Hinterdorf: Mills, Ponds and a Hike to Quolsdorf

Anyone looking for accommodation in Hinterdorf will find several concrete points of reference for orientation in the area, including the mills, ponds and the hike to Quolsdorf. The focus is on the local and technological history surrounding former water power, the regional pond area and a hike connecting Hähnichen railway station with Hinterdorf and Quolsdorf.

• A former watermill stood on Mühlenweg in the so-called Hinterdorf; it was later converted into the Herzig sawmill.
• The watermill pond was once used to power the sawmill.
• The former watermill in the so-called Hinterdorf of Hähnichen-Quolsdorf is the Hinterdorf Mill.
• The Quolsdorf Mill comprises a miller's house with an adjoining utility wing arranged at a right angle, an auxiliary building and a sawmill building.
• Remains of machinery and water-engineering structures have been preserved at the sawmill building.
• The Quolsdorf Mill is significant in terms of local and technological history.
• The “Niederspreer Teichgebiet und Kleine Heide Hähnichen” FFH area covers land within the city of Rothenburg/Oberlausitz and the municipalities of Hähnichen and Rietschen in the district of Görlitz.
• The hike into the Niederspree pond area leads from Hähnichen railway station via Hinterdorf to Quolsdorf.

Mills, Buildings and Water Engineering

The former watermill on Mühlenweg represents a history of use in which water was not merely part of the landscape but was directly connected with skilled manual work. The building was later converted into the Herzig sawmill. The watermill pond had a specific technical function: it once provided the power for the sawmill. For visitors, this creates an illustrative connection between the pond, water power and wood processing, without allowing any conclusions to be drawn about present-day operating procedures.

The name Hinterdorf Mill assigns the former watermill to the so-called Hinterdorf of Hähnichen-Quolsdorf. The Quolsdorf Mill is another focal point. It comprises the miller's house with utility wing No. 20 arranged at a right angle, auxiliary building No. 22 and a sawmill building. Remains of machinery and water-engineering structures preserve concrete traces of the building's former use. This combination of structures, technical equipment and water management makes the site particularly interesting to visitors who want to explore a destination not only through its landscape but also through its regional history of work and settlement.

Ponds and the Niederspree Pond Area

Quolsdorf is also associated with historic pond management at the manor. This included fishponds; the breeding of tench and leather carp was particularly well known in the region. While the watermill pond powered a sawmill, the fishponds shaped a historic form of pond management.

The “Niederspreer Teichgebiet und Kleine Heide Hähnichen” FFH area extends across several municipal areas. Land lies within the city of Rothenburg/Oberlausitz and the municipalities of Hähnichen and Rietschen in the district of Görlitz.

Hike from Hähnichen via Hinterdorf to Quolsdorf

The hike into the Niederspree pond area leads from Hähnichen railway station via Hinterdorf to Quolsdorf. This sequence makes the railway station the starting point of the hike and places Hinterdorf as an intermediate stop in relation to Quolsdorf. Those who want to plan their stay based on a sequence of stops can therefore visit the locations in a clear, logical order.

For the overarching travel overview: Hähnichen.