Geographical Situation The town of Coswig and its municipalities of Kötitz, Brockwitz, Sörnewitz and Neusörnewitz are
situated on the right-hand side of the Elbe valley between Dresden, the capital of Saxony and the district town of Meißen. The railway lines, which both run through Coswig, connect Dresden with Leipzig and Berlin.
Important Historical Facts
3000 B.C. |
First settlement in the neolithicum. |
1420 |
The Karras family is the ruling dynasty in the area. |
1839 |
Construction of the first Saxon railway line. |
1891 |
The composer Eugen d'Albert and the world-renowned pianist Teresa Carreno live in Kötitz from this date until 1895. |
1913 |
The opening of the 'Wettinstift' (the Wettin Foundation). Today it is the nursing home in Coswig. |
1929 |
Coswig is connected to the tram system, being linked to Dresden. |
1935 |
The municipality of Kötitz is united with Coswig. |
1939 |
On 21 September 1939, Coswig receives the right to
call itself a town. At this point it has 10,000 inhabitants (today there are about 24,000). |
1950 |
The villages of Brockwitz and Sörnewitz are united with Coswig as part of the administration reform. |
1993 |
Opening of the new BÖRSE. This building offers cultural and art events such as concerts, cabarets, dances and exhibitions. |
Historical Attractions (Link to german page)
Old St. Peter and Paul’s Church
 The
Old Church of Coswig is said to be one of the most beautiful village
churches in Saxony. In 1497, the nobleman Nicol von Karras made a
donation for the church to be built. Gothic structures tell about
this time. In 1611/1612 the building was changed considerably.
Typical of the time is the Renaissance tower which shows a
curiosity: a one-finger clock.
Inside, the church is richly
decorated with Renasissance paintings showing figures and lessons
from the Bible. Rococo paintings on the second balcony tell about
later changes. In 2002, a thourough renovation of the interior was
finished.
The organ from the early 17th
century is a rare and precious instrument the origin of which is not
known. The case was built between 1760-1770, and the whole organ was
reconstructed in 1998, keeping the old meantone temperament and the
17th century’s pitch: it is tuned to 465 Hz.
In 1903, a new and bigger St.
Peter and Paul’s church was consecrated a few steps away. Next to
the Old Church, a new social centre was built by the congregation in
2001.
In Summer, services and
concerts are held in the Old Church
 Baroque
village church of Brockwitz
The church of Brockwitz was
first mentioned in 1205. In 1571, a fire devastated the whole
village and most of the church, leaving only the tower that until
now has kept its Renaissance shape. Today’s baroque church was built
in 1737. Paintings from this period had been covered in later times
but have been restored in 1984. The exterior was renovated in 2000.
Service on Sundays 9.30 a.m.
Open to visitors from Mai to October from Tuesday to Saturday
9.30-11.30 a.m./ 3.00-5.00 pm
Villa Teresa
 The
classicist Villa from
1874 was the home of the composer Eugen d'Albert (1864-1932) und his
wife, the pianist Teresa
Carreño (1853-1917), from 1891-1895. Today, there is a centre of
chamber music with a concert hall and a library on the Beletage and
a small museum telling about the artists on the upper floor. The
Villa is surrounded by a large park with a lake, a Japanese pavillon
and the composer’s pavillon based on a grotto. The house can be
hired for private festivities, and there are three apartments for a
calm and pleasant stay.
The 'Talkenberger Hof'
Coswig used to be known as the 'Town of Gardens', and not without good reason. Since 1783, half of the land has been cultivated with vine. Around 1607, the first vineyard was founded- the 'Talkenberger Hof', which still stands today.
Some Culture and Arts (Link to german page)
Börse Coswig
 The
concert house Börse offers a beautiful classicist ballroom which can be used as
a conference-hall, a meeting-room and a restaurant. It was completely restored
in 1993. Concerts can be held for up to 1.100 guests. Minor rooms house 120 or
15 people. The restaurant offers mainly food, wines and beer from the region.
Six double-rooms are situated on the top-floor. There is even a skittle-alley
for public use.
Karrasburg Museum Coswig
An old villa houses a
permanent exhibition over Coswig’s history from the stone-age on,
touching the periods of Slavonic and German settlement, the medieval
Karras noblemen, viniculture, fishing and gardening in Coswig and
the time of industrialization. Changing exhibitions are added.
Original Saxon Blue Print
You may visit the studio of an old craft: special printing and dying of clothes. There is a little exhibition with explanations. Address:
Hohensteinstr. 82, Tel. (0049) 3523-72993
Open:
Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. / Sat. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Public Transport (Link to german page) Railway Dresden-Leipzig from station of Coswig, suburban train to Dresden and Meissen; Autobahn A4 (Dresden-Chemnitz) and A14 (Dresden-Leipzig) are near.
Airport of Dresden reachable in 30 min. (18 km).
Walking and Biking Coswig and its surroundings are ideal for walking and biking. The forest reserve of Friedewald offers various opportunities to experience the nature of the
area. Between 1990 and 1993, three walking trails were laid to lead visitors through the beautiful landscape. On these routes, information boards tell of the history, geography and biology of the area.
 Between Sörnewitz and Meißen is the 'Bosel',
an imposing rock and vantage point, 182 metres high, giving good views of the valley. There is also a botanical garden on top of the Bosel. The 'Elberadweg' (the Elbe cycleway) offers 7.5 km of biking in Coswig alone. It is also possible to cycle through the whole of Saxony on the path, as it will stretch from Schmilka to Torgau
along the river.
Public Swimming Bath and Campground (Link to german page) In the 'Badesee Kötitz' (Feldweg 40) one can swim and relax (only from may to october). Since May 2002 there is also a new campground for tents and vans.
Accommodation (Link to german page) Coswig offers a wide range of accommodation at very reasonable prices:
- *Historische Spitzgrundmühle, Am Spitzberg 2
- *Förster's Stammlokal Sörnewitz, Zaschendorfer Str. 15
- *Pension zur Bosel Sörnewitz, Dresdner Str. 314
- *Herberge mit Handwerkhof Sörnewitz, Dresdner Str. 313
- *BÖRSE Coswig, Hauptstr. 29
- Pension Lindengut, Brockwitzer Str. 7a
- Ratspension, Hauptstr. 24-28
(* These places also have a restaurant.)
Restaurants and Cafés
(Link to german page)
- Historische Spitzgrundmühle, Am Spitzberg 2
- Am Talkenberger Hof, Am Talkenberger Hof 15
- Deutsche Eiche, Dresdner Str.100
- Gasthof Kötitz, Kötitzer Str. 48
- Gaststätte "Erholung" , Spitzgrundstr. 11
Contact: Tourism Information Coswig (Link to german page) Ask here for all informations, accommodation service, tickets and so on.
Address:
in the townhall of Coswig
Karrasstr. 2, D-01640 Coswig, Tel. (0049) 3523-66330
Mail:
PF 1110, D-01631 Coswig
Open:
Monday -
Thursday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. / Friday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. / Saturday: 9 - 12 a.m. |