Saffron makes you happy! This is the motto under which W³ Wandel-Werte-Wege gGmbH has been working with this 4,000-year-old cultivated plant since 2016.

Saffron - hardly any other spice is surrounded by more myths and legends. Saffron has been valued as a noble spice and medicinal plant for at least 4,000 years. The plant was depicted on pottery in the palace of Knossos on Crete as early as 2,000 BC. Zeus is said to have slept on a bed of saffron to strengthen his virility. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra regularly bathed in saffron to keep her skin velvety soft. At imperial palaces and royal courts, saffron was not only used in the royal kitchen, but also as a dye for royal robes. Saffron has its origins in the Aegean. Today it is mainly grown in Iran. What few people know is that saffron (lat. Crocus sativus) was also grown in Altenburg in the 15th century and used in considerable quantities in the royal palace. Historical documents show that the Altenburg town treasury collected "several thousand thalers from the saffron gardens" around the town. The cultivation of this "delicious country saffron" earned the East Thuringian region the nickname "Güldene Aue" (Golden Aue). Saffron has been back in Altenburg since 2016! In the flowering month of October, there are guided tours along the Saffron Trail in Altenburg. In addition, numerous products containing the precious spice can be purchased locally.