Geopark Porphyry Land - land of supervolcanoes

A Geopark is much more than just a beautiful landscape - it is a showcase into the history of the earth. In a geopark, important geological features are made visible, explained and made tangible. These include unusual rock formations, fossil finds, old quarries and traces of volcanic activity.

The focus is not only on protecting these geological treasures, but also on their educational and touristic use. Geoparks invite visitors to understand the formation of our earth - outdoors in nature, on themed hiking trails, interactive stations and at information points or in museums.

The Geopark is also the site of an extraordinary geological phenomenon: supervolcanism.

Around 290 million years ago, during the so-called Rotliegend period, many areas of Central Europe were home to an active volcanic region of enormous proportions. At that time, there were two huge eruptions in Saxony, the "Rochlitz eruption" and the so-called "Wurzen eruption", which permanently changed large parts of the earth's surface. What happened here was far more than a normal volcanic eruption - it was what geologists call supervolcanism.

What is supervolcanism?

A supervolcano is not a classic volcano with a typical cone. Instead, a huge magma chamber forms beneath the Earth's surface, which fills with gases and magma over thousands of years. If the pressure becomes too great, an explosion occurs - thousands of times more powerful than a normal volcanic eruption. This releases huge quantities of rock, ash and lava, which can change entire landscapes and influence the global climate. Such mega-eruptions leave permanent traces in the earth's crust - so-called calderas. Remains of these calderas can also be found in Porphyry Land.

At the Geoportal Röcknitz, geology comes to life! The multimedia exhibition "Supervolcanoes in Saxony" takes you on an exciting journey through time to the explosive origins of the region - interactive, vivid and fascinating for young and old. Right next to it, the volcano playground "Fred Porphyrstein" invites you to climb, slide and playfully discover. If you want to delve even deeper, you can explore nature with all your senses in the GeoErlebnisGarten.

And the best thing about the Geoportal is that you can combine knowledge with time and peace and quiet - whether coworking with a view of the greenery or an overnight stay in the middle of the volcanic cultural landscape.

What does the Rochlitz porphyry tuff have to do with famous buildings such as Emanuel Kant's grave, the cathedral in Kallingrad and Leipzig's Old Town Hall? The answer lies in the geoportal on Rochlitz Hill.

Rochlitz Hill is more than just a striking table mountain. The Geoportal has an exciting exhibition on the formation of the famous Rochlitz porphyry - the stone that was not only used to build the Dresden Zwinger.

A real highlight: the VR journey through time in the disused Gleisberg quarry. With VR goggles, you can travel back millions of years and experience how landscape was created from fire and rock. Then it's off into the fresh air: whether via the porphyry nature trail with 15 stations or the historical circular trail with tower, mountain cellar and hermitage - history comes to life here.

A journey into the fascinating everyday life of former stone workers awaits you in the charming Museum Steinarbeiterhaus Hohburg. Between old tools, photos and personal memories, you can feel how closely people's lives were connected to the volcanic porphyry rock. In the Hohburg mountains, two georoutes invite you to explore: The mining trail leads through former mining areas, the Georoute Kleiner Berg inspires with magnificent views, old quarries and geological traces in the terrain.

If you want to take a closer look, you can join a guided tour with a GeoRanger - perfect for asking questions, discovering special features and seeing the Hohburg mountains with new eyes.