Thuringian Sea | Lake Path (approx. 11 km)

The route begins at the Thuringian Sea Tourist Information in Saalburg-Ebersdorf (Saalburg district) and the nearby Saalburg ship dock, directly on the Thuringian Sea. Here your little adventure starts with a special stage: instead of walking off, you board the passenger ship. As the ship leaves the shore, it's time to lean back, breathe deeply, and enjoy. The light breeze, the sparkling waves, and the view of the forested slopes all around make this passage the first highlight of the day. After just a few minutes, vacation mood spreads – this is what a natural break feels like.

After about 45 minutes, the ship docks at the foot of Heinrichstein. Here begins the hike back to Saalburg – varied, close to nature, and full of beautiful moments.

Landing at the Seeblick viewpoint (Heinrichstein ship dock), the hike starts directly on the shore of the Bleiloch reservoir towards Saalburg.

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Tip: For hikers with time and energy for the steep climb, the detour right at the beginning in the opposite direction to the Heinrichstein viewpoint is worthwhile: from the rock plateau, there is a wide view over the Thuringian Sea to the Saale loop – water, dense forest, and the silhouettes of the surrounding heights paint a picture straight out of a hiking catalog. Those who want can have their first rest here and let their soul dangle.
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At the Seeblick viewpoint you find a small, fine place with a bench and an unobstructed view of the southern shore and the Saale loop. Here you feel how close water and forest meet, how harmoniously nature and humans complement each other.

After a few minutes of walking in the forest and along the shore of the Thuringian Sea, you reach the Ruhebene – a Saale shore plateau where the former Ruhmühle was located (today a flooded area and newly rebuilt in the Ebersdorf district).

From here the path winds uphill to the Blaupunkt, a striking viewpoint where on sunny days the blue of the sky is reflected as the blue of the water. Now the landscape changes: through an idyllic valley with a former hammer mill, the path widens, and you hike out of the valley through Zoppoten, a dreamy but surprisingly lively village in the heart of Saalburg-Ebersdorf.

Shortly after you reach the Luchsloch – a legendary place, mysteriously lying in the shadow of the trees and named, according to tradition, after the old lynx dens located below in the mountainside. Were there really lynxes here once? Maybe. What is certain is that the atmosphere here is breathtaking. If you are quiet, you only hear the wind, birds, and maybe a rustling in the undergrowth and experience a wide view into the Saale valley.

The next section leads you gently uphill mostly with views of the Thuringian Sea to Pöritzsch. From here you can once again enjoy wide views over the Thuringian Slate Mountains – ideal for a few last photos before tackling the final section to Saalburg. You now hike back toward the lake along a meadow path. With every step, you get closer to your goal – and eventually the view opens again on the water and the Saalburg district on the sunny slope of the Thuringian Sea. The circle closes where it all began: at the ship dock and the Thuringian Sea Tourist Information of Saalburg-Ebersdorf.