Ever hear of a bedroom community? Yeah? Good. Ever been to one? Well, you will if you’re coming to the town of Lichtentanne (which literally translates to Light Fir). It’s located just to the southwest of the city of Zwickau, and where many of its 6,000 plus residents head off to work.
That doesn’t mean that Lichtentanne doesn’t have anything on its own to see or do, though. Heck no, Lichtentanne lies in the Vogtland and pretty close to the celebrated Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge) — so it’s got many hiking and biking trails to tackle, and a boating lake too.
One of the other places that people come to see here is the Pleißenquelle, the official start of the Pleiße River (in the village of Ebersbrunn). The water that starts here winds its way for 90 kilometers before flowing into the White Elster.
We’re not going that far, however. We’re going to see the Wasserburg Ebersbrunn. Or, should I say what was once a moated castle, built in 1303. Only its original castle mound and moat are all that’s left.
Not the case in the village of Schönfels at Burg Schönfels. Wait ’til you see this hilltop castle from the 12th century. Besides being a museum and restaurant, the Gothic and Renaissance architecture (pay attention to its arcade, courtyard, and tower) will have you mesmerized. The 17th century chapel is brilliant too.
The castle loves to get in on the Christmas spirit, with special caroling events going on throughout the Advent season.
At the end of November or early December, Lichtentanne’s St. Barbara Church holds an annual Christmas Market. Throughout the rest of the year, St. Barbara’s (the oldest church in town, BTW) is known for its musical concerts as well as its religious services.
Maybe I was too quick to call Lichtentanne a bedroom community. There’s certainly more to do here than just come home from work, and call it a day — don’t ya agree? :-)
