Kyffhäuser Trail: Stage 1 from Steinthaleben to the Hornungshöhe refuge (Bad Frankenhausen)

At around 27 km, this stage is the longest part of the trail and ends for us at the Hornungshöhe refuge, where we watched the stars for a long time. If you prefer to sleep in a hotel bed, you should add a few more kilometers – then you reach Bad Frankenhausen, where you are sure to find accommodation for the night in the picturesque village. On this stage, you can collect 6 of the 10 touring stamps available on the Kyffhäuser Trail. Incidentally, if your touring stamp booklet is almost full, you can continue just a few kilometers from the Kyffhäuser Trail in the Harz Mountains with the Harz Hiking Needle.

Map of the Kyffhäuser Trail: Stage 1

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Right at the beginning of our hike, we of course stamped the stamp and then continued on the well-signposted path towards Brockenblick. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the Brocken, but we had an even better view of the Rothenburg. It was there that we noticed the “audio experiences” for the first time: You can scan a QR code and are then told a short story – in this case about the Rothenburg.
Incidentally, the story there revolves around the heartbreak of its former owner.

Orchard meadows and Hornungshöhe: culinary & scenic breaks

After meandering through the crowds of tourists, the trail descends steeply to Tilleda. If you are out and about at the right time of year, you can eat your fill on the way down – there is a meadow orchard with plenty of apples and pears. This is also urgently needed, as the path leads directly uphill again before you reach the Königspfalz.

We passed a magnificent view, where stamp point number 141 was located. This was followed by further points with incredible views.

Unfortunately, we walked past the turn-off to Rathsfeld and didn’t feel like turning back. That’s why we can’t show you any photos of the hunting lodge. But we were quicker at the next stamping point.
If it’s apple season, you can eat your fill here too – because from here onwards, another orchard stretches along the path, with trees hanging full to the left and right. Unfortunately, there were no apples for us as they were not yet ripe.

What there was, however, was the Hornungshöhe refuge, which is a little off the path. I came across it on the internet and heard that it was particularly beautiful – of course we didn’t want to miss it. So we made a detour there and enjoyed the view for a very long time.

Pictures of the Kyffhäuser Trail: Stage 1

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