The Central Saxon hill country represents the transition between the Ore Mountains and the North German lowlands, more precisely the Leipzig lowland bay and the Saxon ElblandRoughly speaking, it lies in the triangle between Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz.
The region is also advertised under the name Saxon Burgenland. In probably no other part of the Free State you will find so many well-preserved and romantically situated castles from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, monasteries and pretty old town centers with large marketplaces, embedded in an idyllic landscape of hills and river valleys.
Regions
- Altzella monastery district - around the Zellwald, forms the easternmost part of the region, roughly halfway between Meißen and Chemnitz.
- Kohrener Land - Landscape and tourist region around Kohren-Sahlis, Transition to Leipzig lowland bay; is about halfway between Chemnitz and Leipzig.
- Muldental - makes up the largest part of the region in terms of area and extends north of Chemnitz and southeast of Leipzig.
- Lower Zschopau valley - this landscape extends along the river of the same name, exactly in the middle of the triangle Chemnitz-Dresden-Leipzig. It includes, inter alia. also the popular Kriebstein dam. (The top Zschopautal from Flöha, however, it is counted as part of the Ore Mountains
Occasionally the Lommatzian care counted to the Central Saxon hill country. We count them to that Saxon Elbland to, which also corresponds to the understanding of the tourism association of the same name.
places
A selection of the largest and most interesting cities (other cities in the articles for the four sub-regions)
- Colditz - Colditz Castle was a POW camp for British officers during World War II.
- Chub - second largest city in the central Saxon hill country.
- Frankenberg - this is where the "Barkas" was built in the GDR.
- Frohburg - largest city in Kohrener Land.
- Grimma - largest city in the Mulde valley and in the central Saxon hill country as a whole. The old town and the Mulde bridge are well worth seeing.
- Mittweida - the city is like Frankenberg on the Zschopau; Protestant town church "Our dear women".
- Nossen - Castle, Zellwald and Altzella Monastery.
- Rochlitz - Small town with a castle on the Zwickauer Mulde.
- Spice up - cathedral city; Wurzen Castle is the oldest castle in German-speaking countries; Birthplace of the poet Joachim Ringelnatz
Other goals
background
The central Saxon hill country belongs to the loess area between the Ore Mountains and the North German lowlands. The subsoil consists mostly of granite, slate and porphyry, the latter in particular is a popular and characteristic building material in the region. The wind has deposited loess here, which favors the creation of fertile soil types. The region is therefore a cultural landscape rich in history.
language
getting there
The closest Airports are Leipzig / Halle (LEJ) and Dresden (DRS).
Even with the train the journey from more distant places is usually about Leipzig walk. Under certain circumstances, however, it is also possible to switch to Riesa at. There is no long-distance traffic stop in the region itself. It is opened up by regional express (Leipzig – Bad Lausick – Geithain – Burgstädt – Chemnitz) and regional train lines (Leipzig – Grimma – Leisnig – Döbeln; Riesa – Döbeln – Mittweida – Chemnitz). The extreme north-west of the region can still be reached with the S-Bahn Central Germany from Leipzig (Frohburg, Geithain), the south with the City-Bahn Chemnitz (Burgstädt, Mittweida, Frankenberg, Hainichen).
The Highway A 4 (Erfurt – Chemnitz – Dresden) runs along the south or south-east edge of the region (past Frankenberg, Hainichen, Siebenlehn, Nossen), the A 14 (Leipzig – Dresden) through its north and north-east (Grimma, Leisnig, Döbeln , Roßwein). The A 72 (Hof – Chemnitz – Leipzig) opens up the western part of the hill country (Burgstädt, Penig, Rochlitz, Geithain, Frohburg).
With the bicycle can be found on the (Zwickauer or Freiberger) Muldental cycle path or Zschopautal-Radweg from the Chemnitz or Ore Mountains region, on the Saxon city route from Dresden and the Elbe Valley, or on the Döbeln-Elbe-Radweg, which connects to the Elbe Cycle Route. The Leipzig-Elbe Cycle Route and the Parthe-Mulde Cycle Route lead from the Leipzig area into the central Saxon hill country.
mobility
The above in the section #Getting there These railway lines can of course also be used to get around within the region. They are supplemented by so-called Plusbus lines that run every hour (Grimma – Bad Lausick, Grimma – Colditz, Döbeln – Nossen). Apart from the connections between larger cities, there are often only local buses that run only a few times a day.
It is therefore advisable to take a bike with you or rent one on site. The Zschopau and Muldental cycle paths are certainly among the most beautiful routes to get from one place to the next in the central Saxon hill country.
Those who can walk well can also use the many beautiful hiking trails in the region.
Tourist Attractions
The central Saxon hill country has been an important cultural landscape since the Middle Ages. A large number of castles, palaces, monasteries and churches have been preserved in their medieval or renaissance form. Typical of the region are also small and medium-sized towns, whose image is characterized by well-tended, reconstructed historical buildings and a large market square and usually a magnificent town hall in the center. The following is just a selection of nationally significant highlights. Details can be found in the sub-regions or local articles.
Castles and Palaces
- Gnandstein Castle in Kohren-Sahlis - Well-preserved late Romanesque hill fort from the early 13th century
- Kriebstein Castle in the Zschopautal at Waldheim - Picture-book-like castle from the 14th century on a rock above the river, which is often used as a location for fairy tale and historical films
- lock Colditz - 1000 year old hilltop castle, which was converted into a renaissance castle and gained fame as a prison camp for Allied officers during the Second World War
- Rochsburg Castle at Penig - 12th century spur castle; while the entire complex and the outer bailey still have a high medieval shape, the residential building was converted into a more comfortable renaissance castle
- lock Spice up - The late Gothic complex was designed as a palace and not as a castle from the start, making it one of the oldest (pure) castles in German-speaking countries.
Churches and monasteries
- Altzella Monastery at Nossen
- Wechselburg Abbey at the trough Rochlitz, former Benedictine abbey with a remarkable late Romanesque basilica
various
- historical Railway viaducts: The triangle between Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz was opened up by railway lines as early as the middle of the 19th century and the hill country with its river valleys had to be bridged by numerous viaducts. The legacy of this are some interesting old railway bridges, which are still made of natural stone or bricks instead of concrete. The “bankruptcy mile” on the Zschopau near Waldheim, for example, bears its name because so many elaborate viaducts had to be built here that the initially private Chemnitz-Riesa railway company went bankrupt (it was then taken over by the state). Another outstanding example is the Göhrener Viaduct near Wechselburg on the Zwickauer Mulde.
activities
- To go biking, e.g. B. on the Muldental cycle path or the Zschopautal cycle path. The gently rolling landscape usually does not pose any major endurance challenges and is also suitable for less trained cyclists.
- hike or walking on numerous signposted hiking trails through the idyllic landscape
- Paddle or rafting on the Mulde
