We are pleased that you wish to learn more about the work of the Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen. Here you have access to current and previous press releases on tourism in Saxony. For further questions and information the Press Officer Ines Nebelung will be at your disposal.
Contact:
| Ines Nebelung Head of Press and Public Relations Fon: 0351 - 4917025 Fax: 0351 - 4969306 E-Mail: presse.tmgs@sachsen-tour.de |
When music-lovers speak about structure in Saxony, they are usually talking about the greatest concentration of theatres and orchestras in Germany. When music fans from the world over enthuse about performances in the Semper Opera House, the Leipzig Opera House, the Chemnitz Opera House or about concerts by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Leipzig Thomanenchor, the Dresden State Orchestra of Saxony and the Dresden Kreuzchor, they are following in the footsteps of composers such as Richard Wagner, Robert Schumann, Carl Maria von Weber and Johann Sebastian Bach. And when enjoyment of music and art is mixed with over 1000 years of cultural history, then it is clear why Saxony is Germany's No. 1 cultural destination.
The musical landscape of Saxony has no comparison anywhere else in Germany. No other German state offers such an abundance of concert halls and theatres, museums and outstanding architecture. It is the exquisite artistic and cultural experiences that visitors the world over appreciate in particular. Whether in the opera houses, castles, stately homes, parks and historic sites or in quarries, churches or town squares - internationally renowned theatrical and musical productions, top-class festivals and historic and modern exhibitions shape the cultural landscape of Saxony. With their diverse characteristics and atmospheres ranging from the Baroque to modern elegance, industrial architecture and arto deco on the one hand and dreamy romanticism to lively city life on the other, Saxony's cities have considerable touristic appeal. These cities are also convenient starting points for fascinating trips to the seven Saxon holiday regions.
Saxony is known for its rich craft history. The region's unique artistic handcrafted products are internationally recognized under the name Erzgebirgische Holzkunst®. Since 1677, musical instruments of all types have been made in workshops in the gently hilly Vogtland, a town also know for Plauener Spitze®. In the 1,000-year-old city of Meissen in the Saxon Elbland, the famous Meissen porcelain has been manufactured for over 300 years. In the show factory of the State Porcelain Manufacturer Meissen, visitors can see how the valuable pieces are created. In addition, this is the most northeasterly situated wine growing area of Europe. In Glashütte, the famous clock brands from Lange & Söhne, Glashütte Original and others are created by masterly precision work. In Sebnitz, a small town near to the Sächsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland), handmade silk flowers are created in small workshops. Nestled in the charming landscape of the Rabenauer Grund, stools are still hand-made in the traditional way.
About 1,000 castles, fortresses, gardens and mansions rank among the historical treasures of Saxony. Like a string of pearls they wind through the legend-steeped region of Upper Lusatia, the fairytale Castle and Moor Land and the fabled Ore Mountains - some powerful and defiant, others baroque and filigree.
For further information, contact: The Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony, Bautzener Str. 45-47, 01099 Dresden, Tel.: +49 (0)351-49170-0, Fax: +49 (0)351-4969306, info@sachsen-tour.de
Clients interested in discovering more about the industrial culture and crafts arts of Germany will enjoy a visit to Saxony. The first silver mine existed in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) by the 11th Century. The Silberstrasse (Silver Road) holiday route leads to fascinating mining towns, visitors' mining centres and museums, and the display workshops of the Erzgebirge wooden-toy makers. Visitors are amazed by the miners' procession and mountain parades in the Erzgebirge around Christmas time.
Thanks to August Horch who later called his cars AUDI, Saxony has been making automobile history for over a hundred years. Today clients can visit the August Horch Museum in Zwickau, The legendary GDR car, the Trabant, came from Zwickau, which is also where the Volkswagen Passat is built. Other towns for car lovers include Chemnitz, site of the VW engine plant; Dresden, home of the Gläserne Manufaktur (Transparent Factory) where the VW Phaeton is built; and Leipzig, where the Porsche Cayenne and the BMW 3-Series are built. Saxony is also the home of motorcycle manufacturing. Schloss Augustusburg, a castle in the Erzgebirge, houses the most important and comprehensive collection of two-wheeled vehicles in Europe.
