Thuringian Sea | Lake March (approx. 15km)

The route starts at the Thuringian Sea Tourist Information in Saalburg-Ebersdorf (Saalburg district) and the nearby passenger boat dock in Saalburg, directly on the Thuringian Sea. Here your little adventure begins with a special stage: instead of starting to walk, you board the passenger shipping. While the boat leaves the shore, the motto is: lean back, take a deep breath, and enjoy. The light breeze, the sparkling waves, and the view of the wooded slopes all around make this passage the first highlight of the day. After just a few minutes, vacation mood spreads – this is what a nature time-out feels like.

After about 60-90 minutes, the boat docks at Saaldorf. Here begins the hike back to Saalburg – varied, close to nature, and full of beautiful moments.

First, the path takes you through open meadows and along gently curved slopes toward Heinrichstein. A short climb is worthwhile: From the rocky plateau, a wide view opens over the Thuringian Sea onto the Saale loop – water, dense forest, and the silhouettes of the surrounding heights paint a picture like from a hiking catalog. Those who want can take the first break here and let their soul dangle.

It continues on narrow forest paths, pleasantly cool and fragrant underfoot. Soon you reach a descent into the valley to the Seeblick viewpoint (Heinrichstein boat landing) – a small, fine spot with a bench and an open view of the southern shore. Here one feels how close water and forest meet, how harmoniously nature and humans complement each other.

After further walking minutes in the forest and on the shore of the Thuringian Sea, you reach the resting plateau – a riverside plateau of the Saale where the former Ruhmühle was located (today a flooded area and newly rebuilt in the Ebersdorf district).

From here, the path winds uphill to the Blaupunkt, a striking viewpoint where on sunny days the blue of the sky is reflected as the blue of the water. Now the landscape changes: through an idyllic valley with a former hammer mill, the path widens, and you hike out of the valley through Zoppoten, a dreamy but surprisingly lively village in the heart of Saalburg-Ebersdorf.

Shortly thereafter, you reach the Luchsloch – a legendary place that lies mysteriously in the shadow of the trees and is said to owe its name to the old lynx holes located below in the mountain slope. Were there really lynxes here once? Maybe. What is certain: the atmosphere here is breathtaking. Those who are still hear only wind, birds, and perhaps rustling in the undergrowth and experience a wide view into the Saale valley.

The next section gently ascends mostly with views of the Thuringian Sea to Pöritzsch. From here you enjoy wide views over the Thuringian Slate Mountains – ideal for a few last photos before you tackle the final section back to Saalburg. You now walk back to the lake on a meadow path. With every step, you approach the goal – and at some point, the view opens again over the water and the Saalburg district on the sunny slope of the Thuringian Sea. The circle closes where everything began: at the boat dock and the Thuringian Sea Tourist Information of Saalburg-Ebersdorf.