Discover Hohenstein-Ernstthal

Hohenstein-Ernstthal offers a range of themes to consider when planning your trip: Karl May, textile history, motorsport, church architecture and landscape. The sights and activities each have their own focus. This gives you a chance to decide in advance whether you would prefer to include exhibitions, historic buildings, a hike or views from Pfaffenberg.

Karl May: Museum, guided city tours and hiking trail

The Karl May House is Karl May’s birthplace and a museum. The permanent exhibition is complemented by regular talks and special exhibitions. The program therefore includes both a permanent exhibition and additional events and exhibition topics. The Karl May House also offers guided city tours to selected sites in Hohenstein-Ernstthal associated with Karl May.

Another way to discover places associated with Karl May is the Karl May hiking trail. It runs through Hohenstein-Ernstthal and connects historic sites associated with Karl May with scenic stretches and information boards. One of the destinations along the way is the Karl May Cave: a former mining tunnel dating from 1620, interpreted both as a monument to mining history and as a Karl May site. The trail leads from the Karl May House to this location.

The trail is listed as being of moderate difficulty, 11.5 kilometers long and taking approximately three and a half hours. The ascent is 219 meters and the descent is 221 meters. These figures give you an indication of the time required and the elevation changes along the hike. The route length and estimated duration also help you weigh up the hike against other stops during your stay.

Textile history and motorsport

The Textile and Motorsport Museum brings together textile crafts and motorsport history. The historic demonstration workshop features working Jacquard looms; the collections also include woven pictures and tapestries. You can see how stockings and knitwear are made by watching the machines in operation. The focus is therefore not only on finished textiles, but also on the processes involved in their production.

The museum’s Sachsenring section adds original road-racing motorcycles, racing clothing and an extensive model collection. Textile production and motorsport can be explored as different themes during the same museum visit. If you are more interested in the circuit itself, its dimensions offer a different way to get your bearings: the new Sachsenring covers 40 hectares; its ideal racing line is approximately 3,704 meters long and has 14 turns. These figures give an idea of the scale and layout of the circuit, without implying that a particular race or event is taking place.

St. Christophori and its construction phases

St. Christophori offers another historical perspective. The Baroque church was built in 1756/57, incorporating an older building. The west tower had already been rebuilt in 1731, so the tower and church building reflect different construction phases. The surviving furnishings include an organ façade from the mid-18th century and a marble baptismal font created by Michael Hegewald in 1610. These dates place the furnishings in context and show that items from several centuries have been preserved in the church.

Pfaffenberg and the landscape

The 480-meter-high Pfaffenberg offers expansive views across the Ore Mountains. On clear days, the Fichtelberg can also be seen on the horizon. The Pfaffenberg recreation area lies within the Rabensteiner Wald/Pfaffenberg Landscape Protection Area. It includes a protected park and a dendrological nature trail. The viewpoint, park and trail each offer a different way to experience the landscape.

Pfaffenberg and the Karl May hiking trail offer different ways to experience the surrounding area: one is about panoramas and trees, the other about historic sites associated with Karl May, scenic stretches and information boards. The hiking trail’s distance, approximate duration and elevation gain are listed; clear weather, on the other hand, is important for the views from Pfaffenberg. These differences can help you coordinate your schedule with the focus of your stay.

Regional context

In Zwickau district, the region lies between the Zwickauer Mulde valley and the foothills of the Ore Mountains. In southwestern Saxony, around Hohenstein-Ernstthal and Oberlungwitz, mining, textiles, automobile manufacturing and motorsport traditions come together. It was in this regional context that the first motorcycle race took place on May 26, 1927. This wider regional perspective complements the specific attractions of Hohenstein-Ernstthal.

Discover more destinations: Oberlungwitz, Werdau, Oberwiera, Remse, Meerane, Glauchau, Crimmitschau, Hirschfeld.

For the broader travel overview: Zwickau Region.