Holidays in Saxony – Main topics Holiday in Saxony? Experiences with a wow effect! Where is Raphael’s famous painting “The Sistine Madonna” located? Where was the first European porcelain invented? Where does the world’s oldest civic orchestra perform? In Saxony. For the first time, Germany’s no. 1 cultural destination is the “Official Cultural Destination of ITB Berlin”. Note: Saxony is the official culture partner of ITB Berlin NOW 2021. At the virtual platform from 9 to 12 March, those keen to delve into the world of Saxony’s cultural attractions should visit the Kultur-Café, which will feature interviews, videos, classical and modern music and presentations. Contact: Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen Bautzener Str. 45 – 47, 01099 Dresden Communications Director Mrs. Ines Nebelung phone: +49 (0)351-4917025, fax: +49 (0)351-4969306, [email protected] www.sachsen-tourismus.de These are our main topics Saxony is the no. 1 cultural destination ................................................................................................ 2 Saxony impresses with UNESCO World Heritage Sites ....................................................................... 4 Chemnitz – “C the unseen“ in the Capital of Culture 2025 .................................................................... 6 Highest-quality handicrafts: The many-faceted history of Saxony’s handicrafts industry ...................... 8 850 years of winemaking in Saxony – discovering enjoyment ............................................................ 10 What really makes mountain biking in Saxony so great ..................................................................... 12 Saxony’s paddle steamers and iron horses ........................................................................................ 14 Green heaven – Saxony’s palaces, castles and gardens ................................................................... 16 Saxony’s top seven hiking trails ......................................................................................................... 18 Refreshingly new: Saxony’s New Lake Landscapes .......................................................................... 20 ___________________________________________________________________________ Saxony Tourism – Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH, Bautzner Straße 45 – 47, 01099 Dresden Phone: +49 351 49 17 025, [email protected] Holidays in Saxony – Main topics Saxony is the no. 1 cultural destination Old Masters Picture Gallery, Italian Renaissance art © SKD, H. C. Krass Saxony is the state of exceptional art and culture, the place of rich and living history of manufacture, a legendary land of castles and a fascinating realm of nature: Saxony is a magnet for travellers from all over the world. For instance, Raphael’s famous painting “The Sistine Madonna” and the world-wide unique sandstone bridge “Bastei” can be admired only in Saxony. Just as following in the tracks of the cult film "Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella” is only possible at Moritzburg Castle. Very much to the delight of all mountain bikers, there is only one Stoneman Miriquidi in Germany: in the Ore Mountains. The first European porcelain, the coffee filter, the tea bag, the chocolate bar and even the bra are Saxon inventions. Oh, yes: And the European Capital of Culture 2025 is a Saxon, too: Chemnitz, the third largest city of Saxony. Distinguished culture Saxony is the official cultural partner of the ITB NOW 2021 for a reason. The free state provides an exceptional range and depth of cultural resources unparalleled in Germany. In particular the select art and cultural offers are appreciated by visitors from all over the world. Whether at the Semper Opera in Dresden, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Chemnitz Opera, at castles, palaces or historic compounds: worldwide renowned theatre and music productions, top-class festivals, museums and exhibitions of international stature shape the Saxon cultural landscape. Internationally renowned music festivals are connected with names like Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Robert Schumann, Johann Sebastian Bach and Richard Wagner. Several hundred museums tell of the impressive legacy of Saxony’s more than ___________________________________________________________________________ Saxony Tourism – Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH, Bautzner Straße 45 – 47, 01099 Dresden Phone: +49 351 49 17 025, [email protected] Holidays in Saxony – Main topics 1,000-year-old cultural landscape. Additionally, two UNESCO world heritage sites underline Saxony’s reputation as Germany’s no. 1 cultural destination: the “Mountain region Ore Mountains/Krušnohoří” and the “Muskau Park / Park Mużakowski“ in Bad Muskau. Favourite