Werdau: Discover steam engines, city traces and forest trails

Those wishing to combine city history and technology with time in the countryside will find a variety of ways to enjoy diverse days in Werdau. Steam engines, historic traces, forest trails and water-based activities each offer something different. These interests can also help guide your choice of accommodation in Werdau.

Industrial history and traces of the city

At the Werdau City and Steam Engine Museum, a city model shows Werdau in 1628, with its town hall, castle, St. Mary’s Church and city wall. Another exhibit brings visitors much closer to the technology: The 600-horsepower steam engine dates from 1899 and stands in its original location. It is considered one of Saxony’s most valuable industrial monuments. The museum grounds also include a steam-storage locomotive that visitors can enter and a miniature railway in 1:20 scale, with tracks extending for more than 300 metres. The museum also houses the largest collection dedicated to Fraureuth porcelain.

A historic city walk links several eras in the cityscape. It takes in the market square and surviving remains of the city wall. The route also includes the foundations of St. Aegidius Church, built around 1170 and demolished around 1629, parts of the former Werdau Castle, a historic arcade and a cellar built into the hillside. Town hall tours usually last between one and one and a half hours. You can book historic city walks through the museum for visits from May to October; check seasonal availability before your trip. The Werdau Nativity Trail is open exclusively during the Christmas season.

Steinpleis also offers a striking landmark: the Römertal Bridge is a 224.87-metre-long brick viaduct with 13 large and four small round arches. It stands 23 metres high. Anyone interested in architecture can take in its proportions and arch shapes up close.

Forest trails and walking excursions

The Flößergraben nature trail runs entirely through the state forest managed by Sachsenforst. From Leubnitz to the Waldmannsruh forest inn, it is 5.5 kilometres each way. The starting point is on Trünziger Straße at the end of Leubnitz-Forst; parking is available near the forest barrier. Guided landscape tours cover the history of timber rafting on the Pleiße, as well as stories about the forest, fields, wildlife and the raft worker Ole. This makes it possible to explore the route not just as a trail, but also through the stories and themes of the landscape.

The Greiz-Werdau Forest has numerous hiking trails in a protected landscape area. Many of these trails are also used for cycling and horse riding. In Leubnitz, a district of Werdau, there are opportunities for walks in Werdau Forest and around Rohrteich, Stauweiher and Elferteich. Steinpleis offers a different natural setting in Römertal: this wooded meadow valley provides nesting sites for rare marsh birds and a habitat for protected plants.

Cycling, swimming and time by the water

The Pleiße Cycle Path is approximately 110 kilometres long, mostly paved or surfaced, and suitable for families and recreational cyclists. It runs south towards Werdau; the Steam Engine Museum is listed as a stop along the route. For anyone planning a longer ride, this offers a specific reason to include a visit to the museum in their route.

In Werdau, WEBALU combines indoor and outdoor pools with a sauna area. The pools include children’s and baby pools; outdoors, there is a slide and a waterfall. Aqua fitness, aqua jogging, water aerobics and rehabilitation sports complement the facilities, along with baby swimming and swimming lessons. The swimming centre offers a change of pace from the forest trails and historic stops around the city.

In nearby Langenhessen, a district of Werdau, the Koberbach Reservoir offers further activities: water sports, hiking, fishing and camping. In summer, the lido offers a long sandy beach, anchored swimming islands and a large sunbathing lawn. There is also a snack bar, beach volleyball and table tennis in summer. A circular hiking trail also runs directly beside the reservoir.

Your trip can therefore include a range of different activities: technology and city history, trails through forests and countryside, or a day by the water. Consider which of these experiences interests you most when looking for accommodation for your stay in Werdau.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Meerane, Zwickau, Lichtenstein, Niederfrohna, Crinitzberg, Callenberg, Oberwiera, Limbach-Oberfrohna.

Back to the main travel overview: Zwickauer Land.