First World Heritage Visitor Center Opens in the Ore Mountains

Seven years after the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region was designated a World Heritage Site, the first of six visitor centers in the German-Czech border region is now opening. It is now located in the historic town center of Marienberg on the market square and is intended to serve as a first point of contact and guide for visitors. 

The opening marks another milestone in the development of the visitor infrastructure at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, explained Minister of Culture and Tourism Barbara Klepsch (CDU). “It provides orientation, helps visitors understand the bigger picture, and offers very personal insights into the region’s past and present.” 

Additional visitor centers are planned for these locations

On the Saxon side, there will be four visitor centers in the future: in addition to Marienberg, there will also be centers in Annaberg-Buchholz, Schneeberg, and Freiberg. On the Czech side, such centers are to be built in Jáchymov (Joachimsthal) and Krupka (Graupen).

For more than 800 years, mining has shaped the cultural landscape of the Ore Mountains and the region’s traditions. The World Heritage region is correspondingly diverse. It comprises 22 components, 17 of which are on the German side. These include the Marienberg Old Town, the Grünthal smelting complex, the high-medieval silver mines of Dippoldiswalde, and the Freiberg mining landscape—including the Old Town and the mining water management system—as well as evidence of uranium mining in the 20th century. 

What Awaits Visitors at the World Heritage Center

The visitor centers are not intended to be traditional museums, but rather modern information and education hubs that provide orientation, explain contexts, and facilitate access to the World Heritage Site, as the Erzgebirge World Heritage Association explained. This makes them points of contact for anyone wishing to discover the mining region. Each facility is to have its own thematic focus and highlight a specific facet of the World Heritage Site.

In Marienberg, for example, the focus is on the more than 50 mining towns and how the complex infrastructure—both above and below ground—has shaped the Ore Mountains over the centuries. From the visitor center, guests can immerse themselves directly in the town, which was built in the 16th century according to the ideals of the Italian Renaissance. This includes the nearly 1.8-hectare square market plaza, complete with the town hall and a bronze monument to the town’s founder, Duke Henry of Saxony.

Following a ceremony with about 100 invited guests, Marienberg will celebrate the new visitor center this Friday starting at 4:00 p.m. with a public opening followed by an ice disco. Guided tours and hands-on activities will also be organized during the opening weekend.