The coal mining industry shaped the development and appearance of the Zwickau region over a period of around 700 years. Although the city's last coal mine was closed in 1978, the industry has left behind a strong legacy to remind Zwickau's residents and visitors, alike, of its centuries-old history.
As such, tell-tale fields and street names, as well as dumps and former mine shafts, can still be spotted around the city today, thus keeping the memory of the Zwickau coal mining industry alive. This educational trail through Bockwa and Oberhohndorf guides visitors to some of the most heavily frequented areas of the former Zwickau coal mining industry.
The trail offers a stark reminder of this age-old tradition and reveals some (nearly) forgotten facts about the industry. You can start the trail at the miner's memorial just off of Schedewitz bridge over the Mulde, or at the Matthäuskirche (St Matthäus' Church) in the Bockwa district.