12 Gipfel Tour
The 12 Gipfel Tour (12 Summit Tour) is considered the most prestigious route in the German Fichtelgebirge (Fichtel Mountains) and connects the most beautiful and highest points of the nature park with spectacular views. Besides the highest summit in Franconia and northern Bavaria, the Schneeberg, the tour leads over a total of 12 summits, with almost 2000 metre of elevation gain, 2000 metre elevation loss, and stretches for about 60 kilometres.
Originally initiated by Dr. Roman Lebek in 2005, the tour has been tackled for many years by numerous groups and individuals as a one-day challenge and unique running and hiking experience.
Route description:
Generally, the tour follows the GPS route given here, however, the 12 peaks can be visited in any order and direction, starting from the start/end points of the route. For this reason, the route consists of a total of 14 points that must be visited in order to successfully complete the tour. Some of the summits are equipped with towers or viewing platforms that must also be climbed. These points are marked and described in the following list (the white abandoned military towers on the summit of the Kornberg and the Schneeberg do not have to be and cannot be climbed). The Seehaus is an optional trig-point, and does not have to be visited in order to complete the Route.
Runners attempting this FKT are encouraged to take a photo at each trig point to prove you were there. In some cases GPS data can be not accurate enough.
List of Trig Points (14):
- Start/End - Alte Vorsuchhütte (700 m / 2,297 ft NN) [building/parking lot]
- Summit - Großer Kornberg (827 m / 2,713 ft NN) [top of stone tower - Schönburgwarte]
- Summit - Epprechtstein (798 m / 2,618 ft NN) [top of viewing-platform]
- Summit - Großer Waldstein (877 m / 2,877 ft NN) [top of viewing-platform - Schüssel]
- Summit - Rudolfstein (866 m / 2,841 ft NN) [top of viewing-point]
- Summit - Schneeberg (1,051 m / 3,448 ft NN) [top of wooden tower - Backöfele]
- Summit - Nusshardt (972 m / 3,189 ft NN) [top of viewing-point]
- Summit - Ochsenkopf (1,024 m / 3,360 ft NN) [top of stone tower - Asenturm] !check opening times - access via restaurant!
- Summit - Platte (885 m / 2,904 ft NN) [summit cross]
- Summit - Hohe Matze (813 m / 2,667 ft NN) [summit cross] !short 5 metre off grid section to reach summit cross!
- Summit - Große Kösseine (939 m / 3,081 ft NN) [top of viewing platform - Kösseineturm]
- Summit - Großer Haberstein (847 m / 2,779 ft NN) [top of viewing-platform]
- Summit - Burgstein (879 m / 2,884 ft NN) (Burgsteinfelsen) [top of viewing-platform]
- Start/End - Luisenburg (700 m / 2,297 ft NN) [Luisenburg Hotel, building / Jean Paul Memorial Stone]
(optional) Hut - Seehaus (922m / 3025 ft NN) [building]
