Erzgebirge with children – tips for trips for families

Holidays in the Ore Mountains offer lots of fun and action for children and the whole family. Here you will find our tips for a vacation in summer or autumn around Oberwiesenthal in the upper and western Ore Mountains.

First of all: The Erzgebirge is a large region. Exciting attractions are therefore spread over a very large area. You should therefore consider in advance which region you are going on vacation in, at least if you don’t want to spend half your vacation in the car. In this article we focus on excursions in the "Upper and Western Ore Mountains" around Oberwiesenthal.

Excursion tips for families in the Ore Mountains

One drives from Oberwiesenthal Cable car to the Fichtelberg. The ski jumps can be discovered from above while driving. And on the mountain there is a wonderful panorama of the city and the whole area.

With the gondola to the Fichtelberg in Oberwiesenthal

With the gondola to the Fichtelberg in Oberwiesenthal

If you like action, you can get one directly at the train station in the K1 Sporthotel for 20 euros Monsterroller rent. You can then jet down from the Fichtelberg. However, this did not seem suitable to us for children. Instead, they could let off steam in the playground of the K1 Sporthotel.

For the brave, we recommend that Summer toboggan run which is also down in the valley next to the lift station. For 2.50 euros you can experience a great ride with the bob. And children from around 3 years of age can also ride here.

Summer toboggan run in the Ore Mountains

The Elldus resort is a few kilometers away – a hotel complex for families with children. And there is a small one Adventure Playground of course not missing (is called: Fips play arch playground). Fortunately, it is open to the public and so a side trip to climb and romp is worthwhile with children.

Elldus resort in Oberwiesenthal: Fips play arc playground

A very special trip tip in the Ore Mountains is a trip with a historic railroad. A train runs between Oberwiesenthal and Crzahl and is pulled by a steam locomotive. If you don’t want to travel the entire route back and forth, you can switch to the oncoming locomotive on half of the way and travel about an hour. Cost for 2 adults and 2 children around 20 euros.

Steam locomotive between Oberwiesenthal and Crzahl

Railway between Oberwiesenthal and Crzahl

Hiking with children in the Ore Mountains

Hiking plays an important role in the Ore Mountains. Smaller or larger tours lure everywhere. For families there are even some hikes specially designed for children – these are not so long and also offer variety and adventure in between. Examples include the

Family hike on the Drachenfelsen in Wurzelrudis adventure world
Family-friendly hiking trail "Dörfelbach" in Olbernhau
Fichtelchen’s adventure trail with summer toboggan run in Altenberg as well as a huge adventure playground

Family hike around the Drachenfelsen in Wurzelrudis adventure world

Highlight for children: Wurzelrudis Erlebniswelt

In the western Ore Mountains, the city of Eibenstock attracts with some great tips for children. In addition to the Eibstock swimming garden (swimming pool, sauna and wellness), the main attraction is Wurzelrudis world of experience – a collection of great play, experience and adventure opportunities for the whole family.

Wurzelrudis Erlebniswelt – the attraction for children and families in the Ore Mountains

In the valley there is a great one maze which is damn difficult to master.

Maze in Wurzelrudi’s world of experience

In the end, however, the climbing world also attracts – a climbing course for children. Next to it is an adventure playground, a small pet zoo and a tire slide. Another highlight is of course the summer toboggan run – which, incidentally, is also much better (because it is longer and faster) than the run in Oberwiesenthal.

Wurzelrudis Erlebniswelt also has a local mountain on which a chairlift runs in summer and autumn. From the top there is a wonderful view of the city of Eibenstock.

The experience for children, however, is that Giant Murmelbahn. With huge marbles made of wood – roughly the size of a grapefruit – children can explore the tracks here. This is our absolute recommendation for children of all ages !

Wooden Murbelbahn in Wurzelrudi’s world of experience

Giant marble run in Wurzelrudi’s world of experience

Otherwise there is another great one trail. At around 2.5 km, this hike is also suitable for small children. In addition, many information and advice boards extend along the way so that there is enough variety. If you do not want to hike the entire route, you can simply climb the summit with the summit cross.

THE highlight for slightly larger children is without a doubt the drive down from the mountain. Not with the elevator, but with the Cross-Tricycle. Our 6 year old daughter was not yet allowed to drive alone, but this was not a problem with an adult on her lap.

Down the mountain with the tricycle in the Wurzelrudis adventure world

Visitor mine with children

The Ore Mountains not only owe their name to mining, but also a great tourist attraction. There are several visitor mines across the entire region that can be visited on a guided tour. Important note for families with small children: Most visitor mines are only allowed to be entered from the age of 6. Unfortunately, that was not the case for us.

Ore Mountains visitor mine

Nevertheless, here is a small list of mines:

Visitor mine Markus-Röhling-Stolln in Annaberg-Buchholz
Guided tour of the Morgenstern visitor tunnel (as well as gold panning for children)
Visitor mine Unites Zwitterfeld to Zinnwald in Altenberg
St Christoph visitor mine in Breitenbrunn

More excursion tips for children in the Ore Mountains

Between Chemnitz and Zwickau, the Miniwelt Lichtenstein with its great miniatures attracts the whole world
Wildlife park Geising-Hartmannmühle
Stockhausen toy country in Olbernhau
Summer toboggan run and model train Seiffen
Zoo in Hirschfeld
Thermal bath Wiesenbad
Visit to the city of Annaberg Buchholz
Toni’s House of Stones in Geyer

Accommodation in the Ore Mountains

Everywhere in the Ore Mountains there is a large selection of accommodation options. There are a number of large hotels in the Oberwiesentahl holiday center. Starting with the sports hotel from ski Olympic champion Jens Weißflog, over the hotel directly on the Fichtelberg to the Elduss resort – a large family hotel. These are correspondingly expensive during the main holiday periods. We have therefore decided on Booking.com for a small holiday home in Rittersgrün / Breitenbrunn. For 3 nights we paid around 200 euros instead of 600 in the hotel.

Conclusion: Erzgebirge with children

The Erzgebirge is a great vacation region for the whole family. There are many attractions that are worthwhile with young children. The only pity was that we were only able to visit a mine from the age of 6 (but the operators will have thought of something). Otherwise, due to the size of the region, you should pay attention to where you are staying when planning.

The Erzgebirge as a region is absolutely suitable for families and gets 9 out of 10 points.