The Eastern Ore Mountains & Upper Lusatia

The Eastern Erz Mountains are not far from Saxon Switzerland. Just like the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, the eastern part of the Erz Mountains spans across German and Czech territory. Shaped by mining, this region attracts visitors with both its numerous sporting activities and its many day-trip destinations.

You can find out about the old Erz Mountain tradition of mining in Geising, Altenberg and Zinnwald. Numerous show tunnels are available to visit here as relics of the mining past. Mining museums are also on hand to show the history of the quarrying of tin and silver in the Erz Mountains and provide a lively insight into the difficult work underground.

Meanwhile, the Watch Museum in Glashütte provides an insight into the delicate art of watch-making. Here you can enjoy a literal journey through time, from the beginning of Saxon watch-making in 1845 to the present day; and as such you can immerse yourself in the work and history of the well-known traditional company in the heart of Glashütte.

The summer toboggan run in Altenberg is great fun, especially for families. You can travel down into the valley at great speeds and around sharp corners.

The luge and bobsleigh run in Altenberg is particularly sporty. It is one of the most difficult artificial runs in the world and attracts athletes and visitors throughout the year. Brave visitors can dash across the ice channel in summer or winter. In summer, you simply travel down the run in a bob on wheels.

Needless to say, hikers and fans of winter sports are also in the right place in the Eastern Erz Mountains.    

Hospitality and cosiness are at home in Upper Lusatia. Idyllic landscapes, old half-timbered houses, delicious food and romantic small towns welcome guests in the immediate vicinity of the Czech and Polish borders.

Upper Lusatia welcomes its guests in the border triangle of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic with typical Saxon hospitality and a wide range of cultural activities. The latter is inextricably linked to the history of the Sorbs. The language and traditions of this small Slavic people still permeate the area today and contribute to the cultural diversity of the region.

The Via Regia, once the most important east-west connection in Europe, was also important for the development of Upper Lusatia. Its main route runs across Saxony and through the Lusatian towns of Görlitz, Bautzen and Kamenz.

The German-Polish border town of Görlitz is now one of the most beautiful in Europe. As it was largely spared during the Second World War, visitors to Görlitz can still stroll through a magnificent backdrop of beautiful medieval towers, late Gothic arcades, stately Renaissance town houses near the Neisse River and extensive Wilhelminian style neighbourhoods.

The beautiful town of Bautzen, on the other hand, is known as the town of towers. In addition to the Ortenburg castle, medieval towers and bastions rise up on a rocky plateau surrounded by a valley through which the young Spree river winds its way.

The Upper Lusatia also attracts visitors with its varied landscape. The Zittau Mountains, for example, are not only a paradise for skiers in winter, but also invite you to go on long hikes in summer.