Kickelhahn Tower – Knöpfelstaler Pond loop from Erbskopf

Hiking trails & Routes

Ilm-Kreis

Ilmenau

Kickelhahn Tower – Knöpfelstaler Pond loop from Erbskopf

Moderate

4.8

(64)

161

hikers

Kickelhahn Tower – Knöpfelstaler Pond loop from Erbskopf

03:13

10.8km

340m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 8, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Naturpark Thüringer Wald

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

1.27 km

Kickelhahn Tower

Highlight • Viewpoint

The dining room above is recommended, delicious and good!

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.43 km

Goethe Cabin on Kickelhahn

Highlight • Monument

“Over all peaks there is peace…” Goethe wrote on the wall of this small refuge on September 6, 1780. Because of these verses that were written here and later became …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.38 km

Gabelbach Hunting Lodge Museum

Highlight • Historical Site

The simple late baroque functional building was hastily erected in the summer of 1783 to serve as a guest house for Karl August and his hunting party. Building materials were …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3.34 km

Shepherds' Meadow

Highlight • Viewpoint

The hiking hut is a suitable resting place with a beautiful view.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3.38 km

Hirtenwiese Hut

Highlight • Mountain Hut

Shelter with a beautiful view 😁 inside benches and table for a little refreshment (for your own 😜) 👍

Translated by Google •

Tip by

5.91 km

Forest pond in Naturpark Thüringer Wald

Highlight • Lake

Beautiful pond and certainly a good place for a little break.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

5.94 km

Knöpfelstaler Pond

Highlight • Lake

Before continuing on the romantic part of the Goetheweg in the Ilmkreis, this place offers a place full of peace and harmony.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

6.52 km

Finsteres Loch Wooden Bridge and Waterfall (Touringen Stamp Station 145)

Highlight • Bridge

Shortly before Stuetzerbach you will find a fairy-tale gorge, which gained notoriety through Goethe's poem "Ilmenau". In 1783 a large, nocturnal hunting camp took place here. Today there is a …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

10.8 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

9.25 km

1.58 km

Surfaces

6.55 km

3.37 km

601 m

260 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (840 m)

Lowest point (600 m)

Weather

Sunday 11 October

12°C

3°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 8.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

April 13, 2025,Auf Goethes Spur

A beautiful trail that's well signposted and offers great opportunities for a relaxing break. The only downside is the forestry work. Some paths are quite rutted, and there are many branches lying on the trail or in the small streams.

Showing Translation

June 1, 2025,Stützerbach, Finsteres Loch, Kickelhahn und zurück.

Today's small stamp tour takes us to Kickelhahn and Finsteres Loch. We started above Stützerbach. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't so great, and we had to shorten our plans a bit, but we now have two more stamps in our book.

Showing Translation

November 10, 2024,...zum Kickelhahn🥾☀️♟️

We wanted to escape the foggy grey today...so we went up the mountain...up here there was plenty of sun🌞...beautiful views from the tower...relaxed paths...and 2 stamps...autumn can be so beautiful 🍁☀️

Showing Translation