Circular trail around the Schiefersee - Lehesten

Hiking trails & Routes

Germany

Thuringia

Circular trail around the Schiefersee - Lehesten

Easy

4.8

(196)

568

hikers

Circular trail around the Schiefersee - Lehesten

00:51

3.06km

60m

Hiking

A blue, glittering lake and the technical monument "Historic Lehesten Slate Mining" are the highlights of this short and easy circular hike. The open-cast mine, which was abandoned in 1974, is now only used by hikers and wild animals. Your starting point is directly at the shaft IV conveyor complex,…

by Thüringer Wald

Last updated: June 27, 2025

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Naturpark Thüringer Schiefergebirge/Obere Saale

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

115 m

Shaft IV Mining Complex (Lehesten Slate Mining Museum)

Highlight • Historical Site

The mining complex around Shaft IV is interesting, with its winding tower, various halls, a depot, and information center. It's recommended to walk around the individual buildings and view the …

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1.10 km

Kobolddorf (Cairn Village)

Highlight • Structure

There must have been goblins at work here: there are numerous towers made of slate, a few sayings on slate boards and a heart made of natural materials. You can look at the whole thing from a newly installed bench.

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1.62 km

View of Staatsbruch Lake

Highlight • Lake

On the "circular path around the Schiefersee" you always have a great view of the Staatsbruch.

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1.89 km

Lehesten Slate Quarry Industrial Heritage Site

Highlight • Monument

In the "Land of Blue Gold," as the slate is called here because of its distinctive color, the tradition of Thuringian-Franconian slate mining can still be experienced today. This extraordinary …

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3.06 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

2.03 km

684 m

343 m

Surfaces

2.36 km

578 m

122 m

Elevation

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

Weather

Thursday 5 November

9°C

-1°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 12.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

April 4, 2025,Rundweg um den Schiefersee – Lehesten

We stopped here today on our way home from vacation and didn't regret it one bit. Crystal-clear water, informative signs about the history of the lake, simply beautiful.

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November 11, 2023,alter Staatsbruch Lehesten⚒️Tour 11.11.2023

I've wanted to look at the old slate quarry in Lehesten for ages, but as it is, with the highlights back home, you always put that aside.
Now it finally worked out to take a short detour there. Too short, I have to say, we have to go there again. There is so much to discover 😁.
The disused quarry, …

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July 8, 2024,🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂Schiefer-Runde Lehesten

If you drive from Franconia towards Rennsteig, you will notice the many slate-roofed houses, some of which even have black slate on their facades. Slate has been mined in the area around Lehesten since the 12th century, initially in open-cast mines, later also underground. This was the largest mining area in Europe.

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July 6, 2025,Historischer Schieferbergbau Lehesten ⚒️

A truly magnificent industrial monument. Slate was mined underground here until 1999. At its peak, up to 2,500 miners worked here. For me, it's an absolutely amazing detail that Alexander von Humboldt visited the slate mine in 1792. So, I was practically following in the footsteps of what I consider the most fascinating man ever. A short, very informative text …

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June 18, 2023,Wanderung Staatsbruch Lehesten

And when the sun breaks down really beautifully, there aren't any clouds in front of it, the colors are unbelievably indescribable...

And then into the sauna - just perfect 👍

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September 25, 2022,Staatsbruch Lehesten oder das schwarze Gold

Part 2 is another step up. Exactly at the break of the state the rain was there and immediately very heavy. The hall with the locomotives was not a minute too late. Luckily only half an hour. 😏 After the rain everything looked even nicer. It was time to get back to the car. 🌧️Unfortunately the Altvaterturm only in the …

Showing Translation

June 10, 2024

A blue, glittering lake and the technical monument "Historic Lehesten Slate Mining" are the highlights of this short and easy circular hike. The open-cast mine, which was abandoned in 1974, is now only used by hikers and wild animals. Your starting point is directly at the shaft IV conveyor complex

Translated by Google •