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SAXONY FOR FAMILIES!


Saxony, probably the best known of the former German Democratic states, is famous for cities like Dresden, Leipzig, and the pottery town Meissen. I recently discovered that is also a great place to visit for families and has some of the most child-friendly hotels and attractions I have encountered. Towns in the eastern state of Saxony reveal more about old Germany than those in the west - communism never penetrated the culture here to the extent that capitalism did in West Germany. The former German Democratic Republic managed to cling to its German heritage, preserving connections with such national heroes as Luther, Goethe, Schiller, Bach, Handel, Wagner, and the Hungarian-born Liszt.

There are seven distinct regions in Saxony, all with a modicum of history, culture and attractions that will interest the whole family. Saxon Elbland is a region that is reminiscent of the Italian region of Tuscany. Grapes ripen on steep mountain slopes above the second-largest river in Germany, the Elbe, along the Saxon wine trail in Germany’s smallest wine growing region. Dresden, nicknamed "Florence on the Elbe", is one of the largest cities in southeast Germany. The river Elbe divides the city into the old city and the new city and some of the finest buildings either survived the allied bombings during the Second World War, or have been restored in the intervening period. In the old city on the left banks of the Elbe these include, the Zwinger, the Green Vault, the Painting Gallery, the Castle, the Semper Opera, the Brühlsche Terrasse, the Court Chapel, Taschenberg Palace, and the Dresden Church of our Lady (Frauenkirche), which since 1945 has remained a chilling reminder of wartime horrors and is now undergoing restoration. The new city, on the other hand, exudes an aura of middle-class baroque and shows what Dresden was like during the industrial revolution. The large district features many lovingly restored buildings that contrast with old, dilapidated houses. Look out for the three remarkable castles on the Elbe slope between Albert Bridge and Blauem Wunder: Albrechtsberg Castle, Lingner Castle and Eckberg Castle. Pillnitz Castle and Moritzburg Castle in the surrounding region, are also well worth a visit.

Not many families will be familiar with the legendary adventure author, Karl May. At the Karl May Museum in Radebeul, his life and work are impressively exhibited at Villa Bärenfett. The museum contains over 850 fascinating items showing the life and culture of North American Indians. And for parents, the city of Meissen, once the residence of Saxon kings, has risen to world-wide fame as a result of its delicate art of porcelain manufacture. It’s the oldest china manufacturing town in Europe and visitors can tour the factory.

Saxon Switzerland is the holiday region of Saxony and one of the most unique regions of natural beauty in Germany. Located south of Dresden and bordering the Czech Republic, extensive areas in this region are a National Park. The area has bizarre sandstone rock faces, deep gorges, extensive forests and gentle valleys, together with 1,200 kilometres of hiking trails that lead to interesting sights, such as the famous bastion rock face underneath what is considered to be the impenetrable Königstein Fort, or the most beautiful outdoor theatre in Europe, the Rathen Rock Theatre. Visitors can experience the spectacular natural scenes on the tarmac Elbe cycle path, or on board a steam paddle boat that is part of the oldest fleet of its kind in the world.


Upper Lusatia, in the eastern part of Saxony, is also called the ‘Land of a Thousand Lakes’. Old and historic small towns with pretty marketplaces are full of living traditions and customs. In the city of Görlitz on the Polish border there are 3,500 buildings covering four architectural epochs, all of them protected monuments. Zittau is the most south-eastern city in Germany. The fully preserved historic city centre houses a special treasure: "The Zittau Lent Cloth of 1472" in Europe’s only Lent cloth museum in the Church of the Holy Cross. Other interesting attractions are the famous floral clock, with its some 4,800 plants and the numerous churches and fountains. Ideal for families is the steam railway that runs from here through beautiful mountain scenery.

Bautzen celebrated 1000 years of its existence in 2002. Renowned for its towers and winding lanes, its cathedral and the Ortenburg, Bautzen has been nicknamed 'the city of towers'. The 17 towers, bastions and a city wall that is almost completely preserved in its original state, lend the city a distinctive Medieval atmosphere.

