This nature reserve combines a rare mountain bog, a heavily drained transitional moor and the remnants of a former Soviet military training ground - all within a small stretch of the Ore Mountains ridge near the Czech border. Kleiner Kranichsee is the only raised bog in the Ore Mountains whose core lies on German soil, sitting right on the watershed between the Zwickauer Mulde and Eger river systems.

The landscape feels wild and quietly dramatic: stunted bog pines, cushions of sphagnum moss, cranberry and crowberry shrubs cover the moorland, while the nearby Henneberger Hang offers a striking mosaic of dry heathland, wet meadows and scattered woodland. In summer the heath bursts with rare orchids and clubmosses, while dragonflies and grasshoppers fill the air; in autumn the heather turns deep purple, and winter blankets the whole area in silence and snow. Once a restricted Soviet military zone tied to uranium mining, Henneberger Hang has been slowly reclaimed by nature since 1990.

How to get there

• Johanngeorgenstadt — trail heading west, approx. 1-1.5 hours, easy to moderate
• Wildenthal — alternative starting point on the other side of the reserve

Practical information

• Strict nature reserve - stay on marked paths at all times
• The Kleiner Kranichsee bog is highly sensitive; entering the bog surface is prohibited
• The area borders directly onto the Czech Malé jeřábí jezero reserve

Fun fact: until 1957, Henneberger Hang served as a heavily guarded Soviet military site linked to uranium extraction for the Soviet atomic bomb program - a striking contrast to today's peaceful heathland, home to rare orchids, adders and butterflies.