"GO GREEN" Days 2026
This September will see the fourth edition of the Chemnitz ‘Mach’s Grüner’ Days. As part of the event, Chemnitz’s urban nature organisations are putting together a varied programme for residents to learn about and get involved in.
Get in touch with your ideas
Do you have any further suggestions for upcoming events, or would you like to organise an event yourself in September? If so, please feel free to send us the relevant details to stadtnatur(at)stadt-chemnitz.de
Events across the country
The ‘Mach’s Grüner’ Days are taking place as part of the nationwide Climate Adaptation Week. You can find a wide range of in-person and online events across Germany here.
Programme Overview
| Date | Topic | Location/Meeting point | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 August 2026 to 20 September 2026 | CITY CYCLING Launch of the CITY CYCLING campaign. This year, Chemnitz will be cycling again from 31 August to 20 September 2026. Over the three-week campaign period, we want to collect and showcase as many kilometres cycled as possible together. The aim of the campaign is to improve cycle paths, create a liveable city and promote health. | City-wide | Register at www.stadtradeln.de/chemnitz > Further information |
Saturday 5 September 2026 10.00 am to approx. 11.30 am | Bird-song walk for children aged 3 to 10 Have you always wanted to know who’s tapping, chirping and giggling in the woods? Or how to tell a great tit from a blue tit? Then you’ve come to the right place! We’ll be taking a walk through the Zeisigwald to listen to and watch the birds. Please bring binoculars and a bird guidebook if you have them | Entrance to Zeisigwald: the forest road next to the police sports club | No booking required |
| Date | Topic | Meeting point | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
Tuesday8 September 2026 4.30 pm | AGENDA Advisory Board Public meeting of the City Council’s Advisory Board on sustainable urban development | City Council Chamber, Town Hall, Markt 1 | No registration required |
Thursday 10 September 2026 5.00 pm | Medicinal Plants From the meadow to your home medicine cabinet – on this herbal tour, we’ll reveal the green secrets of sage, yarrow and more. Come and be inspired, have a sniff, be amazed and perhaps even find a little ‘healing’! | Botanical Garden | Guided tour, free of charge, no booking required |
Saturday 12 September 2026 9.30 am to 3.00 pm | Apple harvest in the NABU orchard meadow First, we’ll harvest the apples, then use the fruit we’ve gathered to make NABU apple juice – regional, environmentally friendly and making a direct contribution to the conservation of valuable habitats. Please bring sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing. Refreshments will be provided. | Meeting point: Car park at the Botanical Gardens You’ll need to organise your own transport to the orchard. Contact for carpooling: info(at)nabu-rve.de | Free of charge, no registration required |
Sunday13 September 2026 10.00 am to 12.15 pm | Discover the world of herbs A group walk to recognise, identify and distinguish native wild herbs and edible plants, including information on their health benefits and culinary uses, as well as a small herbal snack. | Meeting point: Stadtpark (exact location to be announced after registration) | Adult Education Centre course, subject to a fee and registration |
Sunday 13 September 2026 3.00 pm to 8.00 pm | Chopping Party The Food Policy Council invites anyone interested in sustainable eating to join us for chopping, cooking, learning and eating together. | Röli Park near Subbotnik, access via Stadlerstraße or Vettersstraße | Free of charge, no booking required |
Sunday 13 September 2026 Various start times | CITY CYCLING Rally 11 tours set off from in and around Chemnitz and all converge at 4 pm at the Sattelfest in the Eissportzentrum. Together, you’ll arrive just before the European Peace Ride. | Various locations, depending on the route | Register at: https://mitdenken.sachsen.de/1065926 |
Date | Topic | Meeting point | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
Tuesday 15 September 2026 5.30 pm | AGENDA Mobility Group Public meeting on topics relating to sustainable mobility – information, discussion, networking. | Environmental Centre, Henriettenstraße 5 | No registration required |
Wednesday 16 September 2026 6.00 pm | In-house talk at the Environmental Centre A talk on the current status and trends in the bat population in Chemnitz | Environmental Centre, Henriettenstraße 5 | No booking required |
Thursday17 September 2026 5.00 pm | Plants of the Year This guided tour will explain which tree, which poisonous or medicinal plant, which vegetable or which perennial has been chosen as Plant of the Year, what makes them special and what their characteristics are. | Botanical Garden | Guided tour, free of charge, no booking required |
