Discover Jonsdorf and its millstone quarries

Jonsdorf: Nature and the History of Millstones

Jonsdorf is located in the Zittau Mountains and is a year-round travel destination. The millstone quarries give the town a distinct cultural and historical focus: a hike along the heritage and nature trail can be combined with the history of sandstone quarrying. When planning a stay, you can therefore weigh up a specific route against other leisure activities.

The Millstone Quarries Heritage and Nature Trail

The Millstone Quarries Heritage and Nature Trail runs from Jonsdorf railway station to the Gondelfahrt car park. The hike is 4 kilometres long and takes about 2.5 hours. Along the way, you’ll pass volcanic features, the quarry blacksmith’s workshop, the Black Hole and viewpoints such as Carolafelsen. The stops combine nature and quarrying themes with scenic viewpoints. Trail conditions and dates for guided tours may vary; check them before your visit.

From Sandstone Quarrying to a Show Mine

The history of the area goes back a long way: sandstone was quarried in Jonsdorf for millstones for more than 350 years. Jonsdorf millstones were exported as far as Russia and England. The Black Hole quarry is home to a show mine, established in 2002. These export destinations illustrate the far-reaching reach of local production and add a perspective on the millstone trade to the local history.

Leisure activities in Jonsdorf include hiking, cycling, swimming, skiing and ice sports. At 4 kilometres and around 2.5 hours, the trail can be planned as a set block of time; the other options offer different kinds of activities. Check the seasonal opening hours of the relevant facilities before your trip. This will help you decide whether the trail should be the main focus or whether other activities are more important to your plans.

Cultural History in Görlitz

After a town fire, the Schönhof in Görlitz was rebuilt in the Renaissance style from 1526 onwards. Today, it is the main building of the Silesian Museum in Görlitz and is one of the oldest Renaissance buildings north of the Alps. The Holy Sepulchre in Görlitz was built between 1481 and 1504; the complex includes the Sepulchral Chapel, the Chapel of the Anointing and the Adam Chapel. It is also a unique replica of the holy sites of Jerusalem and the oldest surviving structure of its kind north of the Alps. These examples offer a different focus from Jonsdorf’s sandstone quarrying: here, Renaissance architecture and the history of a religious structure take centre stage.

St. Peter’s Church in Görlitz is also Saxony’s largest hall church and a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Its Sun Organ, built by Eugenio Casparini towards the end of the 17th century, can imitate bird calls. The Untermarkt, the historic heart of Görlitz, is lined with magnificent townhouses from the Renaissance and Baroque periods; the historic old town contains around 4,000 listed buildings and is one of the best-preserved ensembles in Central Europe.

Görlitz owes its prosperity, still visible today, and its extraordinary splendour to its location on the historic European trade route Via Regia, which once linked the trading regions of Thuringia and Saxony in the west with Silesia, Bohemia and Poland in the east.

Discover more destinations: Ostritz, Reichenbach/Oberlausitz, Niesky, Hainewalde, Bad Muskau, Oppach, Mittelherwigsdorf, Großhennersdorf

For the main travel overview: Görlitz.