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Houbirg – SevenSummits in the Nuremberg region

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Hiking trails & Routes

Houbirg – SevenSummits in the Nuremberg region

Moderate

4.7

(144)

499

hikers

Houbirg – SevenSummits in the Nuremberg region

02:50

9.37km

300m

Hiking

The tour to the Houbirg combines historical sites and memorial places with breathtaking panoramic views. It leads you past the Hersbruck/Happurg Documentation Site, which commemorates the subcamp of the same name. On the Houbirg, a Celtic ring rampart awaits you, boasting an impressive circumference of 4.5 kilometers. The view from the so-called Hohlen Fels (Hollow Rock) over the Happurger See lake is at least as impressive.

The starting point is Happurg train station, located on the S-Bahn line 1. On the outskirts of the town, you will pass the Hersbruck/Happurg Documentation Site. Here you can pause for a moment and look at the informative display boards about this dark place. Afterwards, the path leads uphill towards the Houbirg. Part of the trail runs directly over the Celtic ring rampart. The Hohlen Fels is then ideal for a short break with a panoramic view before the path leads you back down to Happurg.

by Nürnberger Land

Last updated: August 14, 2025

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

1.16 km

Hersbruck-Happurg Concentration Camp Documentation Site

Highlight • Historical Site

Very nice and well-made documentation site, there are usually flyers there as well. Belongs to the exhibition site in Hersbruck.

The Dogger tunnel (also called Doggerwerk) is a tunnel system in the Houbirg mountain range. The tunnels of the Doggerwerk were dug in the years 1944 to 1945 by prisoners of the concentration camp Hersbruck in forced labor. In the planned underground production facility, war-critical BMW aircraft engines were to be manufactured. The construction management and the SS command staff were in Happurg. The completed total length is 3.9 kilometers, of which 2.6 kilometers still exist today. The code name was "Esche 1". It has been planned for some time to make parts accessible to the public.

Translated by Google •

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3.74 km

Houbirg Hillfort

Highlight • Historical Site

There is something special about hiking on the preserved remains of the walls of the ramparts, some of which are still ten meters high. The ring wall runs around the area of the former Celtic settlement over a length of over four kilometers. The ramparts consist of a deep ditch (“Hunnenschlucht”) with a spring, foreangle, rocks with a wing wall, rock bastion, forest section, “Hüll” (waterhole), quarries and four gates. There are well-made display boards with relevant explanations in various places.

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4.67 km

View of Happurger See from Hohler Fels

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Houbirg is a mountain near Happurg in Middle Franconia with an abandoned Celtic oppidum of the same name. Remains of the walls, some of which are still ten meters high, have been preserved and, with a length of four and a half kilometers, enclose an area of almost one square kilometer. In addition, a prehistoric site, a castle stable and a tunnel complex built as part of the underground relocation bear witness to the history of the survey.

Translated by Google •

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9.37 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

5.24 km

1.77 km

1.63 km

720 m

Surfaces

3.09 km

2.59 km

1.66 km

1.06 km

927 m

< 100 m

Elevation

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

Highest point (600 m)

Lowest point (350 m)

Weather

Monday 24 August

20°C

14°C

36 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

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Comments

May 25, 2024,SevenSummits im Fränkischen Land: Houbirg

Seven tours to the highest elevations in the Nuremberg region - all 600-meter peaks. Seven Summits.

Today we start with the Houbirg (616 m) from Happurg. The path leads to one of the most important Celtic hilltop settlements in southern Germany. The first people settled on the Houbirg plateau as early as the Middle Bronze Age around 1600 BC.

Showing Translation

August 10, 2024,Seven Summits im Nürnberger Land: "Die Houbirg" (Variante, 10.08.2024)

As part of the preliminary exploration for our multi-day hike in autumn 2024, Johanna and I walked the tour, albeit with minor deviations from the original tour.
A beautiful, albeit really challenging circular tour in the first section. From the beginning it goes quite steeply uphill, then soon on the ring wall steadily rising slightly up to the Hohler Fels …

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September 20, 2024,Mehrtageswanderung 2024: "Auf die Houbirg" (Tour aus "Seven Summits", Kurzwanderung, 20.09.2024)

The description from "schöne-aussicht.de" is absolutely accurate:
"Probably the most beautiful tour of the Seven Summits.
An absolute dream tour in the Nuremberg region with the Houbirg and the Hohlen Fels as the destination. Even the deciduous forest had its golden robe in autumn and even made the approach a special treat.
There is no way around the tour."

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December 9, 2022,Tour zum Hohlen Fels und zum Ringwall der Kelten auf die Houbirg

I was here a few months ago. During the 1000 meter hike (bergparadiese.de/1000-hoehenmeter-wandern-bei-pommelsbrunn-im-nuernberger-land) we went to this impressive vantage point above the Happurg reservoir.

But not only the Hohle Fels with its bizarre rock formations and the wonderful panorama is a highlight of this tour.

Showing Translation

May 13, 2023,Houbirg - Doggerwerk - Hohler Fels - KZ Außenlager Hersbruck

The tour is not only scenically spectacular, but also has a long history with the Houbirg (Hou~Hag: enclosure or fortified place, Birg: to withdraw for defence). The first evidence of settlement comes from around 1600 BC. From 900 B.C. The 4.5 km long ring wall was probably built, on which long sections of the route are covered.
Even from modern …

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May 5, 2023,Seven Summits im Nürnberger Land: Die Houbirg (616 m)

Today I went on my first summit tour of the SevenSummits. While this term actually means the highest peak of the 7 continents, here 7 round tours to the highest elevations in the Nuremberg region are meant.

The Houbirg from Happurg made the start today. It started from a parking lot at the Happurger Bach. Uphill past the war memorial …

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July 20, 2025,Erkundung der Houbirg

Hiking trip organized by the Schnaittach SCR (Swiss Alpine Club). From Happurg, we first visited the documentation center and the central entrance tunnel H of the Doggerwerk (Dogger Works). Further up, we encountered the Celtic ring wall, which we followed to the summit of the Houbirg. Of course, we also visited the viewpoint overlooking the reservoir with its distinctive pine …

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September 10, 2023,Happurg - Houbirg - Hohler Fels - Stauseeblick

Today we were just before (or behind😉) the Upper Palatinate, i.e. still in Franconia.
I only knew Happurg because of the reservoir, but there is much more to see from the past 👍🏼

- de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houbirg
- de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doggerstollen
- de.wikipedia.org/wiki/KZ-Au%C3%9Fenlager_Hersbruck

Showing Translation

March 5, 2023

The tour to the Houbirg combines historical sites and memorial places with breathtaking panoramic views. It leads you past the Hersbruck/Happurg Documentation Site, which commemorates the subcamp of the same name. On the Houbirg, a Celtic ring rampart awaits you, boasting an impressive circumference

Showing Translation

March 28, 2024

Beautiful, varied and very well signposted tour along historical sights. Part of the route runs on the impressive Celtic rampart. The highlight is the view of the Happurg reservoir. This hike is an absolute must in the Nuremberg region

Translated by Google •

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Houbirg – SevenSummits in the Nuremberg region

Hersbruck-Happurg Concentration Camp Documentation Site

Houbirg Hillfort

View of Happurger See from Hohler Fels

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