway
- Czech-German border (crossing on the route)
- Preßnitz Dam (with the history of the flooded village of Preßnitz)
- Preßnitz Valley
- Schmalzgrube Ironworks with historic blast furnace (UNESCO site)
Reservation of selected trip
If you have already purchased a ticket, don't hesitate to reserve your place on the trip on the desired date. In the reservation form, please indicate whether and from where (Kurort Oberwiesenthal, Boží Dar Loučná pod Klínovcem) you will use the bus service to the start of the route.
Are you a group with your own bus?
Large groups with their own bus have the opportunity to get an individual guide beyond the capacity of reservations. If you are interested, please contact us as soon as possible at anna@krusnehory.cz with your specific selection of dates, routes, and preferred language. The number of guides is limited.
