The Roßdorf Summit Loop is a challenging and scenic trail running loop through the distinctive landscape of the Vorderer Rhön in Thuringia, Germany. Starting and finishing in Roßdorf (Hauptstraße 12, Alte Bäckerei/Café Das Antjchen), the route makes a large circuit around the village, incorporating the characteristic hills of Pleß, Stoffelskuppe, Horn, Nebel and Roßberg.
From Roßdorf, the route heads into the surrounding hills and climbs towards Pleß before continuing towards the Stoffelskuppe. The Stoffelskuppe is not climbed to its summit, as the former access is no longer accessible; instead, the route crosses below the summit. The course continues through a mixture of forest trails, farm tracks and open agricultural landscapes towards Horn.
One of the highlights of the route is the approximately 1 km singletrack descent from Horn. The trail follows the hillside in a flowing downhill section, with beautiful views across the surrounding landscape towards Nebel and Roßberg. The entrance to this trail is easy to miss: when leaving the summit of Horn, make sure to pick up the singletrack at the correct entrance rather than following the more obvious path. The GPX track provides the best navigation reference here.
After this spectacular descent, the route passes Kahler Berg and briefly returns through Roßdorf before heading out again towards Nebel. Nebel is circumnavigated rather than climbed, and the route then continues (via Roßhof) towards Roßberg, the highest point of the loop. From Roßberg, the course descends through nature reserve Klosterwald and Hofberg before completing the circuit back in Roßdorf.
The route combines fast runnable sections with repeated climbs and descents, forest trails, open field and meadow tracks and the particularly rewarding singletrack section below Horn. The GPX track defines the exact course.
