Standing quietly on the market square of Bad Gottleuba, right in front of the old Gasthof Hillig, this stone column is a small but remarkable piece of 18th-century engineering. It's one of the historic Electoral Saxon postal distance columns, and it has quite a story to tell.

The spa town of Bad Gottleuba, part of the twin municipality Bad Gottleuba-Berggießhübel in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), makes for a relaxed stop whether you're hiking through the region or simply exploring its charming streets. The market square itself has a peaceful, small-town atmosphere, pleasant to wander through in any season — sunny summer afternoons or crisp winter mornings alike. Combine your visit with a walk through the surrounding hills or a stroll along the Gottleuba valley.

How to get there

• Market square, Bad Gottleuba — easy walk from the town centre, a few minutes, easy difficulty
• Accessible by car or bus to Bad Gottleuba-Berggießhübel, then a short walk to the square

Practical information

• Located directly in front of house number 13 (former Gasthof Hillig)
• Protected as a listed historical monument
• Erected in 1731 on the order of Elector Frederick Augustus I of Saxony
• Restored in 1877, 1935 and 1980/81

Remarkably, the column survived both the devastating town fire of 1865 and the major flood of the Müglitz river in 1927 — a true stone survivor of local history.