Through the land of castles and palaces
Route »Through the land of castles and palaces«
Discover the region around Leipzig on two wheels
Whereas there is much talk about Dresden and its surroundings, little notice is given to the area around Leipzig. However, a tour through the region is highly recommendable due to the fact that the land is flat and the numerous fortresses and castles of Saxony’s Castle Land cannot be missed.
Distance approx. 300 km
Of Towers and Animals
The starting point of the tour will be t h e sight of Leipzig, the Monument to the Leipzig Battle of Nations. From its 90-m-high visitors’ platform the entire city and its surroundings can be viewed. The face of Delitzsch’s town center is determined by numerous buildings from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque and by the Delitzsch Baroque Castle. The originally moated castle dating from the 17th century allows the visitor to have a look into the Dukes’ rooms and into a tiny, but fine baroque garden.
In Bad Dueben, right behind the Mulde River Bridge to the left, rises the somewhat stout watchtower of the castle, which today serves as a landscape museum. On the ride through the “Duebener Heide” heathland, many mills can be discovered.
The Prussians are coming
On the way through the Dahlen Heath you should take a detour to Schildau, in order to visit the museum of the “Schildbürger”, a German synonym for foolish citizens. The Baroque Dahlen Castle, which completely burnt down in the seventies, was noted in history because of the signing of the Hubertusburg Peace Treaty by the Prussian King Frederick II. The castles of nearby Börln and Großböhla still invite visitors today.
Hubertusburg Castle in Wermsdorf is a perfect example of the Baroque architecture in Saxony. It was one of the largest castles in Europe as well as one of the most splendid, until it was plundered by Prussians in the Seven Years’ War. Only the interior of the castle chapel is still there. The nearby old Renaissance hunting lodge serves administrative purposes.
In the Valley of Castles
A bit off the beaten path, in Grimma, many historical sites can be discovered. On the outskirts of the city the ruins of the Nimbschen Monastery can be found, where Luther’s later wife Katharina von Bora lived as a nun. On your way to Colditz, where the Freiberg Mulde River meets the Zwickau Mulde River, it is worthwhile to take a detour to Leisnig and the Mildenstein Castle as well as the Buch Monastery.
Colditz Castle became famous as an allied prison camp in the Second World War. Kriebstein Castle on the Zschopau River is a perfect example of a knight’s castle. Rochlitz is dominated by its castle towers which can be seen from afar. In Kohren-Salis a pottery museum with a viewing area informs visitors about the long tradition of pottery crafts in Kohren. The Pottery Well at the market square was created by Kurt Feuerriegel and is the landmark of the town. Other masterpieces of the famous potter can be viewed by taking a detour to the castle museum in Frohburg. Not all that far from Kohren-Salis is Gnandstein Castle, one of the best preserved fortifications from Saxony’s Romanesque period.
Following the brown coal
On the Thuringian part of the tour, a short side trip to Altenburg, the city of skat, is recommended. Back in Saxony, the rest of the Romanesque Wiprechtsburg can be found in Groitzsch, which has been integrated into an open air theater. Wiprecht von Groitzsch lies buried within the chapel of the parish church St. Laurentius in Pegau, which is one of the most famous Romanesque artworks. The beautiful Renaissance town hall reminds you of the beginning of your trip. Like the city hall of Leipzig, this building was also created by Hieronymus Lotter.
The small village of Wiederau creates an ideal picture with its Baroque castle in the middle of the remote meadows of the Weiße Elster River. That can leave one to forget that the landscape in the south of Leipzig suffered tremendously due to brown coal strip mining. However, after the closing of the coal mines, the Leipziger Seenland (Leipzig Lake Area) was created which is continuously growing in popularity. Directly in front of the gates to Leipzig the most favorite “bath tub” of the region can be found, the Cospuden Lake with the large amusement park Belantis. At the Markkleeberg Lake one of the most modern white-water facilities in the world was built.
Back in Leipzig, the city of Bach, fascinating buildings, historical merchants’ quarters and arcades as well as famous museums invite visitors to come and enjoy. Pleißenburg Castle, where failed disputes between Luther and Eck sealed the splitting of the church, was demolished in 1896 and the new town hall was built on its foundations. The Gohlis Palais from the pompous Rococo period stood the test of time and can be used to enjoy classical music or a good meal today.