In addition, nowhere else in Saxony is the density of castles and palaces as high as in the Leipzig region. Thanks to the well-developed hiking trails, active tourists can explore the fascinating surrounding area on foot. Here is a selection of five of the most popular hiking trails in the Leipzig region.
(1) Quality hiking trail Heide-Biber-Tour (approx. 30 km)
The natural hiking trail leads through open heathland and forest areas. With a little luck, you can watch a beaver at work along the way. From Leipzig, you can take bus number 196 to Bad Düben, the starting point of the hike. The tour begins at the spa park and walks past the moorland adventure garden and the post mill dating from 1840. On the banks of the Hammerbach, you have the first opportunity to discover beaver tracks. After passing the Hammermühle settlement area, you continue on forest paths through the Hammerbach valley. Here, an old charcoal kiln still practices the craft of charcoal production. There is a beaver observation tower very close by. You continue hiking through the Düben Heath to the Reinharz moated castle, where a tour of the beautiful castle and park is worthwhile. The path continues to the Heidereich through a forest area to the Kaiser Wilhelm Tower, from which you can enjoy a wide view over the Düben Heath. Afterwards, the "Schöne Aussicht" inn offers a welcome refreshment for the last few kilometers. The destination of the hike is Bad Schmiedeberg. In the state-approved mud, mineral and Kneipp spa in the Dübener Heide, visitors can, for example, visit the Reinharz moated castle with its associated castle park and other cultural and historical sights.
(2) Muldental hiking trail – Freiberger and Vereinigte Mulde (approx. 109 km)
On this tour, hiking enthusiasts can marvel at the extraordinary nature and romantic river landscapes as well as numerous cultural and historical sights. Typical floodplain landscapes with a diverse range of flora and fauna have been preserved. The towns and villages along the river also shape the landscape. The hiking trail starts in Döbeln and can also be hiked in small stages thanks to the public transport connection. The district town, known as the boot town, is the second largest town in Central Saxony. Here you can visit the castle hill on the Mulde island, the late Gothic town church of St. Nicolai and many other cultural monuments. The hiking trail continues via Grimma, the fourth largest town in Saxony, which impresses with its historic old town on the banks of the Mulde. Numerous architectural monuments from different eras, for example the Pöppelmann Bridge, the Grimma Monastery Church and the Renaissance town hall on the market square can be visited here. Leisnig - known as the town on the mountain - is also on the Muldental hiking trail and invites you to visit the 1000-year-old Mildenstein Castle or take a stroll through the old town with its historic atmosphere. The hiking trail ends in Bad Düben. The spa town is particularly known for its mud spa and is considered the southern gateway to the Düben Heath Nature Park. It is advisable to do the Muldental hiking trail in several stages, as it is challenging in places and offers a lot to see at the individual stations. The entire hiking trail is well signposted and marked throughout with the brown castle logo.
(3) Hike from Bad Lausick to the Parthequelle (approx. 18 km)
The half-day tour starts in the spa town of Bad Lausick. The tour first leads to the Bad Lausick district of Buchheim on numerous terrain spa trails that are intended to promote self-healing powers in a healing climate. Here it is worth taking a detour to the historic village church, whose church door dates back to 1680. The path leads through the Colditz Forest, which together with the adjacent Glasten district is one of the largest forest areas in Saxony, right through the forest to the Parthe spring. After 56 kilometers of river flow through Leipzig, the Parthe flows into the White Elster. The way back to the spa town leads through the forest via Glasten, a former forest and farming village and now a district of Bad Lausick. After the tour, you can relax and unwind in the thermal pools and the extensive sauna area of the Riff spa and leisure pool.
(4) Circular hike from Grimma to the holiday village Höfgen (approx. 11 km)
The starting point of the hike is the train station in Grimma. After a stroll through the old town past the medieval Frauenkirche and the pretty Renaissance town hall, the path leads over the Pöppelmann Bridge and the Mulde to a forest. On the banks of the Mulde, you walk along to the Rabenstein viewing rock, which offers an impressive view of the wide river landscape from a fenced-in platform. The route then continues to the historic Mulde village of Höfgen, which is shaped by the history of the old water mill. The mill's current technical display facility was used as a grain mill until 1954. A museum exhibition on the upper and attic floors gives an impression of the time around 1800. If you would like to fortify yourself afterwards, you can stop off at the historic "Zur Wassermühle" inn. A cable ferry later takes you across the Mulde and to the historic Nimbschen monastery ruins, where you can marvel at the impressive remains of the Marienthron monastery. Katharina von Bora, Luther's future wife, lived there. After fleeing the monastery, she managed the Zöllsdorf estate near Neukieritzsch and found her final resting place in Torgau. From here you can walk along the forest path back to Grimma.
(5) Lutherweg Sachsen (approx. 550 km)
The Luther Trail Saxony is a spiritual circular hiking trail with 27 stations that lead through the important places where Martin Luther and his companions lived and worked. It is marked with a green "L" on a white background. You can easily hike along different sections of the route and admire the diverse landscape as well as impressive churches, castles, monasteries and museums. Saxony is considered the motherland of the Reformation. In 1519, the so-called Leipzig Disputation took place at the Pleissenburg in Leipzig, which ensured the spread of Lutheran ideas. In 1523, Luther developed the Leisnig Caste Order in Leisnig, the oldest Protestant social document in the world. Fundamental decisions were made in Torgau at the time of the Reformation, which is why the city was nicknamed the "nurse of the Reformation". The city impresses with its many Renaissance monuments, including the magnificent Hartenfels Castle. In the towns of Rochlitz and Kriebstein, Duchess Elisabeth of Saxony brought about the introduction of the Reformation in her territory as early as 1537 through her energetic actions. Other important stops in the Leipzig region that can be seen along the Luther Trail Saxony are Bad Düben, Wurzen, Trebsen, Grimma, Colditz, Mügeln, Döbeln, Gnandstein, Eilenburg and Löbnitz. The Luther Trail Saxony is also closely linked to the network of trails in Saxony-Anhalt and the Luther Trail in Thuringia.
brochure "Good on Foot"
Anyone who would like to find out about the most beautiful hiking routes through Leipzig and the region will find 56 tour suggestions and many tips in the 41-page brochure "Gut zu Fuß". The publication, published by Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH, is available free of charge from the Leipzig Tourist Information (Katharinenstraße 8) and is available for download.
More information: www.region.leipzig.travel/wandern