Other interesting places are Löbau, which has the only cast iron tower in Europe, and the glass city of Weisswasser. The area is rich in traditional handicrafts, such as gingerbread baking, blue printing, pottery and lace making, linen weaving and the art of brewing.

Castles are strung across the Saxon Castle and Heathland region like a pearl necklace, with each building being more imposing and impressive than the last. They tower high above the romantic river valleys of the Freiberg and Zwickau estuary, surrounded by extensive and gently-undulating forests, little towns with unique charm and virgin moorland.

Leipzig has a fascinating history and is where Lenin printed the first issues of his Marxist newspaper. Lessing, Jean-Paul Sartre and Goethe all studied at the university and it is Wagner’s birthplace. Leipzig is also renowned as a shopping city and shoppers from all over the world are drawn to the magnificent Mädler Passage, Specks Hof and the shopping world at Leipzig Central Station. Ideal for families is Leipzig Zoo and the magnificent Belantis Adventure Park.


The forest-covered and mountainous holiday region of the Ore Mountains was named after the centuries-long silver ore mining tradition. Many mines and copper works are open to the public, and the museums and historical installations along the Silver Trail holiday route between Dresden and Zwickau are well worth a visit for people who want to experience history. The Ore Mountains are also where the world-famous art of Ore Mountain woodcarving originated. For more than 300 years, traditional nutcrackers, incense burners in the shape of little men, flying buttresses and pyramids have been handcrafted here. Small and larger workshops are ideal places for families to visit and help with woodturning and cutting the hand-made products. Also, Scharfenstein Castle is a medieval castle that houses a magnificent exhibition of Erz Mountain crafts. Visitors can discover the story of the "Erz Mountain Robin Hood", folk hero Karl Stülpner, and there are many interactive opportunities for children at the exhibition. Augustusburg Castle is an imposing castle and visible for miles around. The renaissance building contains numerous museums, including the largest motorbike collection in Europe

The art of musical instrument making has been at home in the Vogtland Region for more than 300 years. At more than 100 workshops, visitors can watch master craftsmen making violins, guitars, wind instruments, accordions and mouth organs. A great place to visit is the Musical Instrument Museum in Markneukirchen, which exhibits more than 2,800 musical instruments from the Vogtland region and around the world.

Western Saxony is region between Vogtland, the Ore Mountains and the Saxon Castle and Heathland Region. It is particularly famous for automobile construction and music, and the most important city is Chemnitz (formerly Karl-Marx-Stadt). It was heavily bombed during the war and only a few of its historic buildings remain, such as the Old Town Hall (16th century) and the 800-year-old Red Tower. Zwickau is the cradle of the old "Horch" (today Audi) and the GDR automobile legend, the "Trabant". In the August Horch Museum, visitors can discover the impressive history of German and West Saxon automobile construction. Today, Volkswagen in Mosel, near Zwickau, continues the region’s long automobile manufacturing tradition. German composer, Robert Schumann was born in Zwickau and worked here with his wife, Clara Schumann. The Schumann Museum and the Robert-Schumann Choir Competition ensure that the life and works of the major composer are not forgotten. Zwickau is also the place where the most beautiful Art Noveau Concert Hall in Europe is to be found - the "Neue Welt" Concert Hall and Ballroom. Other towns are Freiberg, Kuchwald, with its open-air theatre, and Seifen with its wonderful toy museum, a great place to visit. The area is popular for skiing in the winter, but it is as a centre of wooden toys and Christmas decorations that it has become famous and interesting for families.

There are a diverse range of attractions scattered throughout Saxony making it an ideal place to visit and experience a mixture of culture and fun. Listed below are details of some of the best places for families to visit and stay.


RECOMMENDED PLACES TO VISIT

Trixi Park, Grossschoenau
www.trixi-park.de

Trixi is the largest country holiday park in Saxony. Located close to the Zittau Mountains, the park has great leisure facilities and accommodation. The tropical leisure pool complex is an area measuring 1500m² and families can enjoy the luxurious warm pools 365 days a year. The latest attraction is the Black Hole, a 60 metre-long tunnel slide. There’s also a mushroom fountain, swan necks, jet massage, whirlpool, 25-metre swimming pool, 4 solaria, a separate toddler pool, and an open-air bathing complex fed with water coming straight from the mountains which is warmed before entering the bathing pool. And there is also a boating lake with rowing boats for hire, as well as snack bars and many other facilities.

