Holzhau: Winter, Forest and Trails

Holzhau offers several distinct reasons to visit: winter sports, forest scenery, hiking and cycling. If you’re looking for a hotel in Holzhau, it can help to decide first what brings you there. The ski area and routes vary by activity and season; the type of route may also be important for planning your day.

Winter sports in Holzhau

The Holzhau ski area has three ski lifts, six slopes, a fun park and a children’s lift. The slopes are up to 2 km long and can be covered with artificial snow when there is not enough natural snow. Beginners can take lessons at the local ski school. Since artificial snow is used when there is not enough natural snow, it’s worth checking the current conditions as you plan your winter trip.

Forest landscape and hiking

The forests near Holzhau are designated as a bird protection area and are entirely covered with spruce and beech trees. They are characterized by steep-sided valley bottoms and plateaus with outcropping hard-rock ridges. In some places, there are also rock cliffs and rock formations up to 15 m high, as well as small areas of block scree. The forests, valleys, plateaus and rock formations give the natural landscape its distinct features.

The “Around Holzhau” circular hike is 13.15 km long and leads from Holzhau to Rechenberg via the Mulde hiking trail and the Steinkuppe viewpoint, then back to the trail starting point. It combines a circular route with several named points along the way.

The “Auf dem Holzweg” (“On the Wood Trail”) educational trail has 11 information boards in total. The two hiking options differ in what you might consider when choosing: for “Around Holzhau,” the distance and route are relevant, while for the educational trail, it’s the number of boards. This lets you compare a circular hike and an educational trail based on different features.

Cycling and transport

Holzhau is the starting point, destination and central point of the BLOCKLINE. The second daily stage of the Mulde Cycle Route connects Holzhau with Freiberg over about 35 kilometres; the Mulde Cycle Route tour begins at Holzhau station. Holzhau has three roles on the BLOCKLINE, while the cycling stage describes a connection between two places.

The Freiberger Muldenbahn connects Holzhau with the other districts of Rechenberg-Bienenmühle. It generally runs once an hour and offers a way to get around without your own car. If you plan to use this connection, check the timetable for your travel date.

Local history and route choices

Holzhau was founded as a settlement in 1534, after workers employed in the forest were given permission to settle in the “Gehau.” The settlement’s origins are therefore specifically connected with the establishment of a community of forest workers.

For planning your day, you can distinguish the circular hike from the cycling stage by their routes: “Around Holzhau” returns to the trail starting point, while the second daily stage of the Mulde Cycle Route connects Holzhau with Freiberg. This lets you choose between a loop and a route between two places. The approximately 35 kilometres refers to the cycling stage, and the 13.15 kilometres to the hike.

Discover more destinations: Clausnitz.

For the full travel overview: Rechenberg-Bienenmühle.