41 🇩🇪 | Through the valley of steam – between railway romance and the murmur of the river

The starting point of this special route is Jöhstadt Station, the heart of the Preßnitztalbahn railway. This historic museum railway was rebuilt thanks to the tireless efforts of a local association and is being gradually expanded. A true piece of living railway history!

From the train station, the path runs along the edge of the forest, offering a lovely view of the small town of Jöhstadt in the Ore Mountains. Beyond the train depot, we enter the shady forest. The trail now follows both the railroad tracks and the babbling Schwarzwasser River. A charmingly designed rest area invites us to take our first break before we reach the small hamlet of Schmalzgrube.

It’s worth taking a short detour here to the Schmalzgrube ironworks—a historic site of mining and metallurgy that is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region.” Those who continue on follow the valley trail through a quiet forest, passing additional rest areas with views of the water and the surrounding countryside.

We will soon reach the Andreas-Gegentrum-Stollen, another remnant from the days of active mining. From there, it is not far to the Steinbach train station, which is the destination of this route.