Our hike begins at the entrance to Burgk Castle. The former manor was closely associated with the regional coal mining industry. The former seat of the Dathe von Burgk family now houses the Freital Municipal Collections with exhibitions on mining and regional history as well as 19th and 20th century Dresden art.
From here, we follow the yellow dot and No. 7 markings around the castle. No. 7 leads us along the entire circular route. The route now leads along quiet roads to the district of Birkigt, which was incorporated into Freital in 1923 as the fifth village. We cross the disused route of the Windbergbahn several times. This standard-gauge line was built in 1856 as the Hänichen coal branch line to access the surrounding coal shafts. Due to its route with numerous track curves with a radius of less than 200 meters, it is considered the oldest mountain railroad in Germany and the second oldest in Europe (after the Semmeringbahn in Austria, which was completed in 1854). This is why it is also known as the "Saxon Semmering Railway".
After just over two kilometers of walking, we turn right at the end of Bannewitz Straße and head uphill along Kesselgrund. Before doing so, you could stop off at the "Zur Linde" hotel and restaurant, which is just a few meters down the valley on the left. Once you reach a small residential area, follow no. 7 via the residential road Fernblick to Kohlenstraße. At the Hopfenblüte restaurant, we turn left into Kleinnaundorfer Straße and then turn left again down Cunnersdorfer Straße into Kaitzgrund. There is seating for a picnic at the Kaitzbachtalteich pond.
From here we walk through the Kaitzgrund and then up the unused road and through the top gate to the Kaitzer Höhe. From here you have a beautiful panoramic view. We walk down the hill again on the other side and come to a tarmac road. Here we turn right, following no. 7 to Cunnersdorf. We turn right at a beautifully carved wooden bench and return to the Kaitzgrund. We walk along the Kaitzbach stream through Kleinnaundorf to the source. The former Kleinnaundorf baths are now an idyllic village pond. In 2020, the local heritage association set up a hiker's hut there for you to linger.
The Kleinnaundorf circular hiking trail begins here, marked by a fir tree. Along this path, we once again cross a bridge over the Windberg railroad. We then cross the Kohlenstraße and follow the yellow dot markings along the Knappenweg and the Gemeindeweg to the starting point at Burgk Castle. On the descent, you have a beautiful view over Freital.
