I’ll make you a wager that you can’t find Annaburg on a map prior to the 16th century. I’m so confident that I’ll bet you a million-bazillion dollars. Cash. ;-)
Just playing on the betting part, but really, you won’t find Annaburg listed on any old map, like I said. Why?
Because Annaburg was known as Lochau before that, renamed for one of its most famous residents — Anna, Princess of Denmark and Norway who lived here in the 1500s.
Yeah, only in Germany will you find a town named for some foreign person. At least she was married to a German, and they lived here at the Renaissance style Schloss Annaburg, whose extensive gardens are quite famous.
Come in June to see the castle and party at the Annaburger Castle & Folk Festival too.
One of the most famous paintings of Princess Anne was done by Lucas Cranach the Younger, one of Martin Luther’s buddies.
In the village of Prettin, Lichtenburg Castle is also famous. And infamous.
Lichtenburg Castle is also a Renaissance castle (like Schloss Annaburg), but it was converted into a prison, then used as a concentration camp.
Prettin has more than just the castle, ya know. How about going to see its 11th century church, the only remaining Stadtmauer gate, and what remains (not much, BTW) of Hedwig Castle.
If you’re in the village of Axien the ceiling paintings at the 12th century church that’s are worth seeing.
Annaburg also has two museums. The City Museum is housed in an old office building — but its venue doesn’t matter too much when you’ve got hundreds of years of history to learn. Then there’s a Porcelain Museum, which will teach you all about the industry that’s still going strong.
Ohhh, you know what else Annaburg has? A zoo. And it lies along the Annaburger Heide (also known as the Lochauer Heide), so being outdoors is just as wonderful as museum and church going.
Wear comfy shoes, the Annaburger Heide was once a hunting forest that stretched into three states.
I think Princess Anna would like the town that’s named after her. Iknow you will too — even if you couldn’t find it on a map left over from your ancestors. ;-)