The accommodation here is excellent and ideal for families. (see below for details)

Leipzig Zoo
www.zoo-leipzig.de

Leipzig Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world and one of the richest in terms of the number of different species it contains. I especially like it here because it is one of the few zoos that keep many of its animals in enclosures without bars, separated from visitors only by water or dry ditches. The zoo is being progressively modernised and developed and is rapidly becoming the ‘Zoo of the Future’. With its unique breeding programs and architecture, visitors here will experience an unforgettable adventure as they encounter the world of animals at close quarters, housed in reconstructions of their natural habitat. By 2004 there will be an English version of the website and there will also be English interpretations on the information panels in the zoo. Look out for the Tierkindergarten, a wonderful adventure playground for the kids. This is an easy zoo to get around and buggies are available to hire for parents with young children.

Belantis – near Leipzig
www.belantis.de

This new adventure playpark is one of the best I have visited. There are no ‘white knuckle’ rides here, the whole family, including grandparents, can enjoy the rides and leisurely atmosphere. The park is divided into five themed areas based on different countries. So there’s: Tal der Pharaonen (Egyptian), Strand der Gotter (Greek), Land der Grafen (German), Insel der Ritter (England) and Kuste der Entdecker (Spanish). You can visit the live shows, take a leisurely boat ride, or for the more adventurous take the water chute or coaster ride, but these are not the type of rides that will have the kids regurgitating their lunch when they get off! The modern facilities include wonderful, internationally themed cafes and restaurants, with a great choice of menus that are all very reasonably priced and no expensive junk food to be seen! The admission price includes access to all rides and there are plenty of good hotels in the area to warrant an extended stay to visit the zoo and Belantis. Details of the Partner Hotels can be found on the Belantis website which will be available in English in 2004.

Kleinwelka Maze (Irrgarten) – Bautzen
www.irrgarten-kleinwelka.de (English version available)

This wonderful maze, run by a wonderful family, is one of the best I have ever visited. The whole family will enjoy this very well managed and immaculately looked after maze. Apart from the actual maze itself with its mature green lanes, there’s a great adventure playground with a sliding parachute ride and a new Puzzle Maze, the first I’ve seen. This wonderful innovation is the idea of the owners and it works with a series of separate question boards for adults and children, each with a choice of three answers (ABC) that determine which route you take. Only the correct answer will take you to exit of the maze, so the kids can have a competition with their parents – great fun for everyone! A visit here is an adventure in itself.

Dinosaur Park Kleinwelka (Saurier Park) - Bautzen
www.saurierpark.de

This is the largest Dinosaur park in Europe. The kids will enjoy running about and exploring this land of monsters that is both interesting and educational. There’s a new playground being installed, and English interpretation both in the park and on the website in 2004. Buggies are available free of charge. A visit here combined with the nearby maze is a great day out. If you want to stay in the area Zittau and Bautzen are very pretty towns to explore, and Hubertusbaude Familotel, Trixi Park and Wurschen Manor House are great places to stay with children. (see below for details)

Karl May Museum - Radebeul, Dresden
www.karl-may-museum.de (English version available)

Grown-up kids will especially enjoy visiting this museum! The museum contains over 850 fascinating items showing the life and culture of North American Indians. Karl May never actually visited the American West and although in Europe his books have sold close to a hundred million copies, in the US he is relatively unknown.

Daetz-Centrum – Lichtenstein
www.daetz-centrum.com (English version available)
This unique centre for woodcarving art was officially opened as a multi-functional cultural and educational centre in 2001. The Daetz-Centrum in Lichtenstein combines a number of activities under one roof and the exhibition Masterpieces in Wood has more than 650 exhibits from five continents, which illustrate the beauty, expressiveness and versatility of international wood sculpture. Sitting high above the town of Lichtenstein, the setting for this modern centre is beautiful. The museum itself is more suited to older children who will appreciate the woodcarvings. There’s a nice café within the complex.

