Erzgebirgstadion
As can be seen in my patchwork picture above (3 photos knitted together), the Erzgebirgstadion lies within a valley, the Lößnitz Valley, at the foot of one of the many hills and mountains in the Erzgebirge, the Ore Mountain Range.
Further down the hill (5 minutes on the free shuttle buses available on match days) is the centre of the small town of Aue-Bad Schlema, Saxony (population barely 20,000).
Today, the stadium has a capacity of c. 16,500. At one point, in its former configuration, it could hold as many as 26,000.
There has been a sports stadium in this location since 1928. Although gradually 'modernised' over the years, it still had a running track and mainly uncovered terraces / bench seating well into the 21st century, as this photo from 2006 shows:
Owned in DDR times by the SDAG Wismut uranium mining company, it passed into local authority ownership in 1991. Between 2015 and '17, the stadium then underwent extensive remodelling and modernisation. With the removal of the running track and the bringing of all stands closer to the pitch, it was turned into a pure football stadium, now covered on all sides. The floodlights, installed just before the fall of the Wall, remained.
For more photos, see my Erzgebirgstadion photo gallery.
Getting there from the town centre
From Aue-Bad Schlema station you can walk up the valley to the stadium in around 20 minutes. It is uphill all the way, mind you.
If you're not feeling that energetic, you can hop on a free shuttle bus to take you up the hill. This service begins around two and a half hours before kick-off. The buses start from Anton-Güntherplatz and also pick up at Postplatz (the latter being the more convenient if, like I did on my last visit, you're staying at the Hotel Blauer Engel).
The shuttle service is free.
Depending on the length of your planned stay in the area/Germany, it might be worth you getting a Deutschlandticket for unlimited use of local and regional public transport throughout the country, including for your journey to and from Aue-Bad Schlema. As the local Aue (Sachs) station isn't served by any of the fast express trains excluded from the D-Ticket, travelling on the slower regional trains that it does cover may not add much to your overall journey time. On my last trip, I did Aue to Berlin all the way on the D-Ticket.
If you're heading to Aue straight from a flight, the German international airport best located for the town is Leipzig-Halle. You could, however, also look at flying into Prague (less than 2 hours away by road).
Hotels close to the stadium
Within 2 miles - Easy to get to/from
Hotel Blauer Engel
A grand old hotel in the centre of Aue. I stayed here on my last visit, as did the members of the away club's 'Fanprojekt' support team. A slightly old-fashioned, but regal hotel. Lots of chunky wood around, plus, upstairs, various framed football shirts on the wall. Restaurant and bar are both said to be very good (sadly, I was there on a Sunday and both were closed that evening).
Haus Schlemetal Hotel
A 10-minute walk from Bad Schlema station (the stop before Aue (Sachs) if approaching from the north, e.g. from Zwickau). 10 minutes by car from the stadium. Bar, adjoining Indian restaurant, free WiFi and free parking.
Sächsisches Gemeinschafts-Diakonissenhaus ZION e. V.
Quiet accommodation run by a sisterhood in a parkland setting. 6 minutes by car or 45 minutes on foot from the stadium (20 minutes on foot to Postplatz to get the free shuttle bus). Simple, functional rooms.
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