Hikes in Kovářská

extensive hike mainly on forest paths

> We start at the Kovářská (Schmiedeberg)01 church, where there is a small parking lot. If you’re arriving by train, follow the route description from and to the Kovářská06 stop on the Vejprty–Chomutov railway line. From the church, take the hiking trail marked in blue, which leads downhill to the left of the war memorial. Turn right onto the road and, about 15 meters further on, turn left again at the restaurant: We follow the small road, keep to the right into a dead-end street, cross the Schwarzwasser, and hike uphill through the houses. Where the path levels out, across from house number 420, we turn right onto a grassy path and hike up to the edge of the forest02 (where there is a power line), which we follow northward.Looking back, we see the highest peak in the Ore Mountains, the Keilberg (1,244 m). Roughly level with the chimney in the valley, the power line—which had been running parallel to the edge of the forest up to that point—forks. There, we keep slightly to the right and head uphill into the sparse forest. We walk steadily uphill through a nearly dense birch forest. We pass a fence on the right; the trail is increasingly overgrown with grass. In a gentle left curve, an inconspicuous path joins from the right; we continue slightly to the left and walk straight ahead, climbing gently (northward). We cross two streams—at the second one, there is a water intake on the right-hand side of the trail. At the highest point, just before the straight path begins to descend, we turn right and walk slightly uphill once more—exactly due east. From this junction, the Great Spitzberg (Velký Špičák)03 is almost exactly 1 km away in a straight line. Don’t miss: Before tackling the alpine-like summit climb over loose rock, be sure to take a look at the basalt columns at the foot of the mountain. Once you reach the summit cross, on a clear day you’ll be treated to a fantastic panorama that is unmatched anywhere in the Ore Mountains. We can see nearly the entire upper Ore Mountains, looking southeast as far as the Isar Mountains, south toward the Duppau Mountains, and southwest to the northern foothills of the Upper Palatinate Forest. Let’s take our time and enjoy this special place before we head east down the mountain! The path down is clearly marked and lined with informational signs from the “Großer Spitzberg Nature Trail.” The descent leads to a road with very little traffic, which we follow straight ahead. At the edge of the forest stands a solitary house. There, we turn right and follow the paved forest road marked in yellow for about 4.3 km. This brings us to the “U Šachty”04 intersection (near the shafts), where the yellow-marked trail ends.We turn left onto the blue-marked trail toward “Měděnec Kostel 1.5 km,” cross the railroad tracks, and then turn left, walking alongside field groves and through meadows to the striking Kupferhübel. Just behind the parking lot, there are several information signs. We take a look at the old adit, walk to the pithead above it, and climb up to the Kupferhübel (Mědník)05, where the round chapel of the “Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary” stands at the highest point. Julius Franz of Saxe-Lauenburg had it built in 1674. Wilhelm von Humboldt, the scholar brother of the famous Alexander von Humboldt, praised the Kupferhübel as “one of the most beautiful vantage points in Central Europe.”After taking in the panoramic view, we descend the gravel path to the parking lot and return along the familiar route to the “U Šachty”04 intersection. There, we stay on the blue-marked trail, which initially runs alongside the railroad tracks. At kilometer marker 19.4 of the railroad, we turn slightly to the right, then continue straight ahead for quite a while. At a rest area, we turn left. We cross the railroad tracks on a stone arch bridge and, after passing over a gentle hill, reach the Kovářská06 stop.Now we can’t get lost anymore. We walk down the road, cross the Schwarzwasser, and from the restaurant, walk the last few meters uphill to the Kovářská (Schmiedeberg)01 church.

Streckenverlauf SH 2012 DD-Fichtelberg, Wandern, MTB