Discover Erla: Trails, the Iron Hammer and World Heritage

Erla combines hiking with an informative history of iron processing. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment in the village will find a starting point here for trails across ridges, historic landscapes and cultural attractions. The Eisenhüttensteig trail leads from Erla over the Hohes Rad ridge to the district of Pöhla. Its information boards explain the mining of iron ore, the extraction and processing of iron, as well as old transport routes and stagecoach roads.

Hiking between Erla, the Ridge and the Pöhlwassertal Valley

Different hiking experiences are available for planning your trip. The Erla-Crandorf circular trail starts and ends at Herrenhof Erlahammer. Along its route, it crosses the historic Drachenleithe and offers magnificent views of the Pöhlwassertal Valley. Rother Berg on the circular trail is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ore Mountain Mining Region / Krušnohoří. This allows you to combine a hike with a landscape whose mining history is visibly part of the travel experience.

Another option is the “Wanderbarer Silberberg” day tour. It leads from Erla via Pöhla to Schwarzenberg and is 14.8 km long. Take this route into account when planning your day and choose your accommodation based on whether you mainly want to focus on the individual circular trail or on this day tour. The Erla, Karlsbader Straße stop is recommended as a suitable starting or ending stop for the “W@nderbarer Silberberg” circular trail.

Iron Processing at Herrenhof Erlahammer

Herrenhof Erlahammer is a key element of the Rother Berg mining landscape and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ore Mountain Mining Region/Krušnohoří. The exhibition “From the Oldest Iron Hammer to Modern Times” provides an impression of iron processing in the nearby Rother Berg mining landscape. On display are a Herrenhof hall, a historic black kitchen and a well-preserved house well.

The exhibition covers the production process of a workpiece from its design to the finished product. An audio-guided discovery tour focuses, among other things, on iron production, the importance of cast iron and the production history of “Made in Erla”. This visit offers several points of interest, especially for families with different interests: While the trails and viewpoints add activity to the day, the rooms, objects and explanations make industrial history tangible. The complex offers individual and exciting experiences for visitors of all ages.

Practical Information for Your Stay

Herrenhof Erlahammer has around 40 parking spaces and two disabled parking spaces in its outdoor area. This information may be helpful when planning a visit if Herrenhof is the starting or ending point of your hike. This also makes it possible to include Herrenhof in your day’s plans as a combination of hiking and an exhibition visit.

If you would like to expand your overview of the area, you can visit Pöhla as another destination. This keeps your plans open to various hiking and cultural experiences without requiring you to commit to just one way of spending the day.

For the broader travel overview: Schwarzenberg/Erzgebirge.