Leave Winterberg early because today we drive almost 350 kilometers, without a highway. Along the route are several interesting places to stop short or long for walks and sight-seeing.

The first option is the Hallenberg Forest after approximately 10 kilometers of driving. This nature reserve extends over more than 2000 hectares with differences in height, green valleys and many small waterways. The area is located between the towns of Hallenberg and Winterberg. From the mountain peaks (between 680 and 815 meters), visitors can see far into the Rothaar Mountains.
Viewpoints such as the Ziegenhelleturm at 810 meters and the Heidekopfturm at 703.8 meters offer a beautiful 360 degree panoramic view of the area. Many hiking trails are in the area or go through, so well worth a visit.

Along the route we pass several fortresses, fortresses and castles that in some cases have been adapted to be used as a church, these are well worth a short stop.
Some examples of this are:

• The church fortress of Belrieth, this castle was built in the time of the Henzeberg. Rebuilt in the 12th century, the castle is said to have occupied the space of the present church courtyard. The conversion of the castle into a church fortress took place after the War of the Henneberg Succession in 1379. The fortified complex still has all 26 alleys with vaulted cellars from the 16th/17th century.

• The Vachdorf church fortress, one of the largest and best preserved of its kind. There is a moated castle with a double wall ring, a kennel, four corner towers with bastions in front, two entrance gates and a drawbridge over the moat. The castle complex and the church use probably developed in parallel. This sacred building is made of wood, clay and earthworks, as these were the main building materials in the 15th century.

• The Schaumburg ruins are located on a mountain and were once an imposing castle, today only isolated remains of the wall remain. Visit these ruins and take a trip back in time to the Middle Ages. The castle was probably built around 1150 by Hermann von Wohlsbach. After 1500 it was expanded into a modern fortress and survived many crises and wars in the period that followed. It was destroyed during the 30 Years War.

• Neuhaus Castle in the center of the village of the same name. The castle was built in the 13th century. During the 30 Years War it was used for military purposes. After the 30 Years War, it was used as a quarry and storage shed for the Amtshaus until the 19th century. Baron Hermann von Walther redesigned it in 1903 into a neo-Renaissance style castle. Until 1980 the historical museum of the municipality of Neuhaus-Schierschnitz was located there. Today it is owned by the DRK Regional Association of Thuringia.


Along the route we pass several rivers and beautiful (reservation) lakes, a lunch stop is planned at the reservoir "Bergsee Ratscher".

The Ratscherdam is a flood defense dam in Thuringia, which is also used for tourism and is therefore also called "Bergsee Ratscher". The 15 meter high dam is made of gravel and has an outer seal of asphalt concrete. At the reservoir is a bathing beach with a camping site and water sports facilities. There are a number of events every year, including a country and rock festival. There is a restaurant for lunch. In the lake is a small island which was made by the construction workers during the construction of the dam in the middle of the lake.
It is also possible to take a longer break or even spend the night here to enjoy the beautiful nature.

The end point of day 2 is in the town of Hof, in the center there are several hotels to spend the night, there are no campsites in the vicinity.