In 2008, when parts of the old town of Dippoldiswalde began to subside, engineers investigating the problem found something nobody expected: a network of medieval silver mines running beneath the streets, dating back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The tunnels contained remarkably well preserved wooden ladders, tools and even shoes, offering an unparalleled glimpse of mining at the start of the Ore Mountains' silver boom. These finds are part of the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region listed by UNESCO in 2019.
The mines themselves are not open to visitors, but the castle museum in town presents the discoveries in an engaging way, with reconstructions and original finds. Dippoldiswalde is a small town of around eleven thousand people on the Red Weisseritz river, at the northern edge of the eastern Ore Mountains, and its old centre, with a square, church and castle, is pleasant to wander. Just upstream, the Malter reservoir is a popular place for swimming and boating in summer, and the surrounding hills are covered in a mosaic of fields, meadows and forest.
For riders, the eastern Ore Mountains offer a fine choice of roads. South of town, routes climb gradually towards the ridge and the Czech border, through villages with half-timbered houses and long views. The road to Altenberg, a winter sports centre with a bobsleigh track, is particularly popular, and from there you can cross into Bohemia and descend towards Teplice and the Krupka mining landscape on the other side. Surfaces are generally good, but watch out for frost damage and gravel in spring, and logging trucks on forest roads. Winters here can be harsh, with heavy snow on the higher ground.
Dippoldiswalde has fuel stations, shops and restaurants. The narrow-gauge Weisseritztal railway, one of the oldest in Germany, runs through the valley, and you may hear its steam whistle echoing between the hills. Try a Saxon speciality like Quarkkeulchen, small fried pancakes made with curd cheese and potato, served with apple sauce, or a hearty Erzgebirge potato soup, and enjoy the view of the hills from a café terrace.