Leaving Olbernhau-Grünthal railway station and paying a visit to the adjacent Saiger smelting works - the only museum complex in Europe devoted to non-ferrous metallurgy - the I-6 takes us through Dörfel through beech woods up to the Kriegwald Moors bird sanctuary. Going by the Viererweg, we descend into the Schwarze Pockau Valley. We can rest and catch our breath in the Schwarzwassertal nature reserve before the journey continues across the valley into the Pobershau mining village. Having arrived in this pretty resort on the village road, pay a visit to the “Molchner Stolln” mine exhibition following the road downwards. Continuing on the Uplands route in the opposite direction towards Gelobtland, we pass close to the Böttcherfabrik building and the various exhibitions it holds. On the Brettmühlenstrasse, we reach the Rätzteich tourist centre and its woodland pool. Leaving Gelobtland, we ride downhill, catching sight of the mining town of Marienberg and its distinctive church, St. Marien. Crossing through the only preserved ideal town of the Renaissance period north of the Alps, we arrive in Lauta at the horse capstan on the Rudolph pit. Here we can observe how mining affected the region’s development. Proceeding through the industrial area to Hilmersdorf, we arrive at the Warmbad spa resort, which has the oldest and warmest healing waters in Saxony. We can relax for a while in the spa park before crossing the B101 and riding down into the little mining town of Wolkenstein. The town centre is listed as a historic monument and the castle, situated above the clouds on an 80 m-high rocky spur is reminiscent of the Middle Ages. The route now runs downhill into the legendary Zschopau valley, past the railway station along the river valley through Niederau and Himmelmühle to the Wiesenbad thermal baths. This adventurous stage ends at the railway station next to the spa gardens, the troparium and the spa. Why not relax in the “Miriquidi” thermal baths to fortify yourself for the next day’s cycling?