The new Industrial Museum in Chemnitz, on the huge site of a former machine plant, demonstrates that Saxony was also a center of machine construction and textile manufacturing. The first long-distance railway in Germany linked Dresden and Leipzig in 1839. The "Saxonia," the first steam locomotive built in Germany, puffed along the 71.5 mile route. Even today, there are nowhere else in Germany so many steam trains running on a small trail through picturesque landscapes than in Saxony.
Saxony is also known for its rich craft history. The region's unique artistic handcrafted products are internationally recognized under the name Erzgebirgische Holzkunst®. Since 1677, musical instruments of all types have been made in workshops in the gently hilly Vogtland, a town also know for Plauener Spitze® (Plauen lace). In the 1,000-year-old city of Meissen in the Saxon Elbland, the famous Meissen porcelain has been manufactured for over 300 years. In the show factory of the State Porcelain Manufacturer Meissen, visitors can see how the valuable pieces are created. In addition, this is the most northeasterly situated wine growing area of Europe. Send clients to Schloss Wackerbarth in Radebeul on the Saxon Weinstrasse (Wine Road) with its glass workshops. In Glashütte, the famous clock brands from Lange & Söhne, Glashütte Original and others are created by masterly precision work. In Sebnitz, a small town near to the Sächsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland), handmade silk flowers are created in small workshops. Nestled in the charming landscape of the Rabenauer Grund, stools are still hand-made in the traditional way.
Further information: Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony, Bautzner Strasse 45-47, 01099 Dresden; Germany, Telephone: 0049-(0)351-491700; Fax: 0049-(0)351-4969306; info@sachsen-tour.de
The history of the TMGS Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH (Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony) has been a short but successful one. Just five years after TMGS became responsible for tourism marketing, Saxony has become the No. 1 destination for cultural travel in Germany. With more than 6.1 million guests and more than 16 million overnight stays, the southeastern German state experienced the most successful year ever. And TMGS itself has grown into a healthy business enterprise. These are the facts. What is the story behind? Creative product ideas with high quality standards and intelligent theme-based marketing activities - always in touch with the market!
Highest priority has been given to the building of a clearly defined image for the destination, in order to position Saxony both in the German and the international markets to win new guests. For this reason, TMGS has placed great emphasis on a broad and qualified market research. TMGS is a very active member of the Forschungsgemeinschaft Urlaub und Reisen (F.U.R.) (Research Association for Vacation and Travel), which has carried out an annual, scientifically precise and broad-based travel analysis since 1970. Aside from that, TMGS also makes use of other research tools. Thus, the 15 staff members have been able to identify the most important markets with the highest potential of new customers: the states of the former West Germany domestically, as well as the USA, the Netherlands, Japan, Great Britain, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
As far as Germany itself is concerned, the main themes are the arts and culture, city trips, family vacations, vitality & wellness and active vacations. Since 2004, the staff of TMGS has been conducting state-wide workgroups open to every service provider of the tourism sector. No matter what line of products is concerned, everyone is involved in joint analyses, discussions and decisions. The distribution of travel offers within up to date catalogues or for image enhancement is clearly defined: direct marketing and sales, cooperation with major tour operators, media. These efforts have been repeatedly rewarded by awards received by TMGS: For six years its brochures have always been among the top three in the „Golden Compass Rose" awards. At the world's largest tourism fair, the International Tourism Exchange Berlin (ITB), the Saxony booth of the TMGS received awards for being one of the best in the last two years. Marketing experts of TMGS attend the seven largest trade fairs in Germany on a regular basis. The internet has long since become a factor in bookings, while TOURBU Saxony, the information and reservation, has been in existence for much longer. Here, bookings can be made for about 950 accommodation businesses, from private rooms to grand hotels.
