Travel Guide Altenburg

This small Thuringia town is located 47 km south of Leipzig. In the past, it was one of those brilliant German cities of the classical era, when the Dukes of Saxony-Altenburg held their court there. Altenburg (35,000 inhabitants) has preserved to this day a remarkable old town with a very pretty market square, the Kornmarkt, but also many Baroque buildings and some medieval buildings. Its baroque castle, proudly perched on its hill, can be the subject of an exciting visit. Especially since it features a fascinating exhibition on card games... A choice that owes nothing to chance insofar as the game of Skat was invented here in 1820. Moreover, the famous Altenburg maps, with their traditional figures, are still produced locally and are the pride of the city. Until 2011, we sometimes used Altenburg airport to go to Leipzig, which helped to raise the city's international profile. While Ryanair has now abandoned this small provincial airport, a detour to this destination from Leipzig, Gera or Jena is still worth it.