SAXONY
- Mar 24
- 5 min read
Saxony: history, culture and nature – this is royal Dresden, "porcelain" Meissen, musical Leipzig and the fairytale Bastei in "Saxon Switzerland".
SAXONY: ICONIC LANDMARKS
Baroque architecture and cultural centres make the region one of the most elegant.
Sachsen or, the Free State of Saxony is the easternmost state of Germany, spread across the picturesque valleys of the Mulde and Elbe rivers and in the Ore Mountains, and borders the Czech Republic and Poland.
Saxony is a land where history and nature merge into a stunning ensemble. Its capital, Dresden , known as "Florence on the Elbe," enchants with its majestic architecture and cultural heritage. While in the capital, a visit to the Dresden Picture Gallery to admire Raphael's Sistine Madonna is a must. Another recommended destination is the renowned Meissen Porcelain Manufactory.
A true natural gem of the first magnitude is the Saxon Switzerland National Park , where the romantic Sandstone Mountains meet the tranquil Elbe. On the border between Germany and Poland lies the Pückler Park in Bad Muskau, the largest English landscape park in Central Europe.
SAXONY: COAT OF ARMS' HISTORY
The black and gold stripes and green sash are the symbol of ancient Saxony.
The origins of the Saxon coat of arms date back to the 12th century, to the Counts of Ballenstedt of the Ascanian family. Their family shield was simple and clear: nine alternating black and gold stripes—a visual rhythm of power without unnecessary embellishment. At that time, simplicity and clarity of the coat of arms were paramount.
Around 1260, a green band appeared on the shield — the very element without which Saxony is unimaginable today. According to a beautiful legend, it all happened spontaneously. Count Bernhard von Ballenstedt appeared at the court of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa with his striped shield. It was a hot day, and the emperor, wearing a wreath of rue, removed it and, wishing to express his approval, placed it on the count's shield. Thus, between the sun and protocol, the Saxon coat of arms was born.
In the 19th century, this symbol received a second life. In 1807, after Saxony was elevated to a kingdom, the Order of the Rue Crown was established. The first king of Saxony, Frederick Augustus I, desperately needed awards for civil servants: not everyone knew how to fight, but many knew how to serve. Green rue and its legend came in handy again.
It's important to remember: the green sash is not a crown, although it is often described as such. It is a stylized rue. In ancient Rome, it was considered a sacred plant and planted near temples. In Christian Europe, rue became the "herb of grace" and also a means of protection against witches and evil spirits. A bunch of rue above a door was something between a talisman and a warning. Thus, the Saxon coat of arms also serves as a magical security system.
Interestingly, the territory of modern-day Saxony was not historically the land of the Saxons. Until the 10th century, it was inhabited primarily by Slavic tribes, who were later assimilated. The name "Saxons" itself has not been fully deciphered: it may derive from the word "sax" — a distinctively shaped knife — or from a word meaning "land." In this sense, the Saxons' "speaking coat of arms" is more likely to be found in Middlesex, England, where the coat of arms depicts those very same knives.
Since the 12th century, these lands have been ruled by the Wettin dynasty. In 1423, they received the title of Elector of Saxony, with the right to elect the emperor. It was their yellow and black striped coat of arms that became the coat of arms of Saxony —or rather, Saxony inherited the Wettin coat of arms. Today, descendants of this family rule in Great Britain (the Windsors) and Belgium (Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). The latter's coat of arms, incidentally, consists of 23 shields, representing family ties and hereditary lands. As the saying goes, there's somewhere to go and someone to talk to.
In 1806, Saxony was elevated to a kingdom, but after the Napoleonic Wars, Saxony lost two-thirds of its territory. It's comforting to be a kingdom, but with a hint of bewilderment. After 1945, Saxony became part of the GDR and was only re-established as the Free State of Saxony and a federal state of Germany in 1990. The coat of arms, however, survived intact—because good symbols can wait.
SAXONY: FUN FACTS
Of the six swans turning into the four rings.
Autoheraldry couldn't ignore yet another automotive story. Zwickau is a city in Saxony, where German automotive history takes a particularly elegant turn. In 1904, it was here that August Horch began producing Horch cars — cars so good that their creator's name became a recognizable trademark. But the laws of the market are harsh: after leaving the factory, he no longer had the right to use his own name as a brand. So August Horch simply translated it into another language: Horch, German for "listen!", became Audi — "listen!" — but in Latin. Legally pure, linguistically elegant.
The coat of arms of Zwickau features six swans. In Saxony's industrial reality, there were now four: after another global crisis, the Saxon automobile manufacturers Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer merged to form Auto Union. Thus were born the four intertwined rings — the logo that still adorns every Audi today.
After the WWII, Auto Union went West, and in Zwickau, in the socialist GDR, they began producing the Trabant — a small car made of great ideological enthusiasm and artificial material. And yes, its emblem was suspiciously reminiscent of the symbols of the recently defeated Reich... A coincidence? Today, the August Horch Automobile Museum in Zwickau smiles mysteriously and says "No comments".
SAXONY: ALPINE SKIING
The relaxed rhythm of the Ore Mountains, cross-country skiing, and the rare feeling that skiing here is about the mood, not the results.
Fichtelberg isn't about scale, but about a spirit that has lingered here for decades. Saxony's highest peak (1,215 m) stands right on the border with the Czech Republic, and together with neighboring Klínovec, it forms a unified ski area where you can ski "between countries" almost without even realizing it.
There are about 15 kilometers of pistes here—not much by Alpine standards, but enough for a leisurely day. The main pleasure is the long forested slopes, the gentle slope profile, and the retro feel: two-seater chairs, old stations, no fuss.
The resort is located near Oberwiesenthal, Germany's highest town, and this adds to the atmosphere. Skiing here isn't about the show, but about the process.
And if you want some variety, just cross the slope and you’re already on the Czech side, where everything is the same, but with a slight hint of Karlovy Vary.
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