If You Like

If You Like

Trains & Steamers

Eastern Germany is a treasure house of old steam-driven tractors, factory engines, train engines, and riverboats, many lovingly restored by enthusiasts. Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) regularly runs trains from the years 1899-1930 on a small-gauge line that penetrates deep into the Saxon countryside and the Fichtelberg Mountains. In Saxony-Anhalt you can ride the steam-powered narrow-gauge Brockenbahn to the Harz Mountains' highest point. The world's largest and oldest fleet of paddle steamers (Weisse Flotte) plies the Elbe. Eight old steamers (all of them under historic preservation orders) and two reconstructed ships cruise the Elbe, following the Saxon Wine Route as far as the Czech Republic.

Sports & the Outdoors

You can canoe on the Elbe and Saale rivers and seldom see another paddler. Contact the tourist office in Dresden or Halle for rental information.

Hiking is good in the Harz Mountains, particularly around Thale and Wittenberg. Maps and guides to bicycle and walking trails are available in most hotels and bookstores. The Thale and Wernigerode tourist offices and the Wittenberg District Rural Information Office have great resources. Goslar, in the Harz, offers good family skiing.

The elevated, dense Thuringian Forest is a popular holiday destination in summer and winter. Its center is Suhl, the administrative heart of an area where every 10th town and village is a spa or mountain resort. The region south of Erfurt, centering on Oberhof, has comfortable hotels and full sports facilities.

Wine & Vineyards

Saxony has cultivated vineyards for more than 800 years and is known for its dry red and white wines, among them Müller-Thurgau, Weissburgunder, Ruländer, and the spicy Traminer. The Sächsische Weinstrasse (Saxon Wine Route) follows the course of the Elbe River from Diesbar-Seusslitz (north of Meissen) to Pirna (southeast of Dresden). Meissen, Radebeul, and Dresden have upscale wine restaurants, and wherever you see a green seal with the letter S and grapes depicted, good local wine is being served. Most of the hotels and restaurants reviewed in this chapter have their own wine cellars.