Foreign markets are approached by TMGS with its presence at about 30 annual trade fairs, workshops and presentations. Culture and history are always the focus of communication - music, literature and painting, but also traditions, crafts, architecture, industrial history add up to position Saxony as a very desirable cultural travel destination. Since 2001, respectively 2003, the TMGS maintains its own representative offices in the two most important foreign markets, the United States and the Netherlands, in order to be able to approach tour operators, travel agencies and media more competently, directly and selectively.
No matter where TMGS is represented, the trademark brand „Saxony. State of the arts" stands for a promise that is not an empty one. The campaign is also conducted in English and French. In addition, brochures are available in Italian, Dutch and Japanese.
The Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony works for the Saxon government and has its headquarters in the state capital of Dresden. Shareholders are the Saxony State Tourism Association, the seven regional tourism associations, the marketing organizations of the major cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz, the three Chambers of Industry and Commerce in Saxony as well as the service company of the Saxon Hotel and Restaurant Association.
Contact: TMGS Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH, Bautzner Str. 45 - 47 01099 Dresden, Germany, Phone : +49-351-491700, Fax: +49-351-4969306, E-Mail: info@sachsen-tour.de
Good snow conditions, majestic scenery, miles of cross-country ski courses, a surprising number of ski-runs and great destinations for excursions: The Saxon winter sport regions offer the best conditions for a vacation during the cold season.
The Ore Mountains have been a popular winter sports area with good snow conditions for 100 years. In 28 towns from Altenberg to Sosa a vacation in the white splendor is highly recommended from December to March. About 70 ski-runs with more than 60 ski tows, around 1,000 kilometers of prepared ski courses and numerous toboggan runs and skating rinks are available here. Oberwiesenthal, Germany's highest town, is a real favorite among enthusiasts of breakneck downhill skiing. With a certified FIS slalom ski-run on Fichtelberg mountain, the town is the Alpine center of the Ore Mountain region. Thanks to the largest equipment for making artificial snow in the new German states, winter sports can be enjoyed at the local mountain almost non-stop from Christmas until Easter.
On the Kammloipe mountain ridge ski course, one of Germany's ski courses with the best snow conditions, people can ski cross country through the Ore Mountain/Vogtland park along a 36 kilometer long course. For many people the most attractive course leads from the Vogtland town of Schöneck to the Ore Mountain town of Johanngeorgenstadt. With its signposts ski enthusiasts can easily take a ski course leading on to Bohemia. People who would like to ski this course without a pack and continue on towards Altenberg in the East Ore Mountains can book the „KAMMtour" with six or eight stages.
The Altenberg bobsled run is one of the largest of its kind in the world and a main attraction among visitors during the winter season. This is where spectators can not only watch international competitions but also become active themselves and test their courage on the 1,000 meter descent of the visitor's bobsled. Skiers will also find 60 kilometers of prepared ski courses in this region with good snow conditions and ample ski-runs and ski lifts. The district of Rehefeld also offers skijoring and rides on snowmobiles.
The Zittauer Mountains and the Upper Lusatian hill country offer 50 kilometers of prepared ski courses and additional trails for skiing fun. Downhill ski enthusiasts will enjoy themselves immensely in Waltersdorf, which is located in the middle of the Zittauer Mountains. In addition, people can also enjoy the pleasures of winter on toboggan slopes and runs as well as at skating rinks. Several riding stables also offer sleigh rides.
Snow-covered sandstone provides an enchanting background for a winter vacation in Saxon Switzerland. Impressive day tours to the bizarre cliffs of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and romantic candlelight evenings: that is what winter in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains is all about.
Whether you enjoy being active yourself with cross-country skiing, tobogganing and Snowboarden, snowmobile safaris or downhill skiing, or if you prefer to relax on a horse sleigh or in front of a crackling chimney fire - Saxony offers many enjoyable attractions during the winter season.
