Nature & Activities
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Nature & Activities Hiking Saxony is a popular hiking destination. With or without walking sticks, with or without luggage – hiking enthusiasts will find excellent conditions for extended tours in Saxony. One of Germany’s most popular hiking trails is the “Malerweg” (Painters‘ Trail) through the many gorges and summits of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains (Saxon Switzerland). The Vogtland Panorama Weg® Trail is absolutely spectacular and has been awarded the quality seal “Qualitätsweg Wanderbares Deutschland”, just as the Kammweg Trail of the Ore Mountains/Vogtland, the Heide-Biber-Tour in the Leipzig region, the circular trail Höhensteig Klingenthal, the Elsterperlenweg Trail, the Zeulenroda Talsperrenweg Trail and the Oberlausitzer Bergweg Trail. Hikers’ dreams come true – be it in the rapidly ascending mountain landscape of Upper Lusatia, the Zittau Mountains with the Lausche mountain or on the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail. Cycling Cycling in Saxony is to encounter beautiful landscapes and culture. The “Elberadweg”, Germany’s most popular cycle route, impresses with the unmistakable wine growing landscape in the Elbe valley and bizarre rock formations in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. And in between you will find one renowned town after the other: Meißen, Radebeul, Dresden, Pirna, Wehlen, Bad Schandau. On your bicycle you can also discover Torgau, the town of Luther, and the Düben heathland. The KAMMTOUR in the nature park of the Ore Mountains/Vogtland and the “Musikantenradweg” (Music cycle trail) are quite challenging. More easygoing are the routes along rivers: Oder-Neiße-Radweg, Spreeradweg, Elsterradweg, Göltzschtalradweg and Mulderadweg. Also, there are many places where you can rent an e-bike. Mountainbiking On various trails mountain bikers measure their strength with the most powerful dramaturg in the world: nature. The “Stoneman Miriquidi” in the Ore Mountains is unique in Germany. Two countries, nine summits and 4,400 metres in altitude must be conquered on 162 kilometres. The Rabenberg Trailcenter is Germany’s first singletrail park! Several rounds of approximately 50 kilometres can be tackled. The “Bikerevier Erzgebirge” in the Ore Mountains furthermore offers cross-border and touristically attractive mountain bike and racing bicycle routes like the Metall-Mountain-Tour. The Vogtland offers lots of mountain bike kilometres, and the nature park of the Ore Mountains/Vogtland is a biker’s paradise. The “Bikewelt Schöneck” with 265 km of MTB tracks offers a test course for the whole family as well as five downhill routes. And the rock labyrinths of the Zittau Mountains delight bikers in their own special way. Especially the XTERRA MTB trail is very popular. Winter sports For more than 100 years, the Ore Mountains have been a popular winter sports area with good snow conditions. From December until March guests have a multitude of winter sports options at their disposal. Oberwiesenthal, the highest town in Germany, and the Fichtelberg mountain with its 1,215 metres in height form the alpine centre of Saxony. At the luge and bobsleigh track in Altenberg you can watch international competitions or take a guest bobsleigh and race downhill on 1,000 metres yourself. The Vogtland Arena in Klingenthal with Europe’s most modern large hill is competition site to the world’s best ski jumpers and Nordic combined athletes. At the same time it is one of the most exciting lookouts. On a dense network of cross- country ski trails in the Eastern Ore Mountains and on the “Kammloipe” in the nature park of the Ore Mountains/Vogtland, cross-country skiers can do their rounds. Water sports The Leipzig New Lakeland and Lusatian Lakeland are the new highlights for water sports enthusiasts. Whether it’s surfing, sailing, bathing, wakeboarding, water skiing or jet-skiing, wind or kite surfing or white water rafting – the former opencast mining landscapes have become attractive local recreation destinations with waterways, marinas, swimming houses, camping sites, boat harbours and beautiful beaches and cycle routes. The Elbe, Mulde, Neiße, Spree, Zschopau and Striegis rivers as well as chosen dams like Pöhl Dam in the Vogtland region, lakes and ponds are well-suitable for water sports, too. Motor sports / Biking Motorcycling in Saxony – that involves winding tours up and down the mountains and valleys of the Ore Mountains, Vogtland, Zittau Mountains and Elbe Sandstone Mountains. Or bikers can cruise along the river valleys of the Elbe and Mulde. Literally everywhere in Saxony motorcyclists encounter numerous sights, e.g. one of Europe’s largest collections of two- wheelers on Augustusburg Castle in the Ore Mountains, sights, technical monuments and lots of biker-friendly accommodations. Rock-climbing The Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the national park of Saxon Switzerland are a climbing and hiking paradise. A nearly inexhaustible selection of climbing routes and more than 1,100 free- standing summits with low or extremely high degrees of difficulty offer everything a climber could wish for. Many summiteers are drawn to the sandstone rock formations of the Zittau Mountains. Golf In Saxony you can simultaneously enjoy extravagant golf sports and cultural delights. Be it in Possendorf or Ullersdorf near Dresden, in the beautiful surroundings of the romantic Schloss Klaffenbach Castle in Chemnitz, in the water landscape of Leipzig Markkleeberg or in Zschopau – beautiful courses in scenic locations enthuse beginners and pros. Horse-riding Riding through woods and meadows, dressage, hunting or show jumping – Saxon offers for equestrians are as manifold as the equestrian sport itself. Many equestrian farms are perfectly equipped for all of them. Perfect conditions can be found in the Düben and Dahlen heathland, alongside the Elbe, in the woods around Moritzburg, but also in the Lusatian heath and pond landscape. Among the most popular equestrian events is the Moritzburg stallion parade every September. Contact: Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen, Bautzner Str. 45-47, 01099 Dresden, phone +49 (0)351-4917023, fax: +49 (0)351-4969306, [email protected] or www.visitsaxony.com .