Slate Mining Spoil Heap – Saalbach Bridge loop from Hirschberg

Hiking trails & Routes

Vogtland

Saale-Orla-Kreis

Hirschberg

Slate Mining Spoil Heap – Saalbach Bridge loop from Hirschberg

Moderate

4.1

(22)

hikers

Slate Mining Spoil Heap – Saalbach Bridge loop from Hirschberg

03:55

14.2km

240m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily walkable paths. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: September 26, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Naturpark Thüringer Schiefergebirge/Obere Saale

Naturpark Frankenwald

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

2.27 km

Slate Mining Spoil Heap

Highlight • Structure

95 percent of the broken slate was unusable and is then stored on such heaps. The size of the stockpile gives an idea of the work done by the miners. …

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4.69 km

Schloß Rudolphstein

Castle

5.49 km

Saalbach Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

-Built in 2004-2005
-Until the division of Germany, there was a covered wooden bridge here
-after the turn of 1989-1991 raft operation
-from 1991 - 2003 wooden footbridge
-The inauguration …

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5.55 km

Ruins of Saalbach Settlement

Highlight • Historical Site

-was a former district of Pottiga, was first mentioned in a document in 1389.
-1711 the name "Saalbach" was adopted.
-1809 acquired by the von Koch family.
-1843 Saalbach had …

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5.57 km

Saalbach Spring (site of the former village Saalbach)

Highlight • Natural Monument

The spring was drilled in 1957 and is said to have an outlet temperature of 18 degrees.

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6.03 km

Patrol path along the German-German border

Highlight • Trail

It's not easy to walk on the column path. It is nice that the former border strip has been preserved as a protected landscape area.

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7.72 km

Old mining tunnel near Sparnberg

Highlight • Cave

Former mining tunnel on the Saale near Sparnberg

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8.83 km

St. Simon and Jude Thaddeus Church (Sparnberg)

Highlight • Religious Site

The church of St. Simon and Judas Thaddäus zu Sparnberg, built in 1437, a branch of the parish of Berg in the Middle Ages, stands on the slope of a …

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9.82 km

Picnic area with a view of the Bridge of German Unity

Highlight • Rest Area

Good rest area if only the noise didn't help

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14.2 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

7.24 km

5.42 km

1.53 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

8.65 km

4.17 km

1.23 km

126 m

< 100 m

Elevation

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

Highest point (520 m)

Lowest point (430 m)

Weather

Sunday 1 November

6°C

2°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 10.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

May 8, 2026,📸 Unterwegs im Hirschberger Saaletal – wandern am Grünen Band ( Hirschberg - Sachsenvorwerk - Rudolphstein - Sparnberg u. Zurück ) 🤩

📸 On my free Friday round today, I went to Hirschberg an der Saale, started at the free parking lot 🅿️ at the Kulturhaus, first went on the Hühnernestweg to Sachsenvorwerk, continued to Rudolphstein (former German-German border, then a short detour to the old wooden bridge near Sparnberg which is closed 🔐 to take a few photos, and finally continued …

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April 26, 2023,Hirschberg - An der Saale auf und ab. Rundwanderung über Sparnberg 🚶‍♀️🌤️

I have an old postcard with a church near Hirschberg that I could never identify. I recently discovered the same motif while hiking from @xleim. Today I set out to find her. Was also very quick. It's very close by. I never thought they were in Franconia, but in Thuringia. Then we went along the Saale on the Franconian side …

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October 20, 2024,💚🥾Schöne Wanderung ehem.Grenze und Bayern💙🥾

A beautiful autumnal hike and lots of nature and fresh air. Picture number 12, what is that, guess. The bridge from Sparnberg is unfortunately closed to pedestrians, bicycles and cars 🧐Then continue walking to Saalbach, then to Hirschberg, all well-marked hike!💚💙🥾👍🍀

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