Altenberg Attractions

Altenberg's main tourist attraction is the Pinge, a huge crater formed in 1620 by the simultaneous collapse of a number of small mining shafts. Originally with an area of 1.25 ha/3 ac, it now covers 22 ha/55 ac and is steadily being extended by further mining.

A few kilometers northeast of Altenberg in the Müglitz valley are Burg Lauenstein, an old frontier fortress, and the little town of Lauenstein, with its Schloss (old pharmacy), burghers' houses and Falknerbrunnen (fountain) as reminders of its medieval past. The church contains fine sculpture and relief carving, including works by the Pirna sculptor Michael Schwenke (1563-1610).

Dippoldiswalde, near Altenberg, the economic center of the eastern Erzgebirge, has a number of notable buildings - a Renaissance house in the Markt, the Town Hall, the Schloss and the Town Church.

The Georgenfeld Moor, near Altenberg, a tract of 18,000-year-old moorland 11 hectares/27 acres in extent, can be traversed on a log road. The flora includes sundews, northern bilberries, cranberries, purple moor-grass and other rare plants.

From the Kahleberg (905 m/2,969ft), near Altenberg, the highest peak in the eastern Erzgebirge, there are fine views of Altenberg, the Galgenteiche ("Gallows Ponds") and the Geisingberg.

The Altenberg Mining Museum, housed in a 400-year-old washery, illustrates the techniques for processing tin ore in earlier times. Features of the museum include a stamp mill, a water-wheel and a permanent exhibition on "500 Years of Tin-Mining in Altenberg". Adjoining the museum is the Neubeschert-Glück shaft, illustrating the method of opening up and consolidating mine shafts.

At Schellerhau, near Altenberg, is a fine botanical garden with 2,000 characteristic mountain plants.

Schmiedeberg, near Altenberg, has one of the finest churches in Saxony, built by Georg Bähr (1666-1738), architect of the Frauenkirche in Dresden.