800-metre elevation gain loop

Hiking trails & Routes

800-metre elevation gain loop

Hard

4.7

(197)

613

hikers

800-metre elevation gain loop

05:47

18.1km

740m

Hiking

This sporty, 18 kilometer long circular hike promises you wonderful views, a wonderful landscape - and a little work for your legs. After all, around 800 meters of altitude have to be overcome. But it's very worth it.

You start at the train station in Pommelsbrunn and hike steeply up to Reckenberg, an idyllic, small town on the Kieselmühlberg plateau. From here you have a beautiful view of the Lichtenstein ruins and the Hohenstädter Geißkirche. We continue up and over the ring wall to the summit of Houbrig. After a short break, you hike through a ravine down to Happurg, cross the Happurger Bach and climb back up the other side on Deckersberg.

Finally you reach the former upper basin of the Happurg pumped storage power plant. From the edge of the upper basin you have a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and the reservoir. Just a short distance further you will reach the Jungfernsprung, the next viewpoint. Before you go back down, you pass the limestone tuff terrace of Kainsbach. Here the water splashes over several small sinter pools about three meters deep. A beautiful natural spectacle.

Once in the valley, you walk through Kainsbach and climb straight back up to Reicheneck Castle. Unfortunately, only a few remains of the noble castle remain and the mighty gatehouse is used privately. Nevertheless, the facility is always worth a look. From here it goes down to Förrenbach in Rohrbachtal. The last, steep climb of the hike begins in town. You then walk gently downhill again via the Arzlohe chapel ruins until a short, sloping forest path leads you down to Pommelsbrunn.

by Nürnberger Land

Last updated: May 31, 2024

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

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2.23 km

Reckenberg Hamlet

Highlight • Settlement

Idyllically located hamlet with all kinds of animals and orchards. Small table sale with regional products to take away.

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3.21 km

Houbirg Hillfort

Highlight • Historical Site

There is something special about hiking on the preserved remains of the walls of the ramparts, some of which are still ten meters high. The ring wall runs around the area of the former Celtic settlement over a length of over four kilometers. The ramparts consist of a deep ditch (“Hunnenschlucht”) with a spring, foreangle, rocks with a wing wall, rock bastion, forest section, “Hüll” (waterhole), quarries and four gates. There are well-made display boards with relevant explanations in various places.

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8.15 km

View of the Former Upper Reservoir (Pumped Storage Plant Happurg)

Highlight • Viewpoint

The pumped storage power plant Happurg near Happurg was in operation from 1958 to 2011. The lower basin of the power plant system is the Happurger See. The 1.8 million cubic meter upper basin is located on the west of Deckersberg and is being renovated since 2011.

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8.86 km

View of the Happurg Reservoir from Jungfernsprung

Highlight • Viewpoint

Legendary and great viewing point. It's in no way inferior to the view from the cave rock on the other side of the lake.

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9.76 km

Kainsbach Tufa Terrace

Highlight • Natural Monument

These are so-called sintering steps or sintering terraces and not a "stone channel". Sinter terraces are deposits of porous limestone or sinter in flowing water and, unlike stalactites, form relatively quickly. Objects (e.g. branches) form barriers and, over time, develop into smaller pools, which mark themselves as sintered steps and accumulate the water in a cascade fashion. Nice to look at. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalktuffterrasse_von_Kainsbach

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12.0 km

Reicheneck Castle Ruins

Highlight • Castle

The ruins of a former high medieval aristocratic castle with its impressive former outer gatehouse (now a residential building) are a nice change during the hike. This was once the ancestral home of Ulrich von Königstein.

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15.5 km

Chapel Ruins Zum Heiligen Baum (Arzlohe)

Highlight • Religious Site

All that remains of the single-nave, late Gothic building are surrounding walls up to five meters high, the portal and an ogival window. The first documented mention dates back to 1508, in connection with a crime committed here. Further notes from the diocese of Eichstätt date back to 1408.

Due to the name “Holy Tree”, it is assumed that this place was already a pre-Christian place of worship. This assumption is not proven, but it is conceivable, as this place lies in the transition between the high mountain “Acropolis of the Celts” and the Houbirg.

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18.1 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

10.3 km

3.52 km

3.41 km

485 m

197 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

7.74 km

5.73 km

2.08 km

1.25 km

800 m

452 m

Elevation

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

Highest point (600 m)

Lowest point (360 m)

Weather

Today

Friday 9 October

13°C

8°C

96 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 17.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

July 10, 2023,Hersbrucker Schweiz: 800 Höhenmeter Rundwanderweg

Today we went again from Pommelsbrunn on tour to Hersbrucker Switzerland.

The 800 meter hike can be used to prepare for mountain tours or simply, as in my case, to enjoy the beautiful landscape.
Winding paths and rocky trails lead through mountains and valleys. Even if the route is very densely wooded, there are always great views and a lot …

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March 30, 2025,800 Höhenmeterrundweg

Beautiful, challenging route with wonderful views of the Happurger reservoir.

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April 6, 2023,800 HMR Weg um Pommelsbrunn

I only managed the last climb with sheer willpower and the last descent I had pudding legs.
As always, I took a detour or two because I couldn't find the waymarker 🤷🏻‍♀️
Fantastic weather today!!!! And for that really manageable few people on the way. At Hohle Fels I had my favorite spot all to myself ❤️
In direct comparison …

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March 23, 2025,800 HMR Rundwanderung - Start in Pommelsbrunn

How does it feel to continue hiking the day after completing the 1,000-meter circular hike? That's what I wanted to experience today on the 800-meter circular trail. It went well. My anticipation of hiking in the mountains is growing.

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June 24, 2023,800hmr Weg #nürnbergerland - Von nix kommt nix

In view of the forthcoming obligatory Allgäu holiday and a planned 3-day hut tour in September, a few meters of altitude have to be slowly climbed into the hiking calves.

Went like sliced bread today. Fantastic weather , the perfect temperature for hiking and rested legs make us optimistic about conquering more mountains .

Can stay like this.

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September 20, 2024,Mehrtageswanderung 2024: "Auf dem 800-Hoehenmeter-Rundwanderweg" (Tageswanderung, 20.09.2024)

The 800-meter circular route is a successful combination of sections of the SevenSummits tours "Dom" and "Houbirg", very appealing and challenging.

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May 12, 2024,17KM-800 Höhenmeter Rundweg Pommelsbrunn

Today, on sunny Mother's Day, I hiked one of my favorite routes. I followed the official markings (blue signs 800m elevation). This route deviates in some parts from the komoot recommendation. Due to tree felling work currently taking place just before Happurg, it is currently advisable to follow the komoot suggestion, as this will bypass the relevant section.

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March 6, 2025,800 Höhenmeter Rundwanderweg ab Pommelsbrunn

Start this morning shortly before 9 at Pommelsbrunn train station. 0 degrees, but cloudless skies😀☀ Always following the 800 m circular route over the Houbirg, to the Hohlen Fels, Happurg, and on to the Oberbecken. There I unscrewed the construction fence to see what was happening there. The renovations actually seem to be progressing...via Kainsbach, Förrenbach, Wasserberg, Arzlohe back to …

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February 22, 2024

This sporty, 18 kilometer long circular hike promises you wonderful views, a wonderful landscape - and a little work for your legs. After all, around 800 meters of altitude have to be overcome. But it's very worth it.
﻿
You start at the train station in Pommelsbrunn and hike steeply up to Reckenberg, an

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