One more town to go before I’m done for the day, but I’m not all that much in a rush to get away from the Saxon town of Halsbrücke; more like, I’m itching to stay.
Located between Chemnitz (to the southwest) and Dresden (to the northeast), Halsbrücke was once a huge mining and smelting mecca through this part of Germany (which might explain why the 140-meter high chimney stack used for silver ore mining is the town’s landmark).
Now, I don’t pretend to understand the whole mining and smelting process — but what I do know is Halsbrücke grows on you.
It’s a charming enough town of ten districts; and it’s quiet demeanor is quite the contrast from its World War II history. Within the local cemetery, you’ll find a Memorial Stone dedicated to those who lost their lives here on a Buchenwald Death March in 1945. And you’ll find another one in honor of two Wehrmacht soldiers who also died here in 1945.
The cemetery offers a place of reflection, but then again, so does the Tharandter Forest.
You’ll find the village of Hetzdorf here, a resort town with its own pond and great hiking trails through the countryside. For you bicycle enthusiasts, you should check out the old narrow gauge railway area — it’s a biker’s dream area since the tracks haven’t been used since the 1970s.
As you’re out there walking or biking around, you might want to stop at one of Halsbrücke’s many bridges. One of the oldest is the Schafbrücke, BTW.
For some cooling off fun in the region, look no further than Sumpfmühlenbad. For those of you brave enough, this swimming area even has a nudist area (the pool’s solar heated, so go ahead and try it). You will have to keep you bathing suits on if you want a go at the mega-slide, play beach volleyball or table tennis, or grab some ice cream.
Sadly it’s time to go, and I’m sorry that I haven’t gotten to learn more about mining in Halsbrücke — but at least I got to see what else makes the place so great.