The Osterland is a region that is located in East Thuringia, but also to western Saxony and southern Saxony-Anhalt. Thematically, this page deals with the main area, the Thuringian Osterland, which is limited to the area of the Altenburger Land district and part of the Greiz district. For the West Saxon Osterland be on the side West Saxony and for Saxony-Anhalt on the side Saale-Unstrut region referenced.
places
The former royal seat known as Skatstadt 1 Altenburg
, with around 38,000 inhabitants, is the largest city in the Altenburger Land and has a lot to offer culturally. In addition to the castle and the large contiguous historical old town area, there is also an art museum of national importance. The Altenburg Prince Robbery Festival takes place every summer in cooperation between the Altenburg State Theater and the City of Altenburg. In addition, Altenburg is home to the Gumpert Sports Car Manufactory, a manufacturer of expensive, exclusive sports cars, whose viewing is a must for car enthusiasts.
The town 2 Goessnitz is, with the longest platform in Germany, the railway junction in Osterland. Next to the Heimatstube there is also the Nörgelsäcke cabaret, where cabaret stars like Karl Dall appear from time to time.
In 3 Meuselwitz the coal railway has its starting point. The technical museum is located in the Kulturbahnhof, with historical trains, a model railway and other technical systems. Further sights are the palace garden with orangery from 1709 and the local history museum.
4 Ronneburg was the former center of the East Thuringian uranium ore mining. In 2007, the city with Gera hosted the Federal Garden Show. Sights include the castle, the town hall and the rectory.
The button city 5 Schmoelln lies between Ronneburg and Altenburg and is the second largest city in the Altenburger Land. Sights are: the town hall, the button and regional museum and the Ernst Agnes tower.
Altenburg Castle
Gößnitz: "Germany's longest platform"
Orangery Meuselwitz
New Ronneburg landscape with a wooden bridge over the Gessental
Button and regional museum in Schmölln
Other goals
The New landscape Ronneburg was an open pit mine in which uranium ore was mined until the end of the GDR. The 124 hectare area was recultivated at a cost of millions for the 2007 Federal Horticultural Show. The highlight is the Drachenschwanzbrücke, the largest wooden bridge in Europe, which is made up of the Löbichau winding tower and the Beerwalde dump Resurrection Aurora. This was a project accompanying the Federal Horticultural Show. The heap and the winding tower are connected to Kaiserlindenallee. From the heap you can see the whole of Osterland.
The largest are in the north and east Lakes of the Easter country. The Haselbach and Pahna lakes are best for swimming. The Windischleuba and Schömbach reservoirs are also available for anglers and hikers.
The largest are also in the region around the lakes Woods Leina and Kammerforst. The Leinawald lies exactly between the Schömbach dam and the former Altenburg military airport. This invites you to go on a voyage of discovery, there are still buildings and bunkers from military times in it.
background
In the course of history, the definition and positioning of the Osterland changed. Originally it was the name of the old northern Thuringian march, which Gero (940-965) extended from the Saale over the Mulde and Elbe. Its core was the later Mark Landsberg, but it also encompassed the area around Eilenburg and the western part of the Lower Lusatia. From Gero's descendants, the Osterland passed from Dietrich from the House of Wettin in 1017 and was united with the Mark Meissen in 1123 and with the Lausitz in 1136. In the partition of 1265, Heinrich the Illustrious kept, with the exception of Meissen and Lusatia, from the Osterland the area on the Elbe around Torgau; the Mark Landsberg with its extensions in the south Weissenfels and Camburg. What was now known collectively as Osterland, he gave to his second son, Dietrich dem Feisten. When a new division was made after Heinrich's death (1288), one of the grandsons, Dietrich, received Lausitz, the other, Friedrich (Tutta), Meißen and Osterland; but both countries were named Marchia orientalis. In 1298, the Mark Landsberg was bought by Brandenburg and was only acquired again by Meißen in 1347.
In the 14th century, the term Osterland was expanded to include the Pleißenland as Gera and added Schönburg an der Saale. At the division of 1382, the Osterland was the sons of Frederick III. assigned by Meissen. Gradually the name Osterland disappeared, but became popular again after the end of the GDR.
getting there
By train
From Altenburg train station there is the possibility to get to the whole of Osterland by bus and train.
In the Osterland is the junction of the north-south running Leipzig – Hof line with the east-west running Central-Germany connection. The two routes then meet in Gößnitz. The longest platform in Germany is also located here. All train stations in Osterland are operated exclusively by the German train served by S-Bahn, regional and regional express trains. In addition to the S-Bahn from Leipzig via Altenburg to Zwickau and the regional express trains with tilting technology from Göttingen to Glauchau, there is also a two-hour regional express from Erfurt via the Lehndorf connecting curve to Altenburg.
In the street
The 
crosses the Osterland. Departure options are the connection points: 
62 Meerane Cross, 61 Schmoelln, 60 Ronneburg, 59 Gera-Leumnitz.
Coming from the north and south is recommended 
(Berlin – Munich) to leave at Kreuz Hermsdorf and to the Change direction Dresden and follow the autobahn for approx. 25 km.
By plane
The Leipzig-Altenburg Airport is a regional airport. Private planes can fly to the airport 24 hours a day, planes that can use an instrument landing system can also fly to the airport when visibility is poor. Airplanes up to 2000 kg can be parked in the hangar.
