Fichtelberg

The Fichtelberg above Oberwiesenthal is the highest mountain in Saxony at 3,986 feet (1,214.88 m), and in Cold War times it was the highest peak in East Germany. Its summit, crowned by the Fichtelberghaus with its lookout tower and a century-old weather station, looks out over the Ore Mountains and into the Czech Republic. You can ride up on Germany's oldest aerial cable car, drive or hike, which makes it an easy excursion in summer and a snowy playground in winter.

Why visit the Fichtelberg

The mountain rises just under a mile north of the Czech border, above Kurort Oberwiesenthal, the highest town in Germany. A weather station has recorded daily observations here since January 1, 1916. About 2.5 miles away, on the Czech side, rises the Klínovec (Keilberg), the highest point of the whole Ore Mountains range; together the two peaks form the region's main winter sports area.

The Fichtelberg cable car

Opened in December 1924, the Fichtelberg-Schwebebahn is Germany's oldest aerial cableway. Its cabins carry 40 passengers each over a distance of 3,855 feet (1,175 m) and a climb of 994 feet (303 m) in just under four minutes. Dogs, strollers and bikes ride free, and wheelchair users can board without steps.

Hours and tickets (as of October 2026):

• Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., every 15 minutes or as needed; it stops in thunderstorms or high wind
• Closed for maintenance November 2–17, 2026
• Round trip €18 for adults, €13 for children aged 7 to 15; one way €12 / €10
• Family round trip (2 adults, 2 children) €53

Things to do on the summit

• See the Fichtelberghaus, a hotel and restaurant with a lookout tower. The hotel has been closed for modernization since March 2026 and is due to reopen in December 2026; the Erzgebirgsstuben restaurant was to stay open during the work.
• Visit the weather station, one of Germany's longest-running mountain observatories.
• Enjoy the view across the Ore Mountains into Bohemia.

How to get to the Fichtelberg

• By car: Oberwiesenthal is about 2 hours from Dresden and about an hour from Chemnitz. A road branches off the B95 highway and climbs to summit parking lots.
• By train: Ride the steam-hauled narrow-gauge Fichtelbergbahn, running since 1897, from Cranzahl up to Oberwiesenthal, then walk to the cable car station on Vierenstraße.
• On foot: The climb from town is about 4 miles (6.6 km) with roughly 1,250 feet of elevation gain.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you are exploring Saxony or the UNESCO-listed Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region. On clear days the views are wide, and the historic cable car is an attraction in itself. In winter, rime-frosted trees turn the summit into an ice garden.