Glass and a narrow-gauge railway offer two distinctive ways to explore Weißwasser/O.L.: the Glass Museum connects Lusatian glass with the town’s history, while the Muskau Forest Railway explores technical and landscape themes. When planning your trip, consider whether your main interests are industrial history, railways, ice sports, or the Geopark landscape.
Glass History in Weißwasser
The permanent exhibition at the Glass Museum is devoted to 150 years of Lusatian glass. It places the development of glass production in Upper Lusatia in the context of Weißwasser’s history. The building also adds its own historical note: the museum is housed in a former industrialist’s villa built in 1924.
The history of the glass industry spans several distinct periods. Eleven glassworks were built in Weißwasser between 1872 and 1903. A later milestone is Wilhelm Wagenfeld: the Bauhaus student was artistic director of the Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke in Weißwasser from 1935 to 1947. These dates provide insight into both the site’s earlier development and a later period of glass design and production.
Forest Railway and Technical Insights
The Muskau Forest Railway is a 600 mm narrow-gauge railway connecting the park landscapes of Kromlau and Bad Muskau. The forest railway in Weißwasser is one of the highlights of the Muskau Arch UNESCO Global Geopark. The Forest Railway Museum explains technical features of the railway, including the diamond-shaped chimney of a steam locomotive.
The Forest Railway Museum and the Visitor Information Center are a two-minute walk from Weißwasser-Teichstraße station; arriving by train is also possible. Check the latest visitor information before your visit. There is also a terrace restaurant operated by the forest railway at Teichstraße station. Check in advance for specific details about its operating hours. The forest railway’s operations may change, so it is advisable to check the latest timetables before planning a ride.
Ice Sports and Events
The Weißwasser Ice Arena offers public skating with music. It also hosts events intended to attract visitors outside the ice season. These offer different reasons to visit: skating is a specific leisure activity, while the events program provides another way to experience the arena. Public skating hours and event dates may change; check both for your travel dates.
The Muskau Arch Landscape
Around Bad Muskau, glacial moraines and a post-mining landscape with lakes shape the Muskau Arch. The UNESCO Global Geopark has ten themed cycling and hiking trails. Alongside the town’s history and industrial heritage, you can explore landscape-related themes in a variety of ways.
When planning your stay, it helps to decide on the activities you want to do and their dates first. Would you like to focus on glass history, include the forest railway, go ice skating or attend events, or explore the Geopark landscape? Then check the relevant visitor information, timetables, and dates.
Discover more destinations: Beiersdorf, Rothenburg/Oberlausitz, Lawalde, Mittelherwigsdorf, Rietschen, Seifhennersdorf, Leutersdorf, Königshain.
For the overview of the wider region: Görlitz.
