After the peaceful revolution of 1989-90, Saxony was the first East German state to elect to be reunited with West Germany. Karl-Marx-Stadt reverted to its former name of Chemnitz.It doesn't sound like a tourist destinationIt's very popular with West German, Swiss and Austrian tourists, but non-German speakers haven't really discovered it yet. In summer, one of the most seductive destinations is the national park known as Saxon-Switzerland, or Saxon-Bohemian-Switzerland since it stretches from Dresden along the river Elbe into the Czech Republic. It is nowhere near Switzerland, but gained its name because two Swiss painters first made it famous.Untouched by fire or war since the Middle Ages, the picturesque town of Pirna, not far from the Czech border, looks almost exactly as it did when Canaletto painted it in the 1750s, and it is an ideal place to base yourself. From here you can cycle along the Elbe as far as Prague, ramble around the 1,000-plus kilometres of waymarked paths through the wooded mountains, or climb the weird weathered- sandstone rock formations.Local hotels rent out bikes for around £4 per day, or if you want a walking package, Ramblers (01707 331133; www.ramblersholidays.co.uk) offers a one-week holiday, staying in a guest house in Schmilka, a few miles upstream from Pirna, from £438 per person in June, including flights to Berlin, train transfers and accommodation.That sounds a bit energeticThen how about a soothing cruise down the Elbe, sailing past dramatic cliffs, green hills and meadows, pretty villages, the spectacular Bastei Bridge, and the precipitous fortress of K?stein (see box), and on into the Czech Republic?A seven-night luxury cruise with Peter Deilmann River Cruises (020-7436 2931; www.peterdeilmanncruises.co.uk), from Potsdam to Prague, starts from £1,403 per person in the high-summer season, including return flights from London to Berlin, transfers to the ship, full board, entertainment and insurance. Or Saga Holidays (0800 0565880; www.saga.co.uk) runs an eight-night cruise from Prague to Magdeburg from £1,049 per person.
On a smaller scale, for a fraction of the price, you can take delightful day trips on riverboats Pirna to K?stein costs about £5.I'd rather stay on dry landLandlubbers may prefer a drive along the mountainous "silver route", punctuated by stops in ancient silver-mining towns such as Freiberg, Schwarzenberg, Schneeburg and Annaberg-Buchholz. In 1158, the discovery of silver in the Erzgebirge ("Ore Mountains") led to a "silver rush" that was the original source of much of Saxony's wealth. Today, the silver trading route has once again become a source of revenue as it is redeveloped for tourists.In winter, the Erzgebirge region turns into a Christmas-card snowscape with mountain-top villages floodlit against the dark winter skies. The area is known in Germany as Weihnachtsland ("Christmas country"), partly because of its scenery and partly due to the locally manufactured Christmas pyramids (see box). During Advent, you can also get a taste for Germany's traditional Christmas street markets, when in most towns, local lace, woodcarvings and other handicrafts are sold alongside warming Gl?in and Lebkuchen (little cinnamon cakes).Oberwiesenthal, in the Erzgebirge, is the highest skiing resort in Germany. From November to March, skiing conditions are ideal, but there are currently no packages, so tailor-made tours or booking directly are the only options. Cross-country skiing just south of Chemnitz is increasingly popular, or for a real winter thrill, test your nerves by travelling 70 miles per hour on the bobsleigh run in Altenberg.And what about culture?Whereas the power of Prussia manifested itself in military conquest, the splendour of Saxony, influenced by Italy, was expressed in art, music and culture.
A disproportionate number of German geniuses were cultivated here, including Bach, Wagner, Leibniz, Lessing, Goethe and Caspar David Friedrich. Groupies can visit sites such as the Robert Schumann House and Museum in Zwickau, or Mendelssohn House in Leipzig. Everywhere you travel in Saxony, the endless supply of operas, concerts, festivals and talented street buskers is sufficient for any music junkie.DER Travel Service (020-7290 1111; www.dertravel.co.uk) offers an eight-day Bach tour, starting in Th?gen and then going from Erfurt, through Weimar on to Leipzig in Saxony, where J S Bach wrote music for weddings and funerals at the St Thomas Church in order to feed his 20 children. After flying to Frankfurt, travel within Germany is by train.
