Rosenbach: Rotstein, Churches and Water Mill

Discover Rosenbach through its striking contrasts: at the Rotstein, the nature reserve, botanical rarities and panoramic views take center stage; in Bischdorf and Herwigsdorf, churches and a restored mill tell stories of architecture and technology. The area combines experiences in nature with architectural and cultural history.

The Rotstein in Bischdorf

The Rotstein is located in the district of Bischdorf. It is considered Saxony’s oldest nature reserve and is home to botanical rarities. A newly built tower at the Rotstein Restaurant offers panoramic views. These two features provide different highlights: the botanical attractions draw attention to the plant life, while the tower opens up a far-reaching view. This gives the Rotstein its own appeal both for nature lovers and for visitors who enjoy taking in the landscape from an elevated vantage point.

Churches in Bischdorf and Herwigsdorf

The church in Bischdorf dates from the 13th century; its chancel has a stone vault. The church in Herwigsdorf dates from 1545 and features a roof turret, a Baroque pulpit altar and a patron’s gallery. It also has a painted coffered ceiling from the 16th century. The Bischdorf church draws attention to its stone chancel vault, while several architectural and decorative features come together in Herwigsdorf.

These different details offer culture lovers specific points of interest: in Bischdorf, the chancel vault takes center stage; in Herwigsdorf, it is the combination of roof design, altar, gallery and ceiling. Rosenbach’s church architecture cannot, therefore, be reduced to a single building style.

Historic technology at the Mittelmühle

The restored Mittelmühle in Bischdorf is considered the site of Saxony’s oldest still-functioning internal waterwheel. This adds a focus on the history of technology to the area’s sacred architecture: here, attention turns to a waterwheel that is still in operation. The churches and mill offer different points of focus, making Rosenbach’s architectural and cultural history tangible in different ways.

Görlitz: urban history and natural history

The wider destination of Görlitz includes a historic old town with around 4,000 architectural monuments, making it one of the best-preserved historic ensembles in Central Europe. After a city fire, the Schönhof was rebuilt in the Renaissance style from 1526 onward. It is the main building of the Silesian Museum in Görlitz and one of the oldest Renaissance buildings north of the Alps. These two aspects connect the building’s history with its present-day role as a museum.

St. Peter’s Church is another distinctive architectural attraction in Görlitz: it is Saxony’s largest hall church. Its Sun Organ was built by Eugenio Casparini toward the end of the 17th century and can imitate birdsong. The church brings together spaciousness and a remarkable musical capability—two very different reasons to take an interest in the building.

A live animal feeding takes place in the live animal area of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz at 4 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month; admission is included in the museum ticket. Check the current calendar before your visit. The vivarium presents around 70 animal species in twelve elaborately designed landscape tanks across an area of 100 square metres. The feeding takes place at a set time each month, while the vivarium offers a different natural history focus through its species, tanks and area.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Schönbach, Horka, Schleife, Königshain, Mittelherwigsdorf, Beiersdorf, Kottmar, Jonsdorf.

To the main travel overview: Görlitz.