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia is located in the very east of Saxony. It represents the German part of the three-country corner consisting of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. The sun first rises in the German town which lies furthest to the east, Görlitz. And the keeping of time in Europe is oriented at Görlitz as the 51st degree of latitude lies in the middle of this town. The region looks after old handicraft traditions - potters and gingerbread bakers are at home here. A really special tradition is the fish breeding in the largest continuous pond region in Germany. Upper Lusatia is also ideal for cycling and hiking.
Saxon Switzerland
This region probably has the most spectacular scenery in all of Saxony: the Elbe sandstone mountains. It is not only a scenery which has inspired famous painters such as Caspar David Friedrich but also a paradise for mountain climbers. Beautiful villages and towns - including some of the oldest spa towns in Germany, wind their way along the Elbe, Germany's second longest river. These and other attractions such as Europe's most beautiful natural stage, the Felsenmbühne Rathen stage set among cliffs can be reached on a historic Saxon steamship.
Saxon Elbe Region
Saxon wine, the famous blue swords of the Meissen porcelain, the Karl May Museum and the steam-driven Lößnitz valley railway are Hits in the Saxon Elbe region. The best way to discover the region's famous romantic towns and cities such as Dresden, Meißen, Riesa and Torgau is by bike or with a steam engine which the locals lovingly call the Lößnitz hound dog. In Riesa the slogan „With full noodle power forwards!" applies. A visit to the noodle plant is a real personal tip. The whole family will enjoy it and of course they will also enjoy eating the noodles.
Saxon Castle and Heath Region
In the „Valley of the Castles" you can experience 1,000 years of Saxon history. Castles and palaces are strung like pearls on a chain - splendid the ones, magnificent the others. An attractive holiday destination for hiking, cycling, riding and Wellness are the Dahlen and the Düben heaths. Great hiking package tours await visitors here. Why not take part in a medieval trip back in time during a 10-day holiday tour on a stage coach with goats, chicken, horses and lots of nice people? An excursion to the Leipzig Zoo is also always worthwhile.
The Ore Mountains/West Saxony
The Ore Mountains are one of the most beautiful low mountain regions. They form 1,500 square kilometres of natural reserve which attracts hikers in the summer and ski enthusiasts in the winter. The Ore Mountains are also the home of the nutcrackers, carved wood incense burners, candle arches and Christmas pyramids. Very impressive is a ride along the „Silver Route" between Zwickau and Dresden via Freiberg. This route gives witness to the centuries of silver ore mining and shows the treasures both above and below the ground in more than 25 mines. Zwickau itself is an automobile and museum town. In the August Horch Museum Oldtimers have been polished like new while in the Robert Schumann House everything evolves around the composer and his wife. Little wonder since two monuments point to the music and automobile town: the Robert Schumann monument and a concrete Trabant.
The Vogtland Region
The largest Saxon summer recreation area lies in the Vogtland region: The Pöhl dam with a protected natural reserve of more than 4,000 hectares invites visitors to relax, hike and enjoy water sports. Visitors should also not miss out on a visit to the Syrau dragon cave, Saxony's most beautiful dripstone cave. In the demonstration workshops of Vogtland's musical instrument makers you can see how much work is involved in making a violin or a trumpet to resound. The world's largest accordion is on display in Germany's only musical instrument museum in Markneukirchen, and the MIR space station landed in the Grünheide forest park.
With their diverse characteristics and atmospheres ranging from the Baroque to modern elegance, industrial architecture and arto deco on the one hand and dreamy romanticism to lively city life on the other, Saxony's cities have considerable touristic appeal. These cities are also convenient starting points for fascinating trips to the seven Saxon holiday regions.
Thirteen towns - ranging from A as in Annaberg-Buchholz to Z as in Zittau and Zwickau - are members of the Town Tourism Committee and each of these towns has its own unmistakable identity.
