Catch your breath inland
There are moments when a breath is more than just routine—it is liberation, memory, and healing all at once. Anyone standing in front of a graduation tower knows this feeling: the air becomes thicker, tastes slightly salty, and with each breath, your chest seems to expand. Saxony, a state steeped in spa tradition, mining history, and vibrant cities, is home to several of these salt-air oases.
From the Körse Therme in Schirgiswalde-Kirschau to the Krauschwitz Adventure World, graduation towers attract visitors seeking not only health but also relaxation. They represent modern health architecture in a region traditionally known for its mining history and textile industry. Nestled between spa gardens, thermal baths, and the backdrop of Upper Lusatia and the Ore Mountains, they exude their own unique atmosphere.
But anyone who wants to experience salt air regularly encounters limitations here too: entrance fees, travel costs, entire afternoons that you have to free up. Over time, it all adds up – both financially and in terms of time. Many people are therefore starting to think about how to integrate the experience into their daily lives. Before we consider this idea, it's worth taking a look at the three graduation towers in Saxony – places where the air itself becomes an invitation to pause.
Schirgiswalde-Kirschau - Salt air in the Körse Therme
In Upper Lusatia, between Bautzen and Görlitz, lies the small town of Schirgiswalde-Kirschau. The Körse Therme spa at Badweg 3 houses a modern graduation tower integrated into the thermal spa landscape. The facility combines the wellness experience of the spa with the healing effects of salt air.
Visitors appreciate the opportunity to move directly to the graduation tower after a bath in the warm thermal water. Pores are opened, circulation is stimulated, and the saline air can take full effect. Many describe this transition as one of the most intense moments of their spa visit.
The Körse Therme is a modern facility that combines various health and wellness offerings under one roof. In addition to the graduation tower, there are thermal pools, saunas, and various treatments. The concept is aimed at both spa guests and day visitors from the region.
Upper Lusatia is a region with a rich history and culture. The Sorbian minority continues to shape the area today, and many places have bilingual signage. Visitors often combine a spa visit with a trip to the picturesque landscape of Upper Lusatia or a visit to one of the historic towns such as Bautzen or Görlitz.
Schirgiswalde-Kirschau itself is a quiet town that benefits from tourism in Upper Lusatia without being overcrowded. The Körse Therme thermal baths, with their graduation tower, are an important part of the local infrastructure and attract visitors from far and wide.
Krauschwitz - Salt air in the adventure world
Krauschwitz is located in the far east of Saxony, near the Polish border. This adventure world at Görlitzer Straße 28 features a graduation tower embedded in a comprehensive leisure and recreation concept. Unlike purely spa resorts, the focus here is on the experience – combining health with entertainment.
The graduation tower is part of a complex that also includes an outdoor pool, playgrounds, and dining options. Families can spend an entire day here: children can splash around in the water or on the playground, while adults enjoy the salt air and relax. This combination makes the Krauschwitz Adventure World particularly family-friendly.
The region around Krauschwitz is characterized by open-cast lignite mining and the resulting lakes. Structural change has left its mark here, but has also opened up new opportunities. The lake landscape is developing into a tourist hotspot, and the Krauschwitz Adventure World is part of this development.
Visitors from Dresden or Leipzig make the approximately one-hour drive to spend a day here. The combination of nature, relaxation, and salt air makes the place attractive. The region is a popular destination, especially in summer, when the lakes invite you to swim.
The graduation tower itself features a modern design and fits architecturally into the overall concept of the adventure world. The brine is channeled over blackthorn walls, creating a fine mist that fills the surrounding area with salty air. Benches and loungers invite you to linger.
Oelsnitz/Erzgebirge - Salt air on the edge of the Ore Mountains
Oelsnitz in the Ore Mountains is a former mining town that has reinvented itself in recent decades. The graduation tower at Bahnhofstraße 94 is a testament to this transformation—from a coal-mining town to a health resort.
The facility is located close to the city center and is easily accessible. For the local population, the graduation tower is an important health facility that is used regularly. Many residents incorporate the daily walk to the graduation tower into their routine—a form of preventative health that can be achieved without much effort.
Oelsnitz lies on the edge of the Ore Mountains, a region known for its mining tradition, folk art, and Christmas markets. For centuries, the Ore Mountains were one of Europe's most important mining regions. Today, the mines are closed, but history still shapes the region.
The graduation tower in Oelsnitz is part of a transformation that is moving the region away from heavy industry and toward tourism and healthcare. It is a symbol of renewal and demonstrates that even smaller towns can reposition themselves.
The graduation tower's architecture is functional and blends into its urban surroundings. It's not a monumental historical structure, but rather a contemporary healthcare infrastructure that meets the needs of today's users. The salty air is appreciated, especially by people with respiratory problems.
Conclusion: Salt air as a daily companion in Saxony
The three graduation towers in Saxony demonstrate the diverse range of salt air experiences. In Schirgiswalde-Kirschau, the graduation tower is part of a modern thermal spa complex that combines wellness and health. In Krauschwitz, the experience is the focus – combining salt air with leisure and family entertainment. In Oelsnitz, the graduation tower serves the local population as an everyday health resort.
Together, these three locations form a small network of salt air oases in Saxony. They are not as numerous as in other German states, but they demonstrate that even in a region without a long salt tradition, the healing effects of salt air are valued.
However, those who regularly visit these places also realize that time and costs add up. The Körse Therme thermal baths charge admission, as does the Krauschwitz Adventure World. Even the freely accessible graduation tower in Oelsnitz requires a longer journey for many visitors.
From Dresden to Schirgiswalde-Kirschau, it's about 60 kilometers, and to Krauschwitz, even more than 100 kilometers. From Leipzig to Oelsnitz, it's about 90 kilometers. With two visits per week, the travel costs add up considerably.
The alternative for everyday life
A mini-saltworks can be the answer. It brings the principle of large graduation towers to your home in a compact form, creating a microclimate that works independently of opening hours or travel times.
Compared to the recurring costs of spa park visits, the initial investment often pays for itself in just a few months. With an average spa entry fee of €15 and two visits per week, the monthly cost is €120, or €1,440 annually—plus travel expenses of several hundred euros.
This turns a special trip to Saxony's graduation towers into a daily ritual that supports the respiratory system, well-being, and peace within your own four walls - without replacing the magic of the graduation towers in the Körse Therme, the Krauschwitz Adventure World, or in Oelsnitz, but rather extending it into everyday life.
Saxon graduation towers remain special places for conscious relaxation. However, for daily respiratory care and the integration of salt air into a holistic health concept, a local mini-saltworks can be the ideal complement.
(Image sources: Adobe Stock)
