Workers' accommodation in Altenberg and Dippoldiswalde: what we offer and what to check first

If you need to house a crew in the Eastern Ore Mountains (Osterzgebirge) for a few weeks, you rarely have time for long research. You need free beds, a price you can budget with and someone who answers the phone. In Germany this kind of accommodation is called a Monteurzimmer – a room for fitters and tradespeople on assignment. Below is everything we can say for certain about our two houses, plus a list of things worth clarifying with any landlord before booking, including us.

Two houses, two different solutions

Our two places are just over 20 kilometres apart and quite different. For work crews that is useful: you can choose by site location and team size.

Altenberg suits a team where everyone wants to close their own door in the evening and nobody wants to queue for the shower in the morning. Each of the eight rooms has its own bathroom with toilet. Cooking happens in the shared kitchen.

Dippoldiswalde suits a crew that lives together and cooks for itself. Both apartments have their own kitchen and a washing machine – after a week on scaffolding, that is not a luxury.

What it costs per person

Our prices are per room or apartment per night and depend only on the number of guests. All extra costs are included. That gives these examples:

• One worker alone in a room, Altenberg: €70 per night.
• Two colleagues sharing a room, Altenberg: €70 per night, i.e. €35 each.
• Three people in the larger room, Altenberg: €100 per night.
• Four colleagues in the smaller apartment, Dippoldiswalde: €110 per night, €27.50 each.
• Five colleagues in the larger apartment, Dippoldiswalde: €120 per night, €24 each.
• The whole Altenberg house with 17 people: 7 × €70 + €100 = €590 per night.

Under our terms, payment is due on arrival, in cash or by bank transfer, unless agreed otherwise. We have not published special long-stay rates. If your job runs for several weeks, talk to us.

Checklist: questions to ask every landlord

Workers' rooms are often booked in a hurry, and the disappointment comes on the first evening. Clarify these points beforehand, with us or anyone else:

1. Invoice. Does your accounts department need an invoice in the company's name? Ask whether and in what form the landlord can issue one. Overnight stays in Germany carry 7% VAT; small businesses under the Kleinunternehmer rule show no VAT at all. We are a Kleinunternehmer under § 19 UStG, so our invoices show no VAT. If you need an invoice in your company's name, please tell us when you enquire.
2. Beds. Two colleagues rarely want to share a double bed. Ask how the beds are arranged in each room.
3. Parking. A van with a trailer needs more space than an estate car. In Altenberg you park right by the house, and in Dippoldiswalde there is a parking space too; both are included in the price. Whether a van with a trailer fits, we will tell you on the phone.
4. Late arrival. Anyone driving in after a shift from Bavaria or Poland seldom arrives before 8 pm. Check-in with us is from 3 pm. In both Altenberg and Dippoldiswalde you collect the key yourself from a key box with a code, even late in the evening.
5. Laundry. Is there a washing machine, and can work clothes go in it? In Dippoldiswalde each apartment has its own; in Altenberg there is a shared washing area. We will describe exactly what is there if you ask.
6. Kitchen and fridge. In a shared kitchen several rooms cook at the same time in the evening. If your team stays in Altenberg, plan for two meal shifts.
7. Wi-Fi. Important for reports, drawings and the evening call home. Both houses have free Wi-Fi.
8. Extending and cancelling. Building schedules slip. Ask how short-notice an extension can be. Cancellation with us is not free of charge; we give you the exact terms before your booking becomes binding.
9. ID. Staff without a German passport must fill in a registration form (Meldeschein) on arrival, so passports or ID cards belong in the glovebox.

Getting to the site

The main road is the B170: it runs from Dresden via Dippoldiswalde and Altenberg to the Czech border at Zinnwald, bypassing the centre of Dippoldiswalde since the 1990s. The figures below come from a route planner and assume clear roads; rush hour towards Dresden and snow add time.

Without a company vehicle it is harder but doable. The PlusBus 360 links Dresden main station with Dippoldiswalde and Altenberg. From Altenberg the Müglitztalbahn (RB 72) also runs to Heidenau, where the S-Bahn to Dresden stops. Timetables are on the website of the regional transport association Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe (VVO). More on rail, bus and road is in our guide to getting to the Eastern Ore Mountains.

Winter on the ridge: what crews should know

Altenberg sits at about 750 metres, Dippoldiswalde almost 400 metres lower. In winter you notice the difference. When it rains in Dippoldiswalde it can snow in Altenberg, and at six in the morning the roads up on the ridge are often icy. In snow and ice German traffic law requires winter tyres, vans included. The B170 also carries plenty of lorries heading for the border.

A simple rule of thumb follows. If the site is around Dresden, Freital or Pirna, Dippoldiswalde is the easier choice in winter. If you are working in Altenberg, Geising, Glashütte or near the border, a room in Altenberg saves you the daily climb. More about snow up here is in Winter in Altenberg.

Shopping and after work

Altenberg has an EDEKA and a Netto supermarket, so you don't need to drive down to the valley for the weekly shop. In Dippoldiswalde, REWE and Lidl are not far from Bahnhofstraße. Kaufland, Aldi and a DIY store are in the Reinholdshain business park on the edge of town, a little over two kilometres from the apartment – handy when you run out of screws or silicone. Dippoldiswalde also has doctors, pharmacies and public offices; addresses are on the website of the town of Dippoldiswalde.

After work, the pool and spa area of the Johannesbad Raupennest clinic in Altenberg is open to day visitors too, into the evening on weekdays, and there is a sauna. If you would rather eat out, there are several mountain inns (Bauden) around Altenberg, though they have rest days and mostly close in the afternoon. Which one is open when is in our overview of mountain inns in the Eastern Ore Mountains.

What we cannot promise

Honesty saves both sides trouble. Both houses have parking and Wi-Fi, but we have not currently committed to the following in writing:

• fixed long-stay or company discounts
• a particular invoice format
• parking for vans or trailers
• Wi-Fi speed or a workspace in the room

That does not mean none of it exists. We simply prefer to tell you in person rather than promise something here. Talk to us.

How to enquire

Call or send a WhatsApp message to +49 1514 1213283 or +49 1525 1644356. You book directly with us, without a platform. These details help:

• dates, even if they are not fixed yet
• number of people and the room split you want
• company name, if you need an invoice
• rough arrival time on the first day

Room details are on the page Rooms in Altenberg, apartment details on Apartments in Dippoldiswalde. Travelling with more than 17 people or planning a club trip? Read our guide to group trips to the Eastern Ore Mountains. If you are torn between the two locations, see Altenberg or Dippoldiswalde?.

Frequently asked questions

• Can you commute by train from Dippoldiswalde to Dresden?

  Only with a detour. The only trains in Dippoldiswalde are those of the Weißeritztalbahn, a narrow-gauge steam railway running to Freital-Hainsberg, where you change to the S-Bahn for Dresden. For a daily commute the PlusBus 360 is far more practical.

• How far is Altenberg from the Czech border?

  About five kilometres. The B170 runs from Altenberg through Zinnwald-Georgenfeld to the border crossing at Cínovec and on towards Teplice, roughly 19 km by road from our house in Altenberg.