In the Erzgebirge town of Annaberg-Buchholz, for example, one does not need to dig very deep to discover that one is in a mining town. Major silver finds led to the foundation of the town in 1496 and the industry is still characteristic of the region and the people even today. Pillow-lace making, carving and passementerie are associated with Annaberg, as is the name of the brilliant arithmetician Adam Riese.
Bautzen it's the secret capital of the Upper Lusatian Sorbs and is thousand years old. With its 17 towers, its bastions and its town wall that is almost completely preserved it exudes an unmistakable medieval atmosphere, which is further underlined by the much-photographed „Alte Wasserkunst" in Bautzen city centre.
In the space of a few years Chemnitz has grown into a modern city and today proudly presents itself as a flourishing centre of commerce and knowledge. Various architectural features such as generously proportioned, lovingly restored buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries - Art Nouveau and Gründerzeit styles - monumental buildings of the Classical Modernity by famous architects and the city's rich heritage of industrial architecture all harmonize perfectly with the modern, completely redesigned city centre and create exciting contrasts between the historic and the post-modern. Chemnitz offers a broad and interesting cultural programme. Notable highlights include festivals such as the Saxon Mozart Festival in spring and cultural festival BEGEGNUNGEN (encounters). In December 2007, one of Germany's largest private collections of art of the Classical Modernity and the second half of the 20th century was added to the rich holdings of the Chemnitz Art Galleries. The Gunzenhauser Museum gives Chemnitz citizens and visitors the chance to admire, among other things, the world's largest collection of works by Otto Dix.
Dresden offers just about everything - the Saxon capital is so many-sided. As a baroque city, a cultural city, an Elbe city and a musical city it exudes a world-famous charm. Its architectural treasures located around the Theaterplatz with the Dresden Zwinger and Semper Opera and the Brühlsche Terrasse or the priceless art works of the State Art Collections are an integral part of its fascination. It is no accident that visitors and locals refer to it as „Florence on the Elbe". History and modernism are so close together in the Saxon metropolis, forming a contrast that is well worth studying.
Between the Saxon cities of Leipzig and Dresden lies the little 800-year-old town of Grimma, set in the attractive, wooded countryside on the banks of the Mulde river. Grimma´s pretty medieval Old Town has now been extensively restored; it is full of interesting sights and is a pleasant place to spend an enjoyable day strolling around and sightseeing. Visitors interested in history will find many fascinating examples of different styles of architecture, all perfectly restored. The old town hall alone is well worth a visit to the Mulde Valley - it boasts a magnificent Renaissance façade and parts of the building date all the way back to the early 13th century. The bridges of Grimma are another major attraction for visitors from both near and far. The most famous of these bridges was the old Mulde Bridge designed by M. D. Pöppelmann, the great court architect of Duke August the Strong.
The Cathedral City of Freiberg is Saxony's silver city par excellence. Even today the splendid patricians' houses surrounding the Obermarkt, one of the finest squares in Germany, attest to Freiberg's former wealth. A visit to the Cathedral of St. Mary with its world-famous Golden Portal is a must for every visitor to Freiberg. The cathedral is simple in design from the outside but the interior houses precious works of art such as the Tulip Office and the largest and most melodious Silbermann organ in the world. Visitors can re-live the adventure of mining in the Reiche mine, the oldest educational mine in the world.
Görlitz is a town with ancient commercial traditions and with a modern city centre. There is a dynamic mood in this town in the squares with their intact Gründerzeit buildings, carefully renovated Jugendstil houses, the historical flair of the old city and the 3,500 listed buildings. More than any other town, Görlitz, in the three-country triangle formed by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic benefits from its close relations with its neighbours. It is only 160 km from Prague.
Leipzig is a town with many faces: Leipzig has an international reputation as a city of music and a summary of cultural event highlights in Leipzig. Leipzig has many green spaces, forests, parks, and recreational and sports facilities. This town presents many precious works of art and collections. Leipzig invites you to stroll around, shop and linger. Leipzig's culinary pages are the city's restaurants, cafes and culinary delights.
