Circular hike - "4 ponds hike" Neustadt am Rennsteig - Thuringian Forest

The start of this hike is in the town center, directly at the Rennsteig information.
A visit to the local and Rennsteig museum is definitely worthwhile. Here the visitor also learns something about the origin of the designation of the Neustadt residents as charcoal burners and sponge beaters.
Past the Michaeliskirche the path runs along Rennsteig street and thus directly on the Rennsteig to the Pilzsteig.
At the forest road turn in and first walk on the Pilzsteig to Moonlight Meadow and then downhill to Reuscheltal Pond. From here it goes steeply uphill again through the Our Father Valley.
Shortly after Gypsy Spring turn right about 100m on the country road to Rose Bench. From here it goes through forest then along the edge of a meadow to Hell Pond. After Hell Pond you pass the "fish pondlet", a small pond directly on the route. It is not one of the 4 ponds!!!

From here the path leads downhill through spruce forest to Ebert Pond. Here small clearings alternate with spruce forest again and you go downhill again past the old soldier's grave to Ochsenbach Mill, the new charcoal works, here charcoal is produced in a "modern" way. There is not much to see, but you can smell it.
Soon after it goes to the Ochsenbach Pond, the 4th pond of this round.
From here you walk uphill on an old forest road back to the Rennsteig. This runs over mountain meadows to Neustadt am Rennsteig.