Circular hiking trail - To the whirlpools of the Schwarza

Hiking trails & Routes

Germany

Thuringia

Landkreis Saalfeld-Rudolstadt

Bad Blankenburg

Circular hiking trail - To the whirlpools of the Schwarza

Moderate

4.6

(294)

854

hikers

Circular hiking trail - To the whirlpools of the Schwarza

02:32

8.91km

190m

Hiking

In the Schwarzatal between Bad Blankenburg and Schwarzburg, water has washed out the so-called whirlpools over thousands of years. You can get to know these hydrogeological natural monuments and many other highlights on this tour. Since the entire route runs through a beautiful forest, this tour is also suitable for hot summer days.

Starting from the car park at the Chrysopraswehr near Bad Blankenburg, you first hike up through the forest to the game enclosure. You can then enjoy a fantastic view at the romantic Eberstein hunting lodge. The route then goes down to the banks of the Schwarza. The entire way back runs along the river, where you can admire bizarrely shaped whirlpools again and again.

by Thüringer Wald

Last updated: June 27, 2025

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Naturpark Thüringer Wald

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

1.41 km

Wildgatter

Highlight • Trail

Very beautiful hiking trails along the Schwarza. I am always excited about tours like this.

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2.44 km

Eberstein Hunting Lodge

Highlight • Historical Site

It was built in 1844 in the Moorish style that was common at the time and was used by the royal family until 1918, particularly for wild boar hunting. The castle was located in a large wild boar enclosure, a type of enclosure known as a "sucking garden". In this area, wild boars were cared for and looked after for the royal hunt. The castle is usually closed, but today it is used by the municipality of Dittersdorf, which also organizes its maintenance, as an event venue.

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4.79 km

Schwarza River Potholes

Highlight • Natural Monument

For thousands of years, the whirlpools of the Schwarza have used stone and boulders to cut round pits into the shale. They are protected as hydrogeological natural monuments and are very rare.

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8.87 km

Chrysopras Weir on the Schwarza River

Highlight • Waterfall

It was built at the beginning of the 20th century and served to regulate the water level of the Schwarza and to create an artificial tributary, the Lache.

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8.91 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

8.76 km

126 m

Surfaces

6.58 km

2.25 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (350 m)

Lowest point (240 m)

Weather

Thursday 10 September

19°C

6°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 12.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

October 6, 2024,Wanderung

Beautiful hiking trail that climbs steadily without being noticed, but doesn't leave you out of breath.

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April 7, 2024,Katzenstein - Jagdhaus Eberstein – Strudeltöpfe - Runde von Bad Blankenburg

We walked according to the book "Hiking for the soul - feel-good trails in the Thuringian Forest". Basically, the route was well chosen and a little bit different 😀 But then on the Schwarzatalweg it was too hectic for me, there were always cyclists and the main road (10 m) was very busy with motorbikes, which was too loud, at …

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October 19, 2025,🍁🍂 Schwarzatal 🍂🍁

We'd actually only planned a short walk – but as so often happens, things turned out differently. 😉 We took a leisurely stroll through the quiet Schwarza Valley, where we enjoyed the autumnal splendor and the soothing peace – hardly a soul in sight. 🍂
The Eberstein, once a medieval castle and now a popular viewing point above the Schwarza …

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October 26, 2024,Kopf-👤🧠Frei-Runde im Schwarzatal 🥾🥾📸☀️✌🏻

After a strenuous week at work, a short hike along the Schwarza. There were a few beautiful places to explore, unfortunately the busy main road is right next door, but that didn't matter, it was enough to switch off.

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May 10, 2025,Naturwanderung Nr 5 zu den Strudeltöpfen 🌲

A very beautiful, peaceful, and easy hike. I could have stood by the Schwarza for hours; there's something very calming about it. The return walk through the forest, with some panoramic views, is also wonderful. Several hikes start from the parking lot (€3 day ticket).

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July 13, 2025,NW-Tour im Schwarzatal

It was already after 7 p.m. when I set out for a northwesterly tour in the Schwarza Valley.

But I was able to enjoy the route in peace and quiet. The Schwarza River trickled along like a piece of Heimatfilm.

A highly recommended short tour in the beautiful Schwarza Valley.

A lovely end to the week. 😄 🙋‍♂️

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June 4, 2023,Jagdhaus Eberstein – Strudeltöpfe Runde von Bad Blankenburg

Today a tour with little altitude was desired. The tour was an absolute summer tour when it is really warm. Hiking on the panorama trail in the shadow of the mountain and back to the Schwarza for children in some places to play and rest on the shore.

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January 19, 2025,Nordic Walking Tour Schwarzatal

Wonderful Nordic walking tour in the Schwarzatal. Although there was very little sun, hoarfrost can be quite nice. To my surprise, there were hardly any people out and about in the beautiful weather. It was another great afternoon.

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June 11, 2024

In the Schwarzatal between Bad Blankenburg and Schwarzburg, water has washed out the so-called whirlpools over thousands of years. You can get to know these hydrogeological natural monuments and many other highlights on this tour. Since the entire route runs through a beautiful forest, this tour is also

Translated by Google •

September 24, 2024

We walked this, but deviated from the route halfway between point 1 and 2. We took a narrower path on the left, which was particularly beautiful. This comes together again just past point 2 (you have to walk back a bit). At point 4 we also took a narrower path towards Hunekuppe, and halfway a path parallel

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