Meissen is world-famous above all for its porcelain. In 1710 no less a person than August the Strong announced the discovery of the „white gold" in Saxony. Meissen's Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur is a jewel that fascinates hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. It is now even possible for guests to take courses in the art of painting and designing porcelain. Apart from the porcelain, visitors also greatly appreciate the wine that grows on the steep slopes high above the town on the Elbe. Meissen is the capital of Germany's smallest wine-growing area. The town itself is remarkable for its magnificent facades, quaint, narrow cobbled streets, fine passages and its cosy and modern pubs. The highest points are the Albrechtsburg and the Meissener Dom, which rise majestically above the town.
Visitors to Pirna discover first and foremost a medieval jewel glittering on the banks of the Elbe between Dresden and the Saxon Switzerland National Park. If one had to describe the town, one would have to use terms like „magnificent environment", „cheerful lifestyle", „cultural wealth" and „part of modern Europe". Romantics, those interested in cultural history, enthusiasts and gourmets will get full value for money as they walk around the historical town centre. Pirna is a wealthy town - and its wealth is built on sand, among other things. The sand of the Elbe sandstone, which has been quarried here for centuries and is used for building. The Dresden Frauenkirche and the Reichstag in Berlin are made from local sandstone.
Plauen in contrast beguiles the visitor with lace. Plauen is world famous for its superb „Plauener lace". Embroidery on traditional machines still takes place in embroidery works that are open to the public and in the Lace Museum. And not far from the „Lace town", another unique feature awaits the visitor. For over 300 years, musical instruments of all kinds have been made by hand in the so-called Vogtland music corner.
Torgau is one of the finest Renaissance towns in Germany. Martin Luther once lived here, and the visitor can still feel the character of the former Saxon electoral metropolis, once a political centre of the Reformation. The newly-renovated Schloss Hartenfels is definitely worth a visit. One crosses a bridge beneath which wild bears are still to be found and enters the largest completely preserved German Early Renaissance castle. Torgau became famous because it was where American and Soviet troops met on 25. April 1945. The photograph of the legendary handshake between Bill Robertson and Alexander Silvashko on the destroyed Torgau Bridge made the front pages all over the world at the time.
Zittau is Germany's most south-easterly town. It combines the small-town idyll, living history and a lot of countryside. Right in front of the town are the Zittau mountains with the striking Oybin Mountain, the Lusatian mountains and the Jesenik and Iser mountain ranges. Zittau has a magnificent historic centre with countless monuments. One of these is the „Holy Cross Church". For just over a year this church has housed the „Great Zittau Lenten Veil". With its impressive measurements of 6.8 by 8.2 metres it is unique in Germany in its style and design.
For music enthusiasts Zwickau is Robert-Schumann town, for historians it is the pearl of Electoral Saxony and for lovers of the Trabant motor car it is the town of a thousand strokes. The various epithets underline the many-sidedness of the town on the Mulde. Cloth-making and silver-mining were once dominant. Even today the Silberstraße or Silver Road which goes from Zwickau through the Erzgebirge to Dresden, refers to this exciting period of history. In more recent times, Zwickau has been famous above all for the car industry. Here August Horch laid the foundations for his automobile empire from which the companies Sachsenring Zwickau and Audi in Ingolstadt later emerged. Notable works of architecture in the town centre are St. Mary's Cathedral, the Gewandhaus and Town Hall, the Robert Schumann memorial and Robert Schuman's birthplace and the „Neue Welt" Municipal Hall, the finest example of Jugendstil in Saxony.
