Around the Höhenberge

From the parking lot, the path leads slightly downhill to the right in 10 minutes to the DAV hiking lodge Weidmannsruh. From here you have a beautiful view to the southeast towards the Dolmar. It passes the lodge keeping always left towards Nesselhof. After about 15 minutes, sharply left up the mountain and then right to the Rennsteig, which is reached above the Ebertswiese. Now about 500 meters towards Oberhof to the next junction. Here turn left and hike with a very nice view over Waltershausen down to the Splittergrund near the Hainich National Park. In the valley bottom, turn left to the Splitterfall. After a steep ascent, you reach the Rennsteig again (here a place to stop at the Berghotel Ebertswiese, 5 min). Continue west on the Rennsteig to the Dreiherrnstein. Here you leave the Rennsteig and follow the path towards Kleinschmalkalden and Haderholzstein. The now open terrain repeatedly offers beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. After 60 minutes, turn left and finally reach the Haderholzstein (713 m) via a narrow serpentine path, which invites you to linger with its beautiful view of the Höhenberge and resting benches. From here it goes steeply downhill to the south into the Haderholzgrund. Then 2 kilometers upstream, then right onto a steep forest road past the Falkenburgstein (rock, remains of a medieval castle) keeping left towards Ebertswiese. Finally, a very steep climb up to the middle Höhnberg (843 m). Here another nice view back to the Haderholzstein and the Großer Inselsberg. Then downhill to the forest edge and across meadows to the Berghotel Ebertswiese. After an extensive rest, 15 minutes back to the starting point. If you haven't had enough, you can still take a short detour to the mountain lake from here (10 minutes, swimming possible).