The Anton-Günther-Weg is a roughly 59 km cross-border trail through the upper Ore Mountains that tells the story of one of the region's most beloved folk poets and singers. It's a hike full of contrasts - old mining ridges, panoramic summits, quiet forest paths and charming border towns steeped in history.

The trail begins in Johanngeorgenstadt, where Anton Günther was closely connected with the family running the Sachsenhof hotel, and heads east through Wittigsthal up onto the Rabenberg ridge, a mountain with a long mining history bordering the Czech Republic. It continues past the Preißhausbuche tree, through the Himmelswiese meadow and Halbemeile right on the border, to Rittersgrün with its 1889 Wettin fountain and Tellerhäuser, once the highest-lying village in Saxony. The route then climbs the Fichtelberg, Saxony's highest peak, and passes through Kurort Oberwiesenthal, Germany's highest town. After crossing into the Czech Republic it reaches Klínovec, the highest summit of the entire Ore Mountains, then Boží Dar, Günther's birthplace and burial site with his house and memorial, Plešivec with its lookout tower, Abertamy, Blatenský vrch with its old mining relics, and the historic mining town of Horní Blatná. The loop closes via Potůčky and the Anton-Günther-Höhe back to the starting point.

Difficulty and terrain

• Moderate difficulty - long but without extreme climbs, suitable for well-prepared hikers
• A mix of forest tracks, mountain ridges and small-town roads, with more alpine sections around Fichtelberg and Klínovec

Practical information

• Completing the whole trail takes at least two days
• The route crosses the German-Czech border multiple times; convenient starting points are Johanngeorgenstadt and Boží Dar
• Numerous inns and villages along the way, including the Neues Haus, where Günther used to play guitar and sing

The trail was inaugurated in 1995 in honour of Anton Günther and links the places connected to his life and work - a route for anyone who wants to discover the soul of the Ore Mountains through the songs and history of its most famous bard.