Am Riedert is a small but remarkable nature reserve tucked into the forests south of the Zwickauer Mulde river, in the western Ore Mountains (Westerzgebirge). Here, ancient firs and beeches grow much as they have for generations - a rare glimpse of near-natural mountain mixed forest.

The terrain drops steeply toward the Zwickauer Mulde valley, and the reserve is cut through by the Große Riedertbach stream along with an unnamed tributary. The landscape feels wild and untouched - a damp mountain climate (over 1,000 mm of rainfall a year) nourishes a lush forest floor and moss-covered trunks of old trees. In summer the forest is alive with birdsong, including the drumming of the black woodpecker and the call of the stock dove, while dusk brings out the Tengmalm's owl and pygmy owl. In autumn and spring, mist drifting along the stream lends the place an almost mysterious atmosphere.

How to get there

• Starting point near Eibenstock - reached via forest tracks, moderate difficulty due to the steep slope
• Alternatively, approach from the Rautenkranzer Straße forest road, which crosses the reserve at its northernmost edge

Practical information

• Protected since 1961, covering around 18.5 hectares
• Part of the Natura 2000 site 'Oberes Zwickauer Muldetal'
• Protected habitat: Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests (habitat type 9110 under the EU Habitats Directive)
• The area was fenced against browsing wildlife for decades; the fences were removed after 2017 thanks to reduced deer populations

In the reserve's northeastern corner stands a mysterious granite stone known as the Brotmannstein, marking the spot where a baker from Carlsfeld was robbed and killed in 1878 - a quiet but haunting piece of history woven into this forest.