When talking about the Prince-Electors of Saxony, everyone is thinking of August the Strong. Few people know Augustus, Duke of Saxony, also called Father Augustus. He was born in Freiberg in 1526 and belonged to the House of Wettin, which had a great impact on Saxony. He left a memorial to himself, among others, with the construction of Augustusburg Castle on the Schellenberg mountain. Today, the castle is famous far beyond Saxony. It houses a motorcycle and coach museum, a museum of hunting and ornithology, as well as a youth hostel. The difference in altitude between the Zschopautal valley and the Schellenberg mountain is more than 200 m (656 ft). The opening of the Zschopautal Railway and growing tourism made a better connection between the town of Augustusburg and the nearby train station necessary. Consequently, the Augustusburg Cable Railway with a track gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) and a track length of 1,237 m (4,058 ft) was opened in 1911.
We absolutely recommend you visit Augustusburg Castle. You can get there by taking the Erzgebirgsbahn railway through the romantic Zschopautal valley to Erdmannsdorf stop. The valley station of the cable railway is directly opposite; and from the top station in Augustusburg, you will reach the castle after a few minues on foot.
