Hello, I am Freda (the brave and strong one), Lapius (grandpa Lapius - lapis in Latin means stone), the small wandering stone ... and I will accompany you on the adventure hikes to The Mouse Trap (Mausefalle), The Elephant Rocks (Elefantensteine) and The Fox’s Pulpit (Fuchskanzel). There is a lot to discover in the Zittau Mountains. The shape of some sandstone rocks is reminiscent of a pigeon, a rhino, a lion and even a hen sitting on eggs. Such curious creations can be marvelled at in the Jonsdorf millstone quarries, among others. There are also rock formations called The Organ (Orgel), The Teapot (Teekanne) or The Three Brothers (Drei Brüder). Between the spa town of Oybin and Mount Töpfer, part of the path through the Stone Zoo (Steinzoo) is even suitable for a visit with prams. Around The Fox’s Pulpit in the air spa of Jonsdorf, looking for the animals can be combined with a detour to the Karlsfried Castle ruins. How were the rock formations actually created and who is Freda? You will find this information in my story starting from page 10 onwards. The first part will help your parents with planning and orientation. You can also find all the routes online for download at www.steinzoo.de.
The route starts at the Bürgerallee car park (information board with a little knight) and leads north along the spa gardens to the Oybin railway station. You must cross FriedrichEngels-Straße street (S133, a 30 km/h zone). After passing the station, continue along the foot of the Oybin mountain. The route then follows the blue line trail marker in a northerly direction, running alongside the Goldbach stream. After crossing the narrow-gauge railway track, the route continues along the path that runs through the Talweg Valley. From there, the route makes a right-angle turn, crosses the S133 road, and proceeds northward (still following the blue line) towards the Devil's Mill (Teufelsmühle). From here, the route follows the yellow line in a south-easterly direction to Mount Töpfer. To avoid the shorter but steeper ascent via the Krieche trail (which is not recommended in snowy or icy conditions), you can opt for the more moderate ascent using the yellow circle trail marker. Once you reach the top of Mount Töpfer, you can enjoy the view, provided that visibility is good. Additionally, you can discover The Turtle (Schildkröte), which is slightly hidden behind a hut, and The Broody Hen (Brütende Henne), which is signposted. The route continues from Mount Töpfer, following the green circle trail marker, to a location known as Icy Alley (Eisgasse), and then proceeds through Little Rock Alley (Kleine Felsengasse) until reaching the Scharfenstein Hilltop. For those who are brave, the climb up the steep metal steps is worthwhile. From the Scharfenstein, the route continues to follow the yellow circle trail marker into the Great Rock Alley (Große Felsengasse). However, before entering this, you can take a rest at The Edmund’s Hut (Edmundshütte) shelter. From the Great Rock Alley, you have several views of Mount Oybin and the village below and you can find The Pigeon (Taube) which is signposted. At the end of the Great Rock Alley, you will find the Shell Hall (Muschelsaal), and by now following the yellow line trail marker, you will descend in a northerly direction along the Princes' Path (Fürstensteig) to reach the Rose Stones (Rosensteinen). You can make a worthwhile detour to The Goblet (Kelchstein). From the Rose Stones, the route leads along Bürgerallee street (yellow line trail marker) back to the starting point at the car park.
