Johanngeorgenstadt

Johanngeorgenstadt is a mining town the Saxon Ore Mountains near the border with the Czech Republic.

Understand
Founded in the 17th century by religious refugees from Bohemia, this town has a long mining tradition, from tin and iron to uranium. Pitchblende from here was used to discover the element of uranium and after World War II the SDAG Wismut (a deliberately deceptive name meaning "Bismuth", a harmless metal they definitely weren't after) searched for Uranium here and mined it in such a destructive fashion that large parts of the old town had to be torn down. The town immediately borders the Czech Republic and thanks to the Schengen Treaty you can simply walk across the border if you so chose.

Sleep
The town charges a "Gästetaxe" of per day for all who stay here. In exchange you'll get a guest card which gives you a rebate in many venues in and around town.

Go next
If you're coming from the German side, why not hop across the border to the Czech Republic? Karlovy Vary, one of the three corners of the West Bohemian Spa Triangle is only an hour away across a gorgeous mountain railway.