places of history Saxony’s smaller towns impress with architectural and cultural highlights. In 1710, Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen became the first production site of the famous Meissen porcelain. And the exhibition “terra mineralia” in Freiberg is second to none. Whoever travels to Görlitz will discover roughly 4,000 monuments from all stylistic eras. But also Pirna, Radebeul, Torgau, Grimma, Annaberg-Buchholz, Plauen, Zwickau, Kamenz, Bautzen and Zittau offer historico-cultural treasures in small alleys, lovingly restored theatres and museums. The impressive legacy also comprises many castles, palaces, gardens and mansions. They often serve as venues for theatre plays and music productions, festivals and exhibitions and are filled with living history. Wonders of nature and rural gems The combination of culture and nature makes Saxony unmistakable. For example, Dresden lies embedded between the picturesque rock landscape of the national park of Saxon Switzerland and the steep slopes of the Saxon wine-growing district in the Elbland. From the Leipzig city centre it is just a short and effortless row in the canoe to the most beautiful beaches in the Leipzig New Lakeland. The hiking trails in the elevations of the Vogtland are full of sights, like the Museum of Musical Instruments in Markneukirchen or the Plauen Lace Museum. The Ore Mountains accommodate treasures above and below ground. And the view from the towers of Upper Lusatian towns reveals the summits of the Zittau Mountains nearby. Those who counted will notice four low mountain ranges – a paradise for hikers, cyclists and mountain bikers alike. By the way: In Saxony, enjoying art and culture can be combined effortlessly with family holidays. A vast number of accommodations and recreational facilities have been awarded the “family-friendly” quality seal. And handicapped guests enjoy the wheelchair-accessible Saxony. ___________________________________________________________________________ Saxony Tourism – Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH, Bautzner Straße 45 – 47, 01099 Dresden Phone: +49 351 49 17 025, [email protected] Holidays in Saxony – Main topics Saxony impresses with UNESCO World Heritage Sites Muskau Castle © Katja Fouad Vollmer Their names are Muskau Park / Park Mużakowski or the Ore Mountain Mining Region / Krušnohoří, and they are cultural treasures of the highest order. Worldwide, only 1,121 exist. In Germany there are 44, places that UNESCO has elevated to World Heritage status. They impressively highlight Saxony in its role as the number one cultural destination in Germany. Muskau Park in Bad Muskau – the art of garden landscaping in Saxony’s east North of Görlitz the River Neisse runs through what must be one of Europe’s most beautiful landscaped gardens – Muskau Park in Bad Muskau. Its creator, the famous landscape architect, nobleman and travel book author Hermann Fürst von Pückler-Muskau, was inspired by the idyllic beauty of the undulating landscape, and between 1815 and 1845 created a wealth of gardens of considerable size. One feature of the gardens, which cover 830 hectares, is that the River Neisse cuts through the middle – one part lies in Saxony, the other in Poland. A bridge joins both halves. As early as 2004, UNESCO declared Muskau Park / Park Mużakowski a joint Polish/German World Cultural Heritage Site. The part now in Saxony is where Fürst Pückler’s refurbished palace lies, with its impressive four-sided group of outhouses. Nowadays, the stables host exhibitions and events, and the working quarters house the visitor information desk and a café which serves legendary Fürst Pückler ice cream. Other notable features are the historical conservatory with its cactuses, the ’Kavalierhaus’ where mud baths can be taken, the ’Bade- und Bergpark’, the palace gardens and the Orangerie. From here, various paths cross the cultural landscape of the Lausitz region, which fascinates visitors with its many attractions, however long they wish to stay. www.sachsen-tourismus.de ___________________________________________________________________________ Saxony Tourism – Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH, Bautzner Straße 45 – 47, 01099 Dresden Phone: +49 351 49 17 025, [email protected] Holidays in Saxony – Main topics The Ore Mountain Mining Region / Krušnohoří – 800 years of mining In the Ore Mountains it is not just one place, but an entire region which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site. Throughout 800 years of mining, man nurtured a relationship with nature that created a cultural landscape of global importance. Thus, rich finds of silver, cobalt, iron, tin and uranium, and the industries that mined them left their mark on the landscape, culture, economy, crafts and science. Key to the region’s World Heritage