Oberlausitzer Bergweg - On foot on the quality hiking trail

The Butterberg can be reached on foot from Bischofswerda railroad station in 45 minutes. The path from the station to the Butterberg is signposted throughout as a feeder route to the start of the Oberlausitzer Bergweg. You finally reach the Butterberg, with its impressive mountain inn and viewing tower.

The first section, marked with the "Green Line", runs parallel to the "Butterberg Nature Experience Trail". The trail crosses the city forest, including a former railroad embankment. At the "Schönbrunner Blick", a rest area and viewpoint, you can get your first glimpse of the Upper Lusatian mountains.

The trail now leads along the railroad tracks to the station and from there on to the center of the "granite village" of Demitz-Thumitz. The tradition of granite mining is still alive in the municipality. Hikers can find out about the history of granite mining at many locations in the village. This can even be experienced up close in the "Alte Steinsäge" adventure museum. The trail now follows up to the Klosterberg. Before climbing to the summit, we recommend the "Großer Bruch" viewpoint, a former quarry that is now filled with azure blue water. Afterwards, the renovated "Heimatblick" with a view of Demitz-Thumitz invites you to linger.

After crossing the Klosterberg, further former quarries follow. The S120 is crossed and, after a slight uphill section, the municipality of Schmölln-Putzkau is reached. At the edge of the forest that follows, the "Försterblick" provides the first beautiful view of Neukirch and the Valtenberg. A long but gently descending path begins and, after crossing the B98, you reach the pottery village of Neukirch. Here the hiking trail runs directly along the Wesenitz river past various potteries.

The village has been the center of the Upper Lusatian pottery trade since 1759. Show workshops allow direct contact with the potters. In the show workshop, you can experience the special features of linen processing. Also worth mentioning are the many Umgebinde houses typical of the region, where linen used to be processed at home.

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Right at the start of the day's stage, you can't miss the three large windmills in Oderwitz. The mills are still operational and can be visited.

The nearby "Spitzbergbaude" offers vegetarian and vegan food, the ideal basis for today's stage.

Along the way, you will repeatedly come across the story of the robber chief Karasek, who was up to mischief in this area. He benefited from the fact that there were a number of Bohemian exclaves due to the changeable historical landlordship, which offered the robber chief and his entourage safe havens from persecution by the Saxon king. We owe countless legends to this fact, which the locals will be happy to tell you.

As you climb the "Großer Stein" ridge, you can once again experience the unexpected 360° panorama with its fabulous views.

The route then takes you past other geological features and down to the former weaving village of Großschönau. Großschönau is famous for the first terry loom, which was manufactured here in 1856. Terry and damask production shaped the village for centuries. The German Damask and Terry Museum in Großschönau is a reminder of this time and shows how the experience gained from weaving is still successfully used at the site today.

From Großschönau, the route then enters Germany's 100th nature park, the Zittau Mountains Nature Park. From this point on, the route becomes much more varied in terms of altitude. The summit is the Lausche, the highest mountain in Upper Lusatia at 670 meters. Once at the top, enjoy the panoramic view of Upper Lusatia and across to Bohemia. There used to be an inn right on the border that had two entrances: one from the Bohemian side and one from the Saxon side. There is nothing left of this today, instead the modern observation tower offers you an entertaining view. The resort of Walthersdorf is your overnight stop today.

If you still have the energy and desire, you can visit the nature park house with its adventure exhibition and nature park garden. Or perhaps you would like to take a detour to the Lausche Moor on the Czech side?

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Today we are heading through the Zittau Mountains. The bizarre sandstone formations have already left many a hiker in awe. You will also need to be sure-footed, as many a via ferrata requires your full concentration.

The butterfly house in Johnsdorf has an exotic feel to it, as you can experience the diversity of tropical butterflies within its walls.

The next and last mountain peak on the long-distance hiking trail - the Hochwald with its hut and viewing tower - offers you a fabulous panoramic view of the route over the centuries-old cultural landscape of the Upper Lusatian Mountain Trail, as well as across towards the Jizera Mountains, Jeschken and, with a bit of luck, the Giant Mountains. The views with their autumnal atmosphere are among the emotional highlights of the entire trail. Enjoy your stay on the Hochwald tower before descending to the venerable spa town of Oybin.

You should definitely venture up to Mount Oybin with its castle and monastery ruins, as Caspar David Friedrich was already impressed by this magnificent backdrop. With a bit of luck, you might be able to catch a concert within the monastery walls. As an insider tip, we recommend a visit to the small church, located directly on the ascent to Oybin.

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On the last hiking day of your 8-day tour along the Upper Lusatian Mountain Trail, you will once again pass through the wildly romantic beauty of Germany's smallest low mountain range with its sometimes bizarre sandstone formations.

The 569-metre-high Scharfestein gives you another view of the idyllically situated Oybin. Deep below you, you may recognize the traditional narrow-gauge railroad that makes its way through the valley to Zittau.

The three-country point, the border point between Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, illustrates how varied the political history of the cultural landscape you are walking through has been and how important open borders of a common Europe are for all people.

The border river Neisse now accompanies you into the historic town of Zittau, one of the towns of the famous six-town alliance of the Middle Ages. We recommend an evening stroll through the medieval old town of Zittau.

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The day of your departure is approaching. 128 kilometers along the Oberlausitzer Bergweg long-distance hiking trail lie behind you. Nevertheless, use the hours before your departure to visit the unique Lenten cloths, important sacred documents of a bygone era. But also the magnificent town hall, the Johanniskirche church built by architect Schinkel, the historic butchers' benches or the lovely Zittau flower clock. The more than 750-year-old town impresses with its diversity and is a worthy conclusion to your hiking experience.

We look forward to your next visit!

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