Lugau: Mining History and Culture

Lugau brings together cultural history and the heritage of coal mining. When planning your trip, permanent cultural sites are just as relevant as trails with different routes: the Church of the Cross, Villa Facius, and the churchyard stand alongside the Coal Trail and the Coal Railway Cycle Path. Lugau’s participation in the PURPLE PATH sculpture exhibition and a leisure attraction explicitly open in summer round out the picture. The area offers everything from architectural history and memories of mining to hiking and cycling trails.

Culture and Mining History

Since 1954, the church in Lugau has been known as the “Church of the Cross.” It was built in three phases and extended in 1842/43, 1883, and 1906. Its furnishings include an organ made by the Ladegast company in Weißenfels. The “Old Bell Tower” is another historic landmark: its two bells are 500 and 700 years old, respectively. The building phases, organ, and bells provide different ways to explore the history of the church and the tower.

The churchyard is the final resting place of 101 victims of the mining disaster at the “Neue Fundgrube” mine on July 1, 1867. This memorial site makes a specific coal-mining event part of Lugau’s local history.

The “Villa Facius” cultural center houses the municipal library, the gallery and town museum, the Kulturhof, and a multipurpose room. Several cultural facilities are located here, making it a different kind of focal point from the architectural history of the Church of the Cross and the memorial in the churchyard. Lugau is also part of the PURPLE PATH sculpture exhibition. This exhibition connection adds another cultural highlight to the historic buildings and memorial sites.

Trails in the Former Coal-Mining District

The Coal Trail is an 18 km circular hiking trail through the former Lugau-Oelsnitz coal-mining district. The Coal Railway Cycle Path follows former railway infrastructure used for coal mining in the same district. The trails have different emphases: one is a circular hike through the former mining district; the other follows former mining railway lines.

The Coal Railway Cycle Path is currently developed from Lugau town center for more than 8 kilometers to the Mittelbach industrial estate. A 6 km long, 2.50 m wide asphalt section is open to cyclists, walkers, and inline skaters. These figures describe different aspects: more than 8 kilometers refers to the currently developed route as far as the stated destination, while 6 km in length and 2.50 m in width refer to the asphalt section. If you are planning to use the cycle path, check its current development status, as it may change.

In summer, the municipal swimming pool at Steegenwald is one of Lugau’s leisure facilities and has a large water slide. Its seasonal availability distinguishes it from the historic cultural and mining attractions and should be taken into account when planning your visit.

Discover more destinations: Tannenberg, Grünhain-Beierfeld, Stützengrün, Großolbersdorf, Dorfchemnitz, Bad Schlema, Marienberg, Krumhermersdorf

Return to the regional travel overview: Erzgebirgskreis.