The closest commercial airport with scheduled service is the Leipzig Halle Airport.
mobility
With the exception of the cities of Meuselwitz and Lucka, all cities in the Osterland are connected by rail. Bus connections in the Altenburger Land district are mainly operated by the Thusac operated and are in Central German transport association. In the MDV tariff area, the Thuringia / Saxony / Saxony-Anhalt ticket is also valid on all buses. In the region around Ronneburg, which is part of the Greiz district, the intercity bus routes are operated by the RVG Gera operated.
Tourist Attractions
The sights of the cities can be found on the respective site pages.
- The museum is located at Leipzig-Altenburg Airport Flugwelt Altenburg-Nobitz, At the airport 3 (04603 Nobitz). Tel.: 49 (0)3447 515033, Mobile: 49 (0)162 3317099, 49 (0)171 1028197, Fax: (0)3447 515034, Email: [email protected]. Open: Opening times: Sat, Sun and public holidays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment.Price: Admission: adults € 2.50, children 9-15 years € 1.50, pensioners and severely disabled people € 2.. The exhibition has been run by the association of the same name since March 2005. You can see a MiG 21-SPS and, since 2007, a Breguet Atlantic of the German Navy.
- Posterstein Castle, Burgberg 1 (04626 Posterstein). Tel.: 49 (0)34496 22595, Email: [email protected]. Open: Opening times: Tue-Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun and public holidays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Price: Admission: adults € 2.50, reduced € 1, children up to 6 years free admission.. The castle with its 25 meter high keep in the southwest of the Altenburger Land dates from the 12th century. The exhibition in the museum offers an overview of the castle history and the cultural history of the Altenburger Land.
- At Prehna is the Model airfield of Model sports club Altenburger Land. Model airplanes weighing up to 20 kg take off from the model airfield with a 200 m long runway.
- In Nöbdenitz is the millennial pedunculate oak. It is probably the oldest in Europe. In it there is a grave of Hans Wilhelm von Thümmel, who died in 1824.
- The Altenburg farms tell about the former prosperity of the farmers in Osterland. This prosperity was due, on the one hand, to the fertile soil and to the inheritance law in the Duchy of Saxony-Altenburg. The farm and the land belonging to it were not allowed to be divided between the descendants, but only to be inherited by one descendant. In some of the large four-sided farms, the houses are even decorated with stucco elements.
- Above all, the Wieratal impresses with its many Viaducts the former Altenburg-Narsdorf railway line. Of these, the Wiesebacher Bridge is the largest bridge with 330 meters and 17 arches.
- The Post mill in Lumpzig is one of the oldest in Thuringia.
- The Löbichau and Tannenfeld castles by Duchess Anna Dorothea von Kurland (1761-1821) were the meeting point of important political and cultural personalities of Europe. Tannenfeld later served as a psychiatric clinic.
- Treben Manor
activities
- The Osterland runs from Gera to Altenburg Long-distance cycle route Thuringian city chain.
- In the north of Altenburger Land the Coal railway from Meuselwitz to Regis-Breitingen in Saxony.
- The Auenhof Posterstein has been used as an art and herb farm since 2002. In addition to guided tours in the herb garden and the art studio, seminars in the areas of artistic creativity and health / wellbeing are also offered.
- The Probst-Hof In Kummer bei Schmölln there is an adventure farm with a petting zoo and animal demonstrations, which is aimed primarily at families with small children. It is run by the artist family Maike and Jörg Probst.
- Riding lessons offer among others the Shepherd's farm Illsitz and the Dippelsdorf manor at. In addition, the Gutshof Dippelsdorf offers Carriage rides at.
- Mini golf course, Dorfstrasse 70 (04626 Vollmershain). Tel.: 49 (0)34496 60676, Email: [email protected]. Open: Opening times: mid-February to mid-November Mon-Thu 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Fri Sat 2:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m., Sun public holidays 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.Price: Admission: adults € 5.50, young people € 2.50, children up to 12 years € 2, group discount from 10 people 20%, family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) € 9 - each additional child € 1.50..
- Outdoor pools outside the cities there are in Altkirchen, Rositz and Volmershain.
- Most Fishing waters are mainly found in the north and east of the Altenburger Land.
- From spring to autumn, many communities set up Village festival out. The biggest is the Wintersdorf village festival on the second weekend in September. Also the Easter fire always attract a lot of people and become a big folk festival. The biggest Easter bonfire in Untschen is every year on Maundy Thursday.
kitchen
In addition to the Thuringian Rostbratwurst, there are other specialties in the Altenburg and Schmölln region: for example the Huckelkuchen, goat cheese or Mutzbraten. Mutzbraten is a piece of pork meat that is seasoned with marjoram and cooked on a special grill with birch wood.
accommodation
Accommodation outside of the locations listed above. This is a small selection of accommodations in Osterland, there are a larger number here.
- See-Camping Altenburg-Pahna, OT Pahna 04617 Fockendorf. Tel.: 49 (0)34343 51914, Fax: (0)34343 51912, Email: [email protected]. Price: Prices: adults € 4, children (3-14 years) € 3, tent € 3.50..
- Youth hostel Wasserschloss Windischleuba, Pestalozziplatz 1 04603 Windischleuba. Tel.: 49 (0)3447 834471, Fax: (0)3447 832702, Email: [email protected]. .
- Restaurant and hotel "Zur Burg", Dorfstrasse 13 (04626 Posterstein, accessible via the exit of the A 4 "Ronneburg"). Tel.: 49 (0)34496 651-0, Fax: (0)34496 651-39. .
climate
The valleys of the Elster and Pleiße are subject to favorable climatic conditions.
literature
- Cycling and hiking map of Altenburger Land and the surrounding area. Publishing house Dr. Barthel, ISBN 978-3-89591-096-8 . Scale 1: 50,000, € 5.90
