Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [163]
Hotel Chemnitzer Hof ( 6840; www.guennewig.de; Theaterplatz 4; s €89-122, d €99-142; ) Behind the stolid facade awaits this classy establishment, with Bauhaus-style decor, eccentric artworks and 92 comfortable rooms sheathed in warm colours; some overlook Theaterplatz.
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Eating & Drinking
Turmbrauhaus ( 909 5095; Neumarkt 2; mains €5-13.50) Watch your reflection in the polished copper brewing vats become ever mistier as you down a house ale or two at this upbeat brewpub. The outdoor tables are great for people-watching.
Ratskeller ( 694 9875; Markt 1; mains €7.50-18) This slightly touristy pin-up of the Chemnitz dining scene offers huge portions of local cuisine from a suspiciously long menu (over 120 dishes!) You can choose between rustic or sophisticated sections, and the painted and vaulted ceilings are so gorgeous you may want to eat them too.
An der Schlossmühle ( 335 2533; Schlossberg 3; mains €8-21) One of several options at the foot of the castle, this 1704 half-timbered gem serves German food and has a woodsy interior and gardenlike terrace.
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Getting There & Around
Chemnitz is linked by direct train to Dresden (€13.30, one hour), Leipzig (€15.20, one hour) and Zwickau (€5.40, 30 minutes). The east–west A4 skirts Chemnitz, while the A72 heading south for Munich originates here.
All trams and buses pass through the city-centre Zentralhaltestelle. Single tickets start at €1.30 for short rides; individual day passes are €3.40 per person, or €6.80 for families.
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AROUND CHEMNITZ
Augustusburg
About 13km east of Chemnitz, draped across a craggy mountain top above forests and fields, Augustusburg (population 5100) is one of those relatively undiscovered gems people rave about, with friendly locals to boot. The big draw here is the oversized Schloss ( 037291-380 18; www.die-sehenswerten-drei.de; 9.30am-6pm Apr-Oct, 10am-5pm Nov-Mar), built in 1572 as the summer residence of Elector August, the great-great-great grandfather of Saxon ruler Augustus the Strong. Combined admission to the complex’s five museums is €6.60 for adults, €5 with a concession and €18 for a family, but individual tickets can be purchased as well.
The Schloss is nicknamed the ‘Palace of the Bikers’ for good reason. This is where you’ll find the Motorradmuseum (adult/concession €3.20/2.40), one of the largest and most prestigious collections of motorcycles in Europe. Treasures include classic Horch, DKW (later MZ) and BMW roadsters, and some very rare Harley models. In the former stables, the focus is on a somewhat earlier mode of transportation in the Kutschenmuseum (adult/concession €1.60/1.20), which brims with Cinderella-worthy horse-drawn carriages.
Another wing contains the Jagdtier- und Vogelkundemuseum (adult/concession €2.80/2.10), which has adorable dioramas featuring local feathered and furry creatures – a likely winner with the kiddies. Admission is also good for several antler-filled rooms dealing with the palace’s hunting history. The main reason for coming up here, though, is to see the Venussaal, a vast hall decorated with original 16th-century murals depicting a spooky, mythical mountainscape. Finally, there’s the Kerker (adult/concession €1.60/1.20), a dank underground prison filled with medieval torture instruments.
Other palace sections can only be seen on guided tours (adult/concession €3/2.20) in German. These include the residential wing, the palace church, which has an altar painting by Lucas Cranach the Younger, and the Brunnenhaus, which still contains the wooden mechanism that once brought water up from a 130m-deep well.
You also have to pay separately (€1) to climb the Aussichtsturm (viewing tower) for clear views across the region.
The complex also contains a DJH hostel ( 202 56; dm under 27yr €15.80-17.80, over