Old Railway to the Paper Mill – Saalenixe Wooden Sculpture loop from Blankenstein (Saale)

Hiking trails & Routes

Vogtland

Saale-Orla-Kreis

Blankenstein

Old Railway to the Paper Mill – Saalenixe Wooden Sculpture loop from Blankenstein (Saale)

Easy

4.6

(16)

hikers

Old Railway to the Paper Mill – Saalenixe Wooden Sculpture loop from Blankenstein (Saale)

01:11

4.51km

30m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: July 31, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Naturpark Thüringer Schiefergebirge/Obere Saale

Naturpark Frankenwald

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

693 m

Old Railway to the Paper Mill

Highlight • Trail

Old wagons of the former field railway in Blankenberg near the old paper factory

Translated by Google •

Tip by

708 m

Memorial plaque to the border area

Highlight • Monument

The plaque commemorates the former border of the GDR near Blankenstein.
Here was the 500-meter exclusion zone.
It ran along the Saale, where the middle of the river was the border.

Showing Translation

Tip by

893 m

Former Border Strip Trail along the Saale River

Highlight • Trail

Apart from a few monuments, there is nothing left to remind us of the former death strip that divided Germany over 30 years ago. Today, there is a wonderful path along the banks of the peaceful Saale.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.81 km

Ore cart at Bremsberg

Highlight • Historical Site

Ore was extracted from a short test tunnel here. A (in the meantime very rusty) model and a display board with an explanation can be seen here.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.99 km

Geiertisch Rock Formation

Highlight • Natural Monument

The Geiertisch is an imposing rock on which an unnamed local had an accident.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.26 km

Saale Bridge at the Blankenberg Paper Mill

Highlight • Bridge

Ferdinand Traugott Flinsch introduced mechanical papermaking in Blankenberg in 1843. Parchment paper and printing paper were still produced in this Thuringian town on the Saale River until 1993. Today, you can learn more about that era in a museum.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.63 km

Saalenixe Wooden Sculpture

Highlight • Monument

The Saalen mermaid is reminiscent of the legend according to which the former castle lords liked to eat fish and therefore sent their servants to fish in the Saale. One …

Translated by Google •

Tip by