Hohndorf: Hiking and Mining History

Explore Hohndorf on trails that bring local history and mining to life: historic buildings, former shafts, and an overgrown spoil heap give hikes a clear thematic focus. The highlights include both a tour through the town’s history and trails connected to its mining history.

Explore Local History at Your Own Pace

The digital history tour tells the stories of historic farmsteads, traditional inns, and former workshops. Historical images, documents, and an interactive map put the town’s buildings in their historical context. So the tour does more than list names and places: it explores the different traces of everyday life in the past.

Another way to discover Hohndorf’s local history is the “Historic Hohndorf” walking tour. It connects historically significant sites and buildings within the municipality, including the town hall, the church, Rappelkiste kindergarten, and Glück-Auf School. Unlike the digital tour, which brings together stories and images of buildings, this walk focuses on the sites and structures themselves.

Hiking Trails with Different Themes

The 18-kilometre Steinkohlenweg is a circular trail that passes through several municipalities: Oelsnitz/Erzgebirge, Hohndorf, Gersdorf, and Lugau. It has 80 uniform markers. A brochure includes six suggested tours with maps—useful if you’d like to plan your hike from a range of options. The trail connects several places, so it is not the same as a walking tour devoted exclusively to Hohndorf.

The Hohndorf circular hiking trail has a different focus. It is rated moderate and follows paved paths and roads. The start and finish are at the car park of the “Walderholung” country hotel and restaurant, Fleischerberg 21. Check the route details before setting out to make sure your plans match the route.

Mining History from Spoil Heaps to Views

The Hohndorf section of the mining heritage trail, which has 43 stops in total, leads to five named stops: Vereinigtfeld Shaft I, Vereinigtfeld Shaft III, Helene Shaft, Ida Shaft, and Bergmannsplatz. Schnitzerheim also reflects the region’s mining and local heritage: it houses a mechanical Heimatberg and displays a model of the Vereinigtfeld Shaft I headframe.

The Hohndorf circular hiking trail also reaches Knappenweg, a former miners’ settlement. It heads toward the former Vereinigtfeld Shaft and then passes its completely overgrown spoil heap. Near the former Vereinigtfeld shafts, the route offers a panoramic view of Hohndorf as a mining town from an elevation of 460 metres above sea level. Another viewpoint is Waldeck, where you can look across Hohndorf’s lower district and the residential area by Lichtensteiner Wald. The spoil heap, viewpoints, and historic stops each offer a different perspective on mining history.

Plan Your Tours and Accommodation

The bus stops Hohndorf Wartehalle, served by bus routes 117 and 139, and Hohndorf Mitte, on rail line 523, are listed as ways to reach the circular hiking trail. Check timetables and route details before your trip. When looking for accommodation in Hohndorf, you might also consider whether you’d like to plan your stay around local history, the stops on the mining heritage trail, or a circular hike with scenic views.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Grunhainichen, Johanngeorgenstadt, Lauter/Sachsen, Stollberg, Bad Schlema, Hormersdorf, Eibenstock, Krumhermersdorf.

Back to the main travel overview: Erzgebirgskreis.