Discover Altenbach

In Altenbach, the history of the watermill and lignite mining meets cultural events and horse-riding activities. This offers different ways to plan your trip, focusing on local history, landscape, culture or a specific riding experience. Which themes matter most to you depends on what you are looking for during your stay.

The mill and traces of mining

The watermill in Altenbach was built after the end of the Thirty Years’ War. It then remained in almost continuous operation for more than 270 years. Its long period of use is a distinct historical landmark in the town.

Preserved sections of the Zeititz–Altenbach coal railway embankment form a path through the Schulholz woodland. The embankment is a testament to the regional history of lignite mining. Here, the specific trace of a railway and the broader context of mining sit side by side. This offers a different focus for exploring Altenbach’s history than the watermill’s long period of operation.

Immediately southwest of the mine shaft near Altenbach, the Denkmalsteich pond extends over an area of about 5,000 square metres. This remnant lake originated in an open-cast lignite mine. Its significance for mining and regional history links it to the theme also reflected in the preserved railway embankment, but in a different way: here, the focus is on a remnant lake associated with a mine.

Some of Altenbach’s bodies of water are now used partly as fishing or swimming ponds, while also bearing witness to the extraction of natural resources in past centuries. Both current uses and historic resource extraction are therefore among the themes reflected in the town’s waters.

Culture and village life

The Altenbach Pumpkin Festival has become a well-established and popular part of village life. Festival details may vary from year to year. Since 2009, Altenbach has hosted the “Tonstücke” cultural events series. The festival and the series bring different highlights to cultural life. If you would like to plan your stay around an event, check the dates and details for the year you have in mind.

Horse riding and accommodation

The Reiterhof und Pension Kunze in Altenbach offers riding instruction and a 20 × 40-metre indoor riding arena. Other options include carriage and covered-wagon rides with picnics and barbecues, riding holidays for children aged 6 to 16, as well as other horse-related services. You can find a variety of horse-riding activities with one provider, including a holiday offer with a specifically stated age range.

For overnight stays, the guesthouse offers rooms with breakfast and half board. If you would like to plan accommodation and activities together, check the provider’s current details directly for rooms, meals and the services you are interested in.

Discover more destinations: Schmölen.

Go to the overarching travel guide: Bennewitz.