Rathewalde: Hohburkersdorfer round view with Himmelschlüssel trail

From the parking lot you walk through the village to the crossroads Hohnsteiner Straße. The road then leads through the upper part of Rathewalde uphill directly to the Hohburkersdorfer Rundblick with the marking blue line.

The Hohburkersdorfer Rundblick apparently had a strategic importance in 1813 - which the Napoleon lime tree is supposed to remind of. In 1923 a monument was erected in honor of the soldiers from the First World War. For hikers, it is now a wonderful picnic spot with a panoramic view that is second to none. The imposing panoramic view extends from the Osterzgebirge, the Bohemian low mountain range, the Zittau Mountains, north towards Stolpen and as far as Bischofswerda.

The route continues to Hohburkersdorf. Cross the road and continue to the right. Hohburkersdorf is a former village of "Waldhufen". The small road ends on Brückenstraße. Here you turn right and follow it through the village until the signpost Himmelschlüsselwiese branches off to the right. (Alternatively, you can continue on the E3, which turns into a forest path at the end of the road and follow the signpost Himmelschlüsselweg here).

You are now in Zeschnig, a small village laid out as a roundabout. Especially in spring, the numerous blooming cowslips are a natural spectacle. The Himmelschlüssel meadow is covered with Märzenbescher or said Himmelschlüsselchen in spring. When you reach the top again, turn right at the bee hotel.

Passing breeding ponds for trout, carp and so on, the tour now leads again to the big road called Rennstrecke. The name, by the way, comes from the mountain races that took place from here from 1926 to 1933. By 1939, the race track had been expanded into the 10 km long "Großdeutschlandring" and was to become a counterpart to the Nürburgring. But the outbreak of war and the post-war period prevented any significant racing operations. The last official race took place in 1951.

After the bus stop, a wonderful panoramic path named Viebigweg goes downhill to the right and straight on back to Rathewalde. Here you cross the country road and meet the Malerweg, which leads to the parking lot. Perhaps the village church, an inn or the open-air swimming pool are open to let the afternoon fade away.