Marienberg was laid out in 1521 as a planned silver town, with a vast square market place and streets set in a grid, an idea of urban order that was new in this part of Europe. Lauta, today a district of Marienberg, lies among the old mine workings, spoil heaps and shafts that fed that wealth, and it is one of the components of the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region, the cross-border World Heritage Site shared by Saxony and the Czech Republic and inscribed in 2019.
The Ore Mountains have been mined for eight centuries: silver first, then tin, cobalt, uranium and other metals. Mining shaped everything here, from the towns and their churches to the forests, which were cut for fuel and timber, and the many ponds and ditches built to supply water power. In Lauta you can see the traces of this activity in the landscape, with mounds, hollows and old buildings, and the Pferdegöpel, a reconstructed horse-powered winding machine, shows how ore was hauled to the surface.
The region is also famous for its craft traditions. When mining declined, miners turned to woodcarving, and the Erzgebirge became the home of nutcrackers, smoking men, candle arches and Christmas pyramids, now sold all over the world. In December, the towns come alive with Christmas markets and miners' parades.
The riding is excellent. The Ore Mountains form a long ridge along the Czech border, with roads that climb from the valleys to the high plateau, through forests and villages. Curves are plentiful, traffic is light outside towns, and the views from the ridge are wide. In winter, snow covers the high ground for months, and the roads can be icy. The best riding season is from May to October.
Marienberg, two kilometres away, has fuel, and its huge square is lined with cafés. Nearby Wolkenstein has a castle on a rock above the Zschopau valley, and the valley road itself is a lovely ride. Local food is hearty: potato dishes, dumplings and, in winter, Stollen. A ride across the border into the Czech side of the Ore Mountains, with its own mining towns and landscapes, makes a fine extension.