hiking - Rennsteig - stage 5 - from Allzunah to Friedrichshöhe

You start this stage deep in the forest in the small village of Allzunah near Frauenwald. Along the road you soon reach the quarry at the large Hundskopf and continue east to the Großer Dreiherrenstein. The Waldbaude is not only directly on the Nature Park Route and attracts all active guests from near and far. With fresh beer and classic Thuringian cuisine, it is a great place to rest.

A few meters further, you reach the exact middle of the Rennsteig. Continue through dense mixed forests to Neustadt am Rennsteig (not to be confused with Neuhaus am Rennweg). Here is the Rennsteig Museum. At the Gasthof Hubertus or the restaurant and Hotel Kammweg you can enjoy a nice midday break.

Continuing south, the Rennsteig follows the foothills of the Thuringian Forest past Kahlert and Altenfeld to the Hohen Stock. Shortly after Schwalbenhauptwiese, you reach the Triniusbaude. The small, rustic guesthouse is right at the forest edge and offers a welcome refreshment. Then it goes uphill again to the 830m high "First mountain". Now the spa resort Masserberg is no longer far away. On the mountain plateau, it passes the top station of the ski lift. Shortly before the village entrance, you see the Prince Karl Günther monument from a distance to the left. You reach Masserberg directly at the large hiking parking lot with the Rennsteighaus. There are numerous dining options in the village. Especially worth mentioning are the inn "Zum Breitenborn" and the Hotel Haus Oberland. 

After a short stop, continue towards the Rennsteig lookout on the Eselsberg. The 33m high tower offers fantastic views of the Thuringian Forest and south to Veste Coburg in good weather. The tower guesthouse is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Over the small Sauberg, you soon reach the Eisfelder Ausspanne. Directly east on the mountainside lies the lower basin of the Goldisthal pumped-storage power station. It is the largest hydroelectric power station in Germany. Passing the memorial in honor of Bruno von Germar, you soon reach Friedrichshöhe. Dining and overnight options include the guesthouse & pension "Zum Rennsteig", the guesthouse & pension "Hirschblick", or the pension "Arnika".