Railroading in Saxony

steam locomotive

ABOVE: An excursion train at a station in East Saxony. INSET BELOW: A high-speed diesel train at the Schauplatz Eisenbahn near Chemnitz, anda conductor on the Fichtelbergbahn steam railway.

By Durant Imboden

train Saxony, the easternmost Land or state in Germany, has a railroading tradition that dates back to 1839, when Germany's first long-distance railroad began service betweeen Dresden and Leipzig.

Today, Saxony is home to several dozen train museums, narrow-gauge rail lines, and other train-related attractions for families and railfans. You can read all about them at Saxon Steam, a Web site operated by Saxony's tourist board. (Much of the site is in German; if you prefer English, see VisitSaxony.com or--in the U.S.--SaxonyTourism.com.)

Fichtelbergbahn But don't rush off to those Web sites just yet: In the articles listed below, you'll find pictures and descriptions of train museums, a steam railroad, an aerial cablecar, a model railway, and a train hotel-restaurant that I personally visited during a recent trip to Saxony.

All of these attractions are within a few hours of Dresden, Leipzig, or Chemnitz, and one--the Dresden Park Railroad--is a short walk from the city center. So charge your camera's batteries, grab the kids, and head for Germany's most historic railroading region this year. Plan on spending at least a day or two in the countryside, plus a few days in one or more of Saxony's major cities. (If you can devote a week or two to Saxony, so much the better.)

Saxony transportation articles:

Railroading in Saxony

Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf:

Schauplatz Eisenbahn

Dresden:

Dresden Park Railway

Schwebebahn Dresden Suspension Railway

Erzgebirge - Ore Mountains (near Czech border):

Fichtelbergbahn Steam Railway

Fichtelberg Schwebebahn - Aerial Cable Car

Saxon Narrow-Gauge Museum Rittersgrün

Ore Mountains Model Railway Park

Wolkensteiner Zughotel - Train Hotel and Restaurant

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo. Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (now including Germany for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.

Top photo: Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony

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