Hiking - Summit Hiking Trail - Suhl-Goldlauter - Thuringian Forest

From Suhl, the trail starts with a rapid ascent to 867 metres to the Salzberg summit - the entry point to the 900-metre peaks of the Thuringian Forest. At the mountain station of the Skilift Goldlauter you have the first fantastic panoramic view over the southern Thuringian Forest.

A little later you reach the Kalte Herberge. Past the Großer Eisenberg (907 m), the summit trail continues along the mountain ridges to the lift hut at the top station of the ski lift of the Winterwelt Schmiedefeld. The summit hiking trail turns north here and leads you through dense woodland to the rest area at the Kreuzwegen. Via the Rennsteig trail, you will reach the Großer Finsterberg. At 940 m, you have a wonderful view of Schmiedefeld and the adjacent Vessertal.

After the short detour, continue over the Mordfleck and the Goldlauterberg (874 m) towards Bortsenplatz. Here you will find the Herbert Roth memorial stone. You leave the Rennsteig again and glide to the Fichtenkopf (944 m). The gentle descent to the Heidersbacher Tränke and Suhler Hütte provides a short rest. This is a wonderful place to rest before you start the ascent to the highest point of the tour via the Schmücke on the Schneekopf .

After the Schmücke and past the Schneekopfblick, you reach the Güldene Brücke. From here, one of the steepest stages begins to the Teufelskanzel and finally to the Schneekopf. The mountain, which is actually only 978 m high, has a special feature: it has an observation tower with a visitor platform at an altitude of exactly 1001.1 m. This makes it the highest vantage point in the world. This makes it the highest vantage point in all of Thuringia. Only the top of the Inselsberg radio tower is higher. Those who feel slightly thirsty after the exertions of the climb can pick up refreshments at the Neue Gehlberger Hütte.

Over the Rosenkopf, follow the trail downhill again for the time being. At Plänckners Aussicht below the Großer Beerberg (983 m) you have a magnificent view south towards Suhl and Zella-Mehlis in the west. From the Suhler Ausspanne, the trail goes straight downhill past the Dietzen-Lorenz-Stein, passing the Unterer Beerberg to the Goldlauter ski hut.

The Rosenkopfstraße finally leads you back to Goldlauter and the starting point of your tour via the Waldschenke am Geiersberg.