Stockhausen – Olbernhau
www.stockhausen-spielzeugland.de

Built in a historical barn, Stockhausen (the living toy land) is a new children’s play area closely connected with the tradition of the Erzgebirge toy production. Many of the toys are traditional wooden toys made in the area. This family run complex aims to provide children with a dream and adventure world enriched with fantasy, fun and communication. The play centre has a wooden castle, a village with traditional wooden toys, baby land for the toddlers, dice world with large wooden dices and climbing walls, an art and potters area for the creative, a small café/restaurant, and even a parents playground with soft chairs, TV and reading material.

The Association Freizeitland Erzgebirge is an organisation founded to promote family travel to the Ore Mountain regions. They have produced a brochure giving details of accommodation with special family offers, places for families to visit and things for families to do. The association will have a website and brochure in English in 2004.
www.freizeitland-erzgebirge.de

RECOMMENDED PLACES TO STAY

During my visit to Saxony I was fortunate to stay in two wonderful hotels run by families for families. Both the following hotels are members of the Familotel group, and are two of the most genuinely child-friendly hotels I have ever stayed in. They are owned and run by people who have children and who specifically go out of their way to cater for families.

Hubertusbaude Familotel, Waltersdorf
www.hubertusbaude.de

This hotel is in a wonderful setting in the hills above Grossschoenau and is an ideal place to visit all year. The facilities for families are outstanding with large family rooms and apartments, great indoor and outdoor play areas, lovely restaurant with children’s menus, sauna and solarium, drying room, and ski lift.

Hotel Saigerhutte, Olbernhau
www.saigerhuette.de

This hotel is located in the Ore Mountains, in the centre of the Erzgebirge toy producing area. The attractive timber-framed hotel is set amongst the historical buildings and monuments of a heritage site and has excellent family rooms and facilities. They have games for kids, menus and gifts for kids in the restaurant, and organise special family weeks that include entrance to Stockhausen Toy Land and the Aqua Marien leisure pool.

Trixi Park, Grossschoenau
www.trixi-park.de

The accommodation here is excellent and ideal for families. 83 brand new holiday cabins have been carefully erected amongst the shady green trees, in the middle of a pine forest. The comfortable and tastefully decorated houses are ideal for an extended stay at any time of year.

Hotel Elbeflorenz – Dresden
www.hotel-elbeflorenze.de

Located in the centre of Dresden next to the World Trade Centre, this hotel is ideal for sightseeing in the city and touring the Saxon Elbland region.

Goldener Anker – Radebeul
www.goldener-anker-radebeul.de

Nice hotel with family rooms located in a pretty area close to the Elbe on the outskirts of Dresden.

Wurschen Manor House – near Bautzen
www.wurschen.com

This beautiful Chateau located in the Upper Lusatia region, close to the Czech/German border, is ideal for touring Saxony and the Bohemian Paradise region in the Czech Republic. The chateau has been completely renovated to a high standard and has two beautifully furnished, self-catering apartments with restored oak parquet floors from the baroque period and carefully restored stucco ceilings. The peaceful setting and surrounding parkland is ideal for a quiet and restful family holiday. The owners welcome families with children over 10 years.

Familotel Organisation
www.familotel.de

There are more than 20 Familotels that have already taken part in and been certified by a voluntary assessment of child-friendliness. In line with their philosophy of, "If the child is happy, the parents will be too", children have priority at Familotels. Parents can decide whether they want to spend time together with their kids or leave them in the care of the children's day-care and playgroups. Their aim is for parents and children to have time for themselves and their own dream holiday, sometimes together, sometimes alone.

USEFUL WEB ADDRESSES


Saxony Tourism
www.sachsen-tourismus.de

Leipzig
www.leipzig.de

Bautzen
www.bautzen.de

Zittau
www.zittau.de

Olbernhau
www.olbernhau.de

 

 

 

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