Saxon Chemnitz is located about 70 km from Dresden and 40 km from the border with the Czech Republic. This city has several historical names: so, the proximity to the Czech Republic was reflected in the name "Saxon Kamenets", and the era of the GDR awarded the city with the notorious Karl-Marx-Stadt.
How to get to Chemnitz
The train from Leipzig goes to Chemnitz every hour, the journey time is less than an hour. From Dresden to Chemnitz can be reached in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Also every hour trains from Nuremberg come here, and every 2 hours - from Erfurt and Weimar. The nearest international airport is in Dresden (about 80 km)
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A bit of history
At one time the city was Slavic, which is reflected in the its name is "Chemnitz" - "Kamenitsa", by the name of the river that flowed here . The city was founded in the 12th century, and in the Middle Ages it rose quite strongly due to the right to bleach the fabrics that at that time were owned by few . Up to the very the beginning of the Second World War, the city grew, but during the war, bombing significantly damaged Chemnitz . In 1953 the . city that belonged to the territory of the GDR was renamed Karl-Marx-Stah dt . Only in 1990 . he was returned to his former name . Today Chemnitz claims the title of the German capital of modernity and is not unfair .
Entertainment, excursions and attractions Chemnitz
The old town of Chemnitz was almost completely destroyed in 1945 ., and in the postwar years it was decided not to restore it in its original form . And after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Chemnitz began to build anew, with the participation of the world's most famous architects . The landmark was taken, if to use tracing from English to "present for : the architects put the movement, dynamics, development at the forefront . So the pedestrian zone of the city appeared, where the retro eclecticism is inscribed in the modern style . Today Chemnitz is considered the "newest city center" in Germany . So, in the last years there has grown a whole quarter, comparable only to the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin - with a department store built according to the design of Helmut Jan, a gallery with a facade from Hans Collhof and the shop of Ingenhofen .
- To see the huge seven-meter monument to Karl Marx weight 40 m tonnes - not find it difficult. Local residents affectionately call the huge head "Charlie."
- Buy all sorts of souvenirs in the form of the same head - the symbol of Chemnitz. In particular, chocolates, marzipans, etc.
- Look at the indoor market or at least see its remarkable building decorated with ornaments, outside.
The most famous view of Chemnitz is the market square and two Town Halls standing side by side: Old and New. The old decorates the Renaissance portal of the 15th century. Since the end of the 15th century, there is a man living in the Old Town Hall: it is both a guard, a reporter, and a tourist character. He is dressed in a medieval dress and welcomes visitors
One of the few truly ancient monuments of architecture is the Church of St. James, built in the 14th century on the site of an old Roman building and expanded in the 15th century. In the early 20th century, just before the war, the church was restored, but, alas, during the Second World War, it suffered very badly. Today's building is not much like that of the old church. It is a basilica with a three-part, noticeable nave.
The ancient Red Tower ("Rother Turm") is a typical medieval stone gate tower. This is one of the oldest urban buildings, which can be seen on Natsionen Street. In the Middle Ages, the upper tiers of the tower were occupied by private dwellings, later it was connected to the city's defensive walls. In addition, the tower housed both a court and a prison for convicts
One of the most beautiful buildings in the city is the opera which stands on Theater Square . It was designed by Richard Mobius and built at the very beginning of the 20th century . After the war, the opera was restored and then re-reconstructed in the 80's and 90's ., so today this building is considered one of the newest opera houses in Europe . Here, on Teaterplatz, one can see a noticeable the building of the neo-Gothic church of St. Peter, built in the late 19th century - apparently in the image . likeness of French cathedrals of stone church looks very impressive and richly decorated exterior contrasting sandstone elements .The beautiful stained-glass windows were lost during the Second World War, but the interior was preserved for the most part original - in particular, sculptures from French limestone and green marble, and also the organ of 1912 .
Another beautiful place in the city is the Castle Hill, which is surrounded by park. Here is the Schlosskirche, the church of the former Benedictine monastery, a classic example of typical Saxon-Gothic architecture, which is definitely worth a visit. The hill was poured especially at the end of the 15th century, and then a duck pond was dug in the park. And the second favorite park of the townspeople is Kiuhwald, which is to the west of the city center. A miniature railway is laid here, and a children's cosmonautics center is open.
Visits is the Gunzenhauser Museum, which occupies the building of the 30s. the last century, originally intended for a savings bank. In the collection of the museum - classical modern and modern art. The basis of it was a private collection of a collector from Munich, whose name and named the museum. Today in the storerooms are stored about two and a half thousand paintings, including about three hundred works of Otto Dix. Also of interest is a selection of paintings by a native native, the expressionist Karl Schmidt-Rotluff - the second in the country in size.
There is an industrial museum in Chemnitz, which is natural for a city with such a history . After the unification of Germany, many businesses were closed, and as once one of these authorities in Saxony decided to buy out for the museum here . before this red-brick building belonged to the manufactory of Escher and was erected in the very beginning of the 20th century . The museum can get acquainted with the development of industry in the region of the beginnings from the end of the 18th century, from textile manufactories to the production of microelectronic components in the 1980s . The old mechanisms are still functioning, and one can even see exactly how it is .
Also noteworthy is the palace of culture, which is called DAStietz and is located in the building of the former department store. Now here are a gallery of modern art, a library and a natural science museum. A special highlight of the latter is the Stone Forest, which was discovered in Heimnica about three centuries ago and since then has caused incessant disputes in the scientific community. These are fossils that are almost 300 million years old, polished by time and are "preserved" in the centuries trees.
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Neighborhoods Chemnitz
Rabenstein Castle - a pretty small fortress . So small that it is considered the smallest in Saxony . It is in the same suburb of Chemnitz and belongs today to the Castle Hill Museum . Rabenstein was built around the 13th century and since then slightly but still the total area restricted by the castle walls did not exceed two hectares . Today this pretty light structure with a contrasting roof and a single a small low tower on a stony cliff . Since 2011 . there is a hotel in the castle, but you can climb a turret in search of beautiful species .
The castle of Cloffenbach, in a small suburb to the south-west of Chemnitz, at the foot of the mountain, looks quite different. The castle in the Renaissance style was built in the middle of the 16th century for the owner of the silver mine. A compact and unusual building is more functional, but also beautiful in its own way; today there is a hotel, a restaurant and workshops. Outside, the castle looks more interesting than inside, although the interiors can be inspected with an excursion.