Talsperrenweg Zeulenroda

Circumnavigate the Zeulenroda reservoir

The Talsperrenweg Zeulenroda trail circumnavigates the Zeulenroda reservoir in the heart of the Vogtland region of Thuringia.

The first dam along the Weida river was built between 1949 and 1956. This was then extended in the 1970s with the construction of Zeulenroda reservoir to create what is now a vast system of dams. The once idyllic valley of meadows and woods through which the Weida river meandered its way, from mill to mill, now has a completely new look and character with a special charm all of its own. An important part of the dam system, Zeulenroda reservoir serves as a pre-storage basin for the drinking water reservoir, a biological purification facility and a protective barrier against floods.

The 5.5km long and 280m wide (at the dam face) reservoir is graced by four hiking trails of varying distances (9km, 12km, 25km and 30km) that are equally suitable for Nordic walking. Certified as a premium trail by Wanderbares Deutschland, the 25km circular tour goes all the way round the water. It begins with a descent into the valley of the Weida river, crosses this via a wooden bridge at the Sichelmühle mill, then heads up to the Schöne Aussicht vantage point. The trail continues along a wonderful all-natural track (red waymarks) that never strays far from the reservoir shoreline and comes to a halt at Riedelmühle auxiliary dam. Here, it turns back and heads along the steep southern shores (blue waymarks) before it returns to the starting point at the walkers' car park outside Seehotel Zeulenroda.

Even through the circular tour around the reservoir only passes through a small section of the Vogtland region, it is an ideal way to get to know and appreciate this relatively unknown part of Thuringia.