Around Bad Köstritz

After crossing the street at the train station, continue on Siedlungsstraße to the main road towards Roben. Soon, the Donkey Path branches off to the left, leading uphill to Steinbrücken. On Briefträgerweg, go downhill over the vineyard to Pohlitz. Passing the church, the path leads north and after 1 km you reach the White Elster. Following the right riverbank path, you pass the Red Wall to Silbitz. Crossing the Elster bridge, you reach the opposite bank. Past Caaschwitz, always upstream along the Elster, you pass under a railway bridge, go past the outdoor pool, and arrive in Bad Köstritz at Werner-Sylten-Straße.

Continuing the loop, cross Werner-Sylten-Straße, leave the town, and walk on field paths to Gleina. It goes uphill past orchards into a small forest area. After crossing Tautenhain main road, the path leads over Kirchberg down to Reichardtsdorf. At the church, turn left on the village street to pass through the Eleonora Valley to the "Three-Story Quarry." Here, to the right over the Sheep Bridge, begins the climb to the deciduous forest "Bird's Nest". On Herrenallee - past the Eichberg viewpoint - you reach Dürrenberg. Then go right along the street and steeply left down to Hartmannsdorf. You do not stay in the valley but walk up to the Cosse Forest, which you cross on the Black Path to descend into the Elster Valley. Turning left, you enter the Bad Köstritz Park with the animal enclosure. Following Bahnhofstraße, turn right over the Elster bridge and immediately right through the "Bruch" to the railway crossing at the station, the starting point of the route.