Herbs

Herbs are not just plants growing alongside the road. There’s a lot more to them. They were used for medicinal purposes in early times. Today, they hardly find mention in modern medicine. But natural healing is becoming increasingly popular, and the versatility of indigenous herbs in supporting our health is not to be underestimated.

In the Fichtelberg region you will find numerous wild healing herbs that are still used in teas, soups and tinctures by some locals in Oberwiesenthal.

You can find our wild healing herbs mainly on edges of forests and meadows on both the German and Czech sides of the Fichtelberg region.

Here is an overview of the most common wild healing plants in and around the resort of Oberwiesenthal, their uses and their areas of application in natural healing:

Name of Herb	Use	Application
Spiwwit	Herb butter, egg dishes, soups, herbal quark, fish, herbed salt, schnapps, tinctures, salves, bath salts	Digestive problems (relieves cramps)
Mugwort	Spice in fatty dishes (roast goose, pork fat, for storing grilled meats), soups, cheese, egg dishes, bitters-schnapps	Activates digestive juices and stimulates the appetite and promotes digestion
Stinging nettle	Teas, soups, spinach, salads, vegetables, salts, schnapps	For treating the urinary tract, respiratory organs, stomach and bowel problems, blood cleaning, skin problems and rheumatic complaints
Rowan berry	Fruit spreads, schnapps	The berries contain a lot of vitamin C and are sometimes called “lemons of the north”
Lady’s mantle	Tea, bath salts, salads, soups	Mild agent against bowel problems, used in gynaecology
Ground elder	Soups, wild herb spinach, salads, herbal soft drinks	Anti-inflammatory effects
Dog rose	Teas, mush, bath salts, liqueurs
Black elder	Tea, syrup, soup, liqueur, vinegar	Stimulates perspiration
Dandelion	Tea mixtures, bitters, flower butter, syrup, pesto, vegetables, honey	For treating stomach and gall bladder problems
Yarrow	Egg dishes, herb butter, soup, tea	Stimulates the appetite, promotes digestion, stops cramps
Chickweed	Wild herb soup, herb bread, rolls, salads	Expectorant for coughs
Meadowsweet	Tea, liqueur, jelly	Was used to make aspirin
Sorrel	Soup, salad, herbal dips, sauces
Small-leaf willowherb	Vegetables, tea, salads	Contains a lot of Vitamin C and iron
Comfrey	Salves, tinctures, vegetables	Anti-inflammatory effects
Meadow bistort	Soup, salad, wild herb spinach
Amica	Salves, tinctures	For any sports injury (e.g. blood loss, sprains), gout, rheumatism, arthrosis
Horsetail	Bath salts, teas	Acts as a diuretic, relieves neurodermatitis
Ribwort	Soups, salads, cough drops, syrup	First aid plant for insect bites and stinging nettles

Source: Christel Stolle, herb expert and herb instructor

Note: Do not gather herbs in protected areas.