Since the Saxon town of Mügeln is just about equal distance between both Leipzig and Dresden, I’d say it’s quite easy enough to make the trip here from either one.
The real question really is, why would you want to come to the two dozen-plus villages of Mügeln from these grand cities?
Easy enough to ask, not so simple to answer…
The biggest reason for me would be the Luther Trail. Religion aside, the Lutherweg is a historical route touting the importance of Luther’s Reformation throughout Germany five centuries ago. The three churches that are a “must-see” would be the Martin Luther Church in the village of Sornzig, the Church of St. Andrew in Schweta, and the former medieval pilgrimage Church of St. Mary’s.
I would be remiss in my writing if I didn’t tell you to come see the Johanniskirche either. Who wouldn’t love to see a medieval church from the 13th century, although it did have to be rebuilt a couple hundred years later.
Plus, you’re not too far from the Kloster Marienthal, a proper medieval Cistercian monastery from the 13th century — which is also another stop along the Luther Trail, come to think of it.
All right, it’s time to wrap up the Luther-related sites, time to head out into the Wermsdorf Forest, located just north of town. The forest is full of treats to explore, including Bronze Age burial mounds, castles, and even archaeological sites, if you’re so inclined.
Then again, if you’re not all that keen on trekking through a forest on your own, there are some marked hiking trails to help you. They’re not all that long (the longest being only 14km), but if you’re planning on cycling these routes — keep in mind, not all are easily passable by bike.
Besides biking and hiking, I was excited to find out all I could about what else Mügeln had to offer. There are some 23 information boards found throughout town, each detailing the highlights of what you’re looking at. Wouldn’t you like to learn more about the old City Brewery and its medieval Meat Market? Of course you would, so a trip to the Local History Museum can certainly help with all that.
As if Mügeln isn’t great enough, the many festivals held here every year make it even better. The Blütenfest in May is one of the most popular — maybe everyone want to cheer for the Flower Queen? The flowery festival is followed by the Schützenfest and Quarry Festival, with the Park Festival and Summer Festival keeping you busy in June and July. The Altstadtfest (Old Town Festival) is always held on the third weekend of July, and come Advent & Christmas when there are two Christmas Markets.
From all this, the question I should’ve asked in the beginning was, why wouldn’t you want to come to Mügeln? ;-)
