Geopfad Bad Kösen

Short Description

Beautiful views of the Saaletal valley and castles.

Description

The Geopfad Bad Kösen (formerly known as Himmelreichweg) leads over the Rudelsburg, Burg Saaleck, the Gasthaus Himmelreich, and over the heights to the right and left of the Saale.

The length of the hiking trail is 10 km, with elevation changes of about 100 m twice, so you should plan for at least 3.5 hours, plus stops for food and rest.

Several information boards along the trail provide information about the geology of the Saaletal valley in this area.

The hiking trail is very well signposted and marked, so a hiking map is not necessarily required, and you can start the hike from either direction.

There are dining options at the Rudelsburg and at the Gaststätte Himmelreich.

Franz Kugler wrote the well-known folk song An der Saale hellem Strande at the Rudelsburg in 1826. Additionally, four monuments erected by corps student associations can be visited and are worth seeing.

The over 800-year-old Burg Saaleck is not in operation. However, visiting is still worthwhile as it offers a beautiful view of the Saaletal valley, and there are many picnic areas available. In 1922, the castle was the last hideout of the attacker Walter Rathenau.

An interesting and popular variant of the hiking trail is the marked descent, the Kuno Klamm, from Burg Saaleck to the Saaleck boat landing. From there, you can be transported back to Bad Kösen by passenger ship.



Route:
 
City center of Bad Kösen - Loreleypromenade - Campsite - Rudelsburg - Burg Saaleck - Saaleck - Stendorf - Himmelreich - Lengefeld - Kurpark - Bad Kösen

Route Description

Starting from the city center of Bad Kösen, the hike goes through Loreleypromenade - Campsite - Rudelsburg - Burg Saaleck - Saaleck - Stendorf - Himmelreich - Lengefeld - Kurpark - Bad Kösen

Further Information

http://www.naturpark-saale-unstrut.de/de/bad-koesen.html
https://www.rudelsburg.info/
http://www.himmelreich-bad-koesen.de/