Schloss Wildeck 1, 09405, Zschopau, Saxony Germany

Wildeck Castle, built on the foundations of a weir system from the 12th century, watched over the ford on the Zschopau day and night. Refugees and traders who were once on the "Bohemian Steig" between the merchant metropolis of Leipzig and the royal city of Prague found protection here. Originally, they mainly transported salt from the Halle region to Bohemia, which is why the route is also known as the "Salt Road". Today, only the "Fat Henry" (orig. “Dicker Heinrich”), a residential and watchtower over 30 meters high with walls several meters thick, testifies to the defiant military complex. The former Wildeck Castle was converted into a far less martial hunting lodge by Duke Moritz of Saxony in the middle of the 16th century and served as the seat of the local forest and game mastery from the 17th to the early 20th century. Today, the white Renaissance castle, visible from afar, is home to several museums that are particularly dedicated to the industrial history of the region.