The Spargründe are two nearly parallel ravines just outside the town of Dohna in Saxony, tucked away beside the Müglitz valley yet largely overlooked by hikers. They offer a quiet, shaded escape into old deciduous forest, a peaceful contrast to the busier trails of Saxon Switzerland.

The lower section opens onto the western slope of the Müglitz valley, opposite the former castle mill. The paths wind through dense, shady beech and oak woodland, thinning out higher up into narrow stream valleys lined with rich undergrowth. The Kleiner Spargrund runs almost in a straight line, while the main Spargrund twists between rocky slopes, creating a wilder, more dramatic scene. The bedrock here is the distinctive Dohna granodiorite, occasionally exposed at the surface. It's a wonderfully quiet spot for a walk in any season, though spring and autumn light filtering through the canopy make it especially rewarding.

How to get there

• From Dohna, on foot from Altenberger Straße (S 178), following the railway embankment of the Müglitztalbahn - easy walk, duration depends on the chosen section
• Alternatively from the village of Sürßen, via the K 8767 road through the lower Sürßengrund section

Practical information

• The area is a 37.3-hectare nature reserve within the Müglitztal Natura 2000 site
• Access is on foot only; the entrance is partly hidden by the railway embankment
• Information boards can be found at the railway underpass and along the Spargrundbach stream

Interesting fact: quarrymen once cut granodiorite from the rocky ridge between the two valleys for building purposes, and both streams now flow underground through the lower section after the railway line was rerouted in the 1930s.