Please sign in to post.

Prague day trip to Freiberg & Seiffen?

Posted by (Pennsylvania) on

My wife and I will be on a Budapest-to-Nuremberg river cruise in early December followed by a few days in Prague. Is a day trip from Prague to Freiberg and Seiffen possible and worth the travel time? We would plan to hire a car and driver to get us there. It would be on a weekday and staying overnight is not possible. Is weather (snow) a possible concern for driving in the Ore Mountains in early December?

We enjoy walking and viewing architecture, shops, Christmas atmosphere, learning about other cultures, etc. I've read several articles about these towns so I believe they are worth visiting. I'm just not sure if that is possible and/or wise to do from Prague.

Would it be better to consider a day trip to Dresden or Cesky Krumlov? Several of the popular day-trip castles near Prague (including Cesky Krumlov) are closed in December, or at least on the day we have available.

Thanks!

Posted by
2639 posts

certainly possible but at that time of year you don't get a great deal of daylight . Never been there do can't comment but if it is on your must do list then go for it.
As to a driver ,contact this company.
http://www.praguetransport.com/
though an airport shuttle company they do so much more and the company is owned and run by an American and his Czech wife.

Posted by
868 posts

Getting there from Prague by public transport takes a long time (Freiberg) or is almost impossible (Seiffen), but by car it's quite easy. Snow can be a problem, but usually not in early December.

Freiberg and Seiffen are good choices, especially during Advent. Seiffen will be packed with tourists, who leave around 3 or 4pm, and most shops close one or two hours later. People who go there for some serious shopping usually visit the village very early or very late to avoid the crowds.
I would recommend to visit Seiffen first, since it shuts down after 5pm. In the afternoon see Freiberg. The two main sights are the cathedral and the mineral collection at the castle, but the town itself is completely preserved and quite beautiful. After sightseeing, when it gets dark, visit the Christmas market (10am - 8pm, Fr + Sa 10am - 10pm).
You didn't tell us on which day you plan your visit, but please note that some of the big miners parades in this area are in early December: Dec 05 (5pm) in Freiberg, and Dec 06 (5pm) in Olberhau, which is between Freiberg and Seiffen. Freiberg will be very crowded on that day, and parking will be a problem.

Christmas market: watch out for Stollen from Dresden and gingerbread (use Google Translate) from Pulsnitz (especially the "Spitzen") . Both are traditional Christmas products from Saxony, and both are often handmade, which means more expensive is better. A traditional cake from Freiberg is the Eierschecke btw.

Here is a nice gallery of Freiberg with some infos:
Freiberg in Saxony

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.