Thursday 17 September 2026 4.30 pm | City Cycling Closing Tour This year’s City Cycling 2026 closing ride is approximately 17 km long and suitable for anyone who enjoys cycling. The ride is inclusive, meaning the pace will be on the slower side, making it well suited for children too. More information at www.chemnitz.de/stadtradeln | Station forecourt | No registration required |
Thursday17 September 2026 5.00 pm | Fair After-Work Get-Together The Fairtrade Town Chemnitz steering group invites you to a ‘fair evening’. The exact programme is yet to be announced – there will definitely be a quiz of sorts and fair trade cocktails. | Johannisplatz, in front of the FAIRE-Welt-Laden | No booking required |
Saturday 19 September 2026 10.00 am | Sonnenberg litter-picking campaign It’s not our rubbish, but it’s our Sonnenberg! The Dreckweg collective invites you to a big litter-picking campaign. Equipment will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there! | Heinrich-Schütz-Straße (corner of Zietenstraße) | No registration required |
Saturday 19 September 2026 10.00 am to 6.00 pm | Autumn Festival at the Botanical Gardens The traditional Autumn Festival will once again take place on the grounds of the Botanical Garden, featuring pony rides, craft activities, an apple variety display, a tomato exhibition and a mushroom exhibition. The Stachelnasen will be there too. Food and drink will be available. | Botanical Garden | No booking required |
Saturday19 September 2026 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm | From the garden to the plate – all about apples and pears Do you have apples or pears from your own garden or from a traditional orchard and would like to make delicious products from them? | Ideengarten, Reinhardtstr. 24 | Free of charge (donations welcome), no booking required |
Saturday 19 September 2026 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm | Speed dating under the apple tree On Saturday 19 September 2026, the BUND Fruit Teaching Garden in Chemnitz City Park is hosting an open-air speed-dating event. From 5.00 pm, singles aged between around 25 and 40 can get to know new people through short conversations. | BUND Fruit Teaching Garden, Dittersdorfer Straße 35 | Free of charge, but please register by 12 September 2026 at apfeldate(at)gmail.com |
Sunday 20 September 2026 10.00 am | Kaßberg litter-picking campaign Even the lovely Kaßberg has a litter problem. That’s why we’re calling for a big litter-picking campaign. Let’s go for a litter-picking walk together and get to know one another. Please bring gloves, litter pickers and bin bags. | Andrepark Kaßberg, at the roundabout | No registration required |
Sunday 20 September 2026 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm | Autumn Festival in the Ideengarten There’ll be plenty of lovely activities at the Autumn Festival once again: the mobile apple press will be ready and waiting for you, and you can also get advice on all things apple from apple expert Reiner Amme from BUND. Delicious honey from beekeeper Thomas Koch will be on sale, and we’ll be cooking together with the Food Policy Council over the campfire. For those interested, there’ll also be a fire-starting workshop where you can learn how to light a fire without a lighter. There’ll also be a raffle with great prizes. | Ideengarten, Reinhardtstraße 24 | No booking required |
| Date | Topic | Meeting point | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
21 September 2026, Monday 10.00 | When Plants Evoke Memories This special guided tour of the Botanical Garden invites people with dementia and their carers to discover plants in a gentle and sensory way. The tour is designed to be accessible, with no time pressure and plenty of little moments to engage the senses. It offers an opportunity for shared positive experiences, socialising and relaxation in nature. | Botanical Garden | Guided tour; booking required via botanischergarten(at)stadt-chemnitz.de Cost: €9.50 / €5 (concession) |
Tuesday 22 September 2026 4.30 pm to 6.45 pm | Forest restoration and conservation in the age of climate change (Zeisigwald) On this short walk, you’ll find over 20 different tree species – all of which have their own preferences or are influenced by wildlife. Added to this are woody shrub species and the influence of ground vegetation. Through the interplay of location, climate and | Final stop on route 51, Bethanien Clinic | Free of charge, registration required |
