I know this is supposed to be about the town of Klingenthal, but the entire region is intriguing. Yes, the entire region.
Klingenthal is found in the Vogtland & the Ore Mountains, as well as near the Czech border town of Kraslice, or Graslitz in German. Its topography and geography are only tidbits of what makes Klingenthal (and the Vogtland) fascinating.
Klingenthal is also a winter sports haven, where the best of the best come to do their ski jumping and Nordic Combined at the Vogtland Arena. Regular old skiing can be super fun, just in case you’re interested in doing instead of watching.
When this winter wonderland starts to melt, and the green starts to show through the snowy white, it’s time to put your hiking boots on, setting out on the 110km of trails through the Vogtland.
Out along one of the hiking trails is the Otto Hermann Böhm Tower. Think of the view from the 32 meter tower, which is 917 meters above sea level! It’s so beautiful out here you might be rendered speechless with just one quick glimpse.
There are tennis courts around Klingenthal if want to do that, too. Seems kind of anti-climatic after the Vogtland — maybe you might want to do that first.
What else Klingenthal is known for is music. And I don’t mean just the symphony or concerts in the park, either. I’m talking about international music competitions and festivals, like the International Accordion Competition in May. Or, the Harmonica Festival which takes place every year on the third weekend of September.
Music is so important to the culture of Klingenthal that there’s a Music Museum, a Harmonica Museum, and, of course, an Accordion Museum. Pretty nifty, right? Yeah, I think so, too.
Even its Rundkirche Zum Friedefürsten gets in on the musical concert action. Whether it’s holding concerts or religious services, the church (with its octagon floorplant) is the largest of its kind in Saxony.
If you get a chance cross over the Svatava River to the historical Czech Republic town of Graslitz, also within the area of the Ore Mountains. What, I’m not crazy (nor have I been drinking) — I know this is MyGermanCity.com. Kraslice is a sister city of Klingenthal — so I guess that makes visiting it all right. ;-)