More information: Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony, Bautzner Strasse 45-47, 01099 Dresden, Germany, Telephone: 0049 - 351 - 491700, Fax: 0049-351-4969306, info@sachsen-tour.de, www.visitsaxony.com
About 1,000 castles, fortresses, gardens and mansions rank among the historical treasures of Saxony. Like a string of pearls they wind through the legend-steeped region of Upper Lusatia, the fairytale Castle and Moor Land and the fabled Ore Mountains - some powerful and defiant, others baroque and filigree. Fifty of them are owned by the Saxon Castle Administration and are considered to be "Saxony's most beautiful castles, fortresses and gardens".
The Dresden Zwinger (famous baroque building), Moritzburg Castle, Kriebstein Castle, Königstein Fortress and the baroque garden of Großsedlitz, all these and many more have their own individual charm in terms of landscape and architecture. In addition, they often serve as unique settings for theatrical and musical performances, castle festivals, knights' tournaments, exhibitions and enchanting weddings. Five "castle routes" lead the way there.
What makes the Saxon castles and fortresses special is the wealth of experience they offer. All open their high gates to the public for numerous events. The guiding principle followed by today's castle lords is to allow visitors to enter and find themselves transported back in time to the lifestyles of the former owners centuries ago and for that purpose they invite various artists, such as musicians, theatre actors and actresses, jugglers, puppeteers. This allows the visitor to the famous Dresden Zwinger and the much-visited Pillnitz Castle and Park not only to experience the Baroque era at close quarters but to enjoy unparalleled musical performances of world-renowned orchestras during the Dresden music festivals.
Just a few kilometres from "Florence on the Elbe" as Dresden, the Saxon capital, is often lovingly referred to, the maids-in-waiting in the Baroque Palace of Rammenau politely curtsy to their international visitors. In the evening, the palace and bordering park offer an enchanting ambiance for chamber concerts. Or there's Stolpen Castle, a place steeped in legend, and not only because the numerous original utensils here provide an insight into the long captivity of more than 40 years of Countess Cosel - the favourite mistress of Augustus the Strong.
This mighty fortress is also the venue for impressive classical and rock music open-air-events. Visitors entering the legendary Königstein fortress high above the Elbe in the beautiful Elbe Sandstone Mountains not only experience the operational efficiency of what was once a mighty fortress but can only also partake of a special culinary experience: in the casemates of the fortress, four commanders in original costume invite the visitors to take a culinary journey through four centuries. Every year at Christmas the splendour of the medieval Christmas market shines down on the town of Königstein. The charming baroque garden of Großsedlitz is a paradise for strollers and a meeting place for all who love art and culture. And there's the "crazy" castle of Weesenstein, where Rolf Hoppe of international fame is a frequent guest for readings.
In the delightful region of "Saxon Elbe Land" the pearls of Moritzburg and Albrechtsburg (both fortresses) tower majestically over the world-renowned porcelain town of Meissen. Both are famous for their impressive exhibitions. Certainly the area richest in castles is the Saxon Castle and Moor Land. All along the river valley of the Mulde they look down imperiously from their thrones on the mountains, not as dumb witnesses to times long passed but as living centres of medieval customs and celebrations. When for example the Central Saxon Culture Summer begins in spring each year, the walls come to life and knights' tournaments, banquets, folklore, markets or even Transylvanian nights and concerts take possession of the old chambers and courts and cast a spell on thousands of enthusiastic visitors. Gnandstein Castle, Mildenstein Castle, Rochlitz Castle or the park at the former Cistercian abbey of Altzella are impressive examples of such highlights. Lovers of architecture will also discover the most varied styles of construction here, while down below in the valley adventurous and romantic rafters and boaters sail past the towering castles.
Another treasure revealed on a trip into the Ore Mountains is Augustus Castle. For decades its walls sheltered the Saxon motorcycle museum and once a year it becomes the meeting place of enthusiastic motorcyclists. Welcome to the Saxon castle and fortress paradise.
More information: Tourism Marketing Association of Saxony, Bautzner Str. 45-47, D-01099 Dresden, Christina Czach, Tel.: 0049 - 351 - 4917023, Fax: 0049-351-4969306 www.visitsaxony.com
