At 19 kilometers, Über die Blaue Kuppe, a Premium Hike in the Frau Holle Land region of Hesse, makes for an excellent day trip. Highlights included the extinct volcano Blaue Kuppe, rolling hills, views over Hesse and Thuringia, a lookout tower, and the half-timbered town of Eschwege.
Start in Eschwege
Arriving at the start of this Premium Hike in Eschwege is fairly easy. From the train station, I went up Max-Wölm-Straße and then made a right on Goldbachstraße to follow the route counterclockwise. The yellow and black stickers with the encircled P3 covered every single signpost and lamppost on the way. Normally I complain that following a trail is a challenge within a town, but this problem is non-existent in Eschwege.
For being one of the bigger cities in the area, the trail leaves the mass of houses quite quickly. The first portion of the hike is through beautiful pastures with cows and horses, the occasional apple grove, and agricultural fields. The trail continually gains a slight amount of elevation during the initial kilometers so that the view just keeps getting better. I could see the mountains Blaue Kuppe and Lotzenkopf in the distance.
Blaue Kuppe
An isle of nature reserve among a sea of cornfields, the 309 m tall forested Blaue Kuppe most likely got its blue name from the basalt rock which formed it, though its origins were disputed by scientists in the 1800s. Some believed it was formed by sedimentary sea deposits while another faction theorized about volcanic activity. Regardless of formation, the mountain was quarried as far back as the 17th century before it was placed under protection in 1910. A northern and southern cauldron (Nord- and Südkessel) resulted from the mining activity. Today it is possible to see some of the rock formations. As part of the Geo Naturpark Frau Holle Land, there are lots of information signs about the geological formation of Blaue Kuppe. A kilometer-long discovery path encircles the peak, and our Premium Hike covers most of it.
a view into the north cauldron 
the south cauldron
Lotzenkopf
Retreating from Blaue Kuppe, the trail crosses more farm fields before heading back into the woods. The advantage to completing this loop counterclockwise is that the ascent is steeper hiking in this direction. With all the snow and ice it was quite a challenge to scale the 466 m tall Lotzenkopf, although I did warm up nicely by the time I reached the top. At the end of the climb, there is a level section of trail leading to a picnic bench and outlook point. The view is excellent! I could see Eschwege, the Blaue Kuppe, and the upcoming Leuchtberge mountains.
Lotzenkopf 366m 
Descending the mountain still required caution but was not nearly as steep as the way up. On the way down, there is an option to cut the trail short by taking the X5 trail back to Eschwege instead. This is the last opportunity for a short cut.
Leuchteberge
Exiting the forest, the route follows the edge of a field and a cow pasture before crossing the road at a hiking parking lot. On a gradual descent through fields, past a horse paddock, and between the villages of Oberdünzebach and Unterdünzebach, I crossed the Dünzebach brook. The trail ascends again through fields and crosses a busy road. Before I reentered the forest there was a great rest spot with a view of Eschwege. I had reached the Kleine Leuchteberg (little light-mountain).
view of the Leuchtberge 
Continuing up through the woods, the trail reaches the peak of the Große Leuchteberg at the Bismarckturm. I was really disappointed that the tower wasn’t open when I visited because it is in a prime location to have an excellent view over Eschwege and the Werratalsee lake. Little did I know that there were more highlights still to come!
Returning to Eschwege
Coming down from the Leuchteberge, I could see a temple-like dome peeking out between the tree branches below me. What a nice surprise to find the Schäferhalle! The neoclassical pavilion is dedicated to a local philanthropist built on his favorite spot in town. Between the leafless tree branches, I had partial view of the Werratalsee and Eschwege.
Schäferhalle 
Werratalsee
Out of the woods, the Premium Hike passes a Biergarten and then follows the Werra River into the Eschwege Altstadt. The town boasts over 1000 half-timbered houses and the Landgrafenschloss castle from 1386. Other highlights include the Neustädter Kirche and the Marktkirche churches. The Old Town Hall is from 1660, while the New Town Hall dates back to 1842.
More fun in Eschwege
There are 4 other marked trails from Eschwege ranging from 2.3 km to 7.5 km. I would be especially interested in completing the 7 km loop around the Werratalsee.
Besides surmounting the Lotzenburg mountain, most of the Über die Blaue Kuppe hike was fairly gentle, making for an enjoyable and relaxed tour!
Eschwege is located on the RB87 line between Göttingen and Bebra. The start of the hike Über die Blaue Kuppe is quite easy to reach from the train station (see text above). For connections, check nvv.de or bahn.de. I planned this tour with the help of this page from Deutsche Wanderinstitut.
Learn more about Premium Hiking in Germany
More premium hikes: Schächerbachtour, Waldkappeler Berg, Gänsekerleweg
my father was an u.S. Army officer stationed in Eschwedge from 1947 yo 1950. my age was from 8 to 11. i hiked all over the area. i could see the volcano from our house. Would love to go back and hike the area again!
wow! that is amazing! the region is absolutely fantastic for hiking. I bet it was even wilder back then. Because of the East / West border being so close, no one really went there then because it was like a dead end.