Moravian Forest

Herrnhut sits on higher ground than the surrounding countryside and this comprises two hills, the Hengtsberg and Heinrichsberg, as well as a forest which is owned by the Moravian church. Walkers will find several things of interest in the forest. The Sculpture Trail (see below) runs through part of the forest, as does the 3 km long Zinzendorf Nature Trail (Zinzendorf-Lehrpfad). Travellers will also find an example of a bandengrubens on the Hengtsberg, a stone circle that was used by Bible study/discipleship groups of the early Moravian church for their meetings. Several of these bandengrubens were made although only one has been excavated. The Gedenkstein memorial is also located on the Hengtsberg, near the main road . This is the spot where the first tree was felled back in 1722 to establish the town. A ceremony is held every year to commemorate this (see below). And, there is an old well located in the wood on the Heinrichsberg. Finally, there is an old stone viaduct bridge on the western outskirts of the town near the village of Schwan. The viaduct dates to 1848 and initially lasted until 1945, when two sections of it were blown up in a bid to slow down the Red Army's advance. It was repaired by the following year and the two sections that were rebuilt can still be seen.