Meissen is where Saxony began. The Albrechtsburg castle, a late Gothic masterpiece, stands on a rock above the Elbe, next to the cathedral with its tall spires, and together they form a skyline that looks straight out of a medieval manuscript. In the tenth century, a fortress was founded here by German kings to guard against the Slavs to the east, and from it grew the margraviate that eventually became Saxony. Walking up the cobbled alleys from the market square to the castle gate is one of the better ways to spend an hour in Germany.
The town is also the home of European porcelain. In 1710, Augustus the Strong, the Elector of Saxony, set up a factory in the Albrechtsburg after the alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger, forced to find a way to make gold, instead worked out how to make hard-paste porcelain. For years the process was a state secret, and workers were practically held prisoners. The factory moved to a purpose-built site in the nineteenth century and still produces the famous blue crossed swords on its pieces. A museum shows how it is done and displays some astonishing work. Even the bells in one of the church towers are made of porcelain, and their sound is surprisingly soft.
For riders, Meissen is the northern anchor of the Saxon Wine Route. The road from Radebeul follows the Elbe through small wine villages and vineyards on steep slopes, and arrives in the town beneath the castle. The streets in the old town are steep and cobbled, so take care with the bike, especially in the wet, and park below the old centre rather than trying to climb to the top. The surrounding hills are low but pretty, and the Elbe is wide and slow, with riverside paths busy with cyclists.
With nearly thirty thousand people, Meissen has petrol stations, supermarkets and plenty of cafes, and it is easy to find a table. Look for the local wines, light, dry whites with a bright acidity, and for the Meissner Fummel, a large, crisp pastry traditionally shaped like a large knot or twist, which is eaten with a cup of coffee.
Autumn is excellent here, with the vines turning colour and the river mist hanging below the castle in the morning.