Cranzahl – Oberwiesenthal

Even the youngest is over 100

One of the most captivating mountain railroads in Saxony takes you from Cranzahl to the highest town in Germany, the spa center of Oberwiesenthal: the Fichtelberg Mountain Railroad in the Upper Ore Mountains. With 600 hp under its iron hood and a top speed of 15 mph along its 11 miles, it has been puffing its way into Saxon railroad history, in summer as in winter, for over 100 years. The hour’s journey full of charm takes passengers through picturesque villages in the Sehma and Pöhlbach valleys, through dense woods and luscious meadows. It is easy to forget that the youngest steam railroad in Saxony gains 780 ft in altitude between Cranzahl and the foot of the Fichtelberg mountain. The high point on the way is without doubt a mighty steel girder viaduct, 360 ft long and 75 ft high, just before the station in Oberwiesenthal. In Oberwiesenthal we recommend going on the oldest cable railroad in Germany, the Fichtelberg Cableway, to the peak of the highest mountain in the Ore Mountains of Saxony, at 3984 ft.

Sideline attractions

• ‘Soup Museum’ in Neudorf

• skiing and local history museum in Oberwiesenthal

• hiking on the 2 1/2-mile ‘Fichtelchen’ Trail for young and old

• panoramic view of the Ore Mountains from the observation tower of the Fichtelberghaus Hotel and Restaurant on top of the Fichtelberg Mountain

• ‘Bimmelbahn’ Trail parallel to the Fichtelberg Mountain Railroad

• rapid rides on the summer toboggan-run or in winter on one of the ski or snowboard tracks