It is located south of Heidenau, in the Müglitz valley and lies at the northeastern foot of the Eastern Ore Mountains.

It is accessed by the Pirna interchange of highway A17, and by the Dohna (Sachs) and Köttewitz stations of the Müglitz Valley Railway.

The Dohna Castle on a strategic hill at the entrance to the Müglitz valley was probably already built in the middle of the 10th century.

The town and its castle controlled two roads from Saxony to Bohemia: one through the Müglitz valley, and one over the heights to Kulm.

The burgraves of Dohna controlled a large territory between the Margraviate of Meissen and the Kingdom of Bohemia, stretching from Rabenau in the west to Gottleuba in the east.