Tuesday 22 September 2026 5.30 pm | AGENDA Ecology Group Public meeting focusing on ecology, tree conservation and changing values – information, discussion and networking. | Environmental Centre, Henriettenstraße 5 | No registration required |
Wednesday 23 September 2026 4.00 pm | Guided tour focusing on ecological compensation areas Eberhard Flöter, a member of the Saxon Ornithologists’ Association (Verein der sächsischen Ornithologen e.V.), will take you on an exciting guided tour through the beautiful Chemnitz Valley. This area is home to several ecological compensation areas and many unique plant and animal species. Mr Flöter has a wealth of knowledge to share about the history of these ecological compensation areas. It’s best to bring a pair of binoculars. | Chemnitz Valley Cycle Route rest area near the Gasthof Draisdorf bus stop (Fischweg Bridge) | No booking required |
Thursday 24 September 2026 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm | Conserving resources: using ‘depot.social’ in Chemnitz On this evening, the Chemnitz Community Foundation will be presenting ‘depot.social’, a concrete project in Chemnitz that brings together sustainability, community action and creative ideas. You’ll learn how the platform can be used to share under-utilised resources and connect local initiatives and organisations. ‘depot.social’ thus opens up new avenues for socio-ecological urban development. | Adult Education Centre at TIETZ, Classroom 4.62 | Free of charge, registration required |
Sunday27 September 2026 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm | From the garden to the plate – fermenting vegetables Together, we’ll discover the art of fermentation and preserve seasonal vegetables naturally. Whether it’s cabbage or root vegetables – we’ll transform fresh ingredients into aromatic, vibrant fermented produce bursting with flavour. | Bunte Erde Intercultural Garden, Franz-Mehring-Straße 39 | Free of charge (donations welcome), no booking required |
Sunday27 September 2026 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm | Herbs for women in every stage of life Many native plants contain hormone-like compounds that can be used to support women’s health. In this course, we draw on the ancient healing wisdom of our ancestors, combined with modern knowledge of medicinal plants. | Botanical Garden | Seminar, €50 including materials, course notes, coffee and a light snack |
| Date | Topic | Meeting point | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
Tuesday 29 September 2026 4.30 pm to 6.45 pm | Forest restoration and conservation in the age of climate change (Rabensteiner Forest) Exploring wildlife in the forest. On this short walk, you’ll find over 20 different tree species – all of which have their own preferences or are influenced by wildlife. | Car park on Grünaer Straße, Rabenstein | Free of charge, registration required |
Tuesday 29 September 2026 5.00 pm to 7.15 pm | Hidden Diversity – The World of Fungi First of three course sessions: Fungi are an often-overlooked but essential part of our ecosystem. In this course, we’ll explore them from an artistic and nature-centred perspective: through observation, drawing and hands-on activities. You will learn to understand fungi in their natural habitat, capture their forms and make creative use of their diverse properties, for example in the production of paper, ink or paints. The course combines perception, creativity and knowledge, and opens up a new, mindful approach to nature. | TIETZ Adult Education Centre | Adult Education Centre course, subject to a fee and registration > Further information and registration
|
Wednesday 30 September 2026 5.00 pm | Blown away, carried off and sprouting This talk will explore the dispersal strategies of plants. How can sessile organisms spread across vast parts of the world? What mechanisms do they use, and what different strategies have been developed over the course of evolution? | Botanical Garden | Lecture/guided tour, free of charge, no booking required |
Highlights from recent years
INTERLACE
Text 2025
Chemnitz is blossoming
2024 proved to be a particularly exciting year for young people in Chemnitz: at the end of September, pupils in Years 2 to 5 were able to take part in the ‘NBS x Minecraft’ project. This gave them the opportunity to use the game ‘Minecraft’ to design green solutions for the city, whilst learning in a playful way how nature-based solutions (NBS) can help tackle local challenges such as climate change.
BUGG Forum
As well as an Urban Nature Slam, at which poets shared their thoughts on urban nature, there was also an Urban Nature Walk in 2023, during which participants were guided through the city’s green oases. The programme was complemented by a World Café and various workshops that explored the topic of biodiversity in depth.