Standing at 1018 m above sea level, Auersberg is the highest peak in the western Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) of Saxony, and it rewards visitors with something genuinely special: the oldest stone observation tower in the entire Ore Mountains, built in 1860, paired with a cosy mountain inn right at the summit. It is the kind of place that feels both historic and welcoming.

The slopes are cloaked in dense spruce and rowan forest that has been under nature protection since the 1960s, giving the mountain a wild, undisturbed feel. In summer the forest is lush and cool, in autumn the rowans blaze red, and a dusting of snow in winter turns the whole ridge into a classic Erzgebirge scene. From the 18-metre tower platform the views sweep across rolling forested ridges and, on clear days, reach deep into the Czech side of the border. The atmosphere is quiet and authentic — a real contrast to more crowded Saxon peaks.

• Wildenthal (car park near the summit) — 'Schlangenweg' (Snake Path), 6 switchbacks along the toboggan run, easy, approx. 15–20 min on foot
• Wildenthal — via the village cemetery and Mittelflügel ridge to the summit dome, alternative easy route
• Wildenthal centre — 'Zickzackweg', connects to the Schlangenweg, easy
• By bike: the 'Auersbergkönig' route starts at Blauenthaler Wasserfall waterfall and follows the Großen Bockau valley to the top; Auersberg is also a stage on the Stoneman Miriquidi MTB trail

• Berggasthof Auersberg mountain inn is open at the summit (reopened May 2018)
• A car park is accessible right next to the observation tower
• A bilingual (German-Czech) nature trail 'Bergwaldgarten Auersberg' has been open on the eastern slope since 2011
• The distinctive radar dome of the SREM Deutsche Flugsicherung installation is visible at the summit — a curious local landmark once nicknamed the 'Stasi-Moschee'

Keep an eye out for the famous 'Auersberg-Buche', a remarkable solitary beech tree that has become the symbol of this summit — and at the foot of the hill you will find a monument to the last bear ever killed on Auersberg, a reminder of the days when Saxon electors hunted red deer and capercaillie across these slopes.