[2] The scenic track follows primarily the Müglitz river, passing the towns of Dohna, Glashütte and Geising.

In the middle of the 19th century, an industrial boom, supported by small and medium-sized enterprises, began in the Müglitz valley, which coincided with the beginning of the manufacture of watches in Glashütte (1845).

In the medium term, however, the valley road was hardly able to cope with ever-increasing quantities of goods, especially as the demand for cheap lignite rose for the operation of steam boilers.

It would connect the municipalities in the Müglitz valley to the Dresden–Bodenbach line and the lignite deposits of the North Bohemian Basin via the Ore Mountains.

In December 1887, the Saxon Landtag (parliament) agreed to the construction of the railway, as the competitiveness of the companies in the valley diminished markedly in the 1880s due to poor accessibility.

It was designed as a 750 mm gauge railway to make it easier to follow the curves of the valley and to provide numerous connections.

It was 36.1 km long and overcame a difference in height of 470 m. The narrow and winding valley made considerable demands on the route selection.

The first timetable provided for four daily train pairs; the travel time for the entire route was 150 minutes, a one-way trip in second class cost 2.30 Marks.

Because of the steadily increasing transport demand after the Great Depression, Deutsche Reichsbahn decided to rebuild the line as standard gauge in 1934.

Because of the lack of coal, only three to five pairs of passenger trains operated every day, but the number of railcars from regions affected by air warfare was increasing.

Parts of the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg used the Müglitz Valley as a retreat to northern Bohemia and planned the demolition of the Weesenstein tunnel.

The derailment of a military train at Bärenstein on 7 May, as well as the rapid Soviet advance, prevented the planned destruction of the operationally important railway.

Since the beginning of the 1960s, Deutsche Reichsbahn has been trying to increase the transport performance and profitability of the railways by the use of railcars, double-deck wagons and diesel locomotives.

This was an issue particularly after the flooding in October 1966 of Geising station with a wave carrying sludge and gravel, which had escaped after the failure of the drainage system of VEB Zinnerz Altenberg.

In the winter months numerous special trains were used, connecting Altenberg directly with Dresden, Cottbus, Halle (Saale), Leipzig, Riesa and Hoyerswerda.

Due to the uncertain future of the route, Deutsche Bahn failed to carry out necessary investments and only remediated wear and tear.

It was only when the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe, the local public transport utility, took over the line and awarded a contract to DB for the operation of train services for 15 years that a general restoration took place in 1998/99.

Within a very short time, the railway reached patronage levels similar than before the flood with about 1,000 passengers each day and thus proved its importance as a transport route through the Eastern Ore Mountains.

Köttewitz, Weesenstein, Burkhardswalde-Maxen, Mühlbach (b Pirna), Oberschlottwitz, Bärenhecke-Johnsbach, Bärenstein (b Glashütte/Sachs) and Hartmannmühle stations are request stops.

As in the past, additional direct trains are still operated between Dresden Hbf and Kurort Altenberg, only stopping at selected stations.

In order to speed up the trains and ensure connections in Heidenau, the VVO decided to drop the stops temporarily.

The route turns from Heidenau station southwards into the Müglitz valley and crosses the four-lane state road 172.

After Burkhardswalde-Maxen, the valley narrows for a short time and at 15.0 km between Niederschwottwitz and Oberschwottwitz, the line runs past the rock of the Schlottwitz agate lode.

After the station is the longest tunnel of the line, 539 metres long, and a two-lane concrete bridge, which is untypical of the Müglitz Valley Railway, is traversed at Bärenhecke-Johnsbach.

Because of its great importance for passenger traffic, Dohna was integrated into the Dresden S-Bahn fare zone before German reunification.

At times, the station, which is located in the Dohna lower town, was also planned as the terminus of an S-Bahn service, but this was not implemented.

After the Battle of Maxen on 20 November 1759, the Prussian General von Finck surrendered and was captured by the Austrians, who were allied with Saxony, together with 14,000 men.

Oberschlottwitz (50°52′14″N 13°48′52″E / 50.870533°N 13.814555°E / 50.870533; 13.814555) Oberschwottwitz halt was established in 1938 on the slope before the Müglitz Viaduct and is sited approximately on the location of the former narrow gauge station.

In October 1966, Geising station was flooded with a mud and boulder wave that had escaped due to a damage to the drainage system of the washing plant of VEB Zinnerz Altenberg.

The entrance building, which was destroyed in 1945 and later rebuilt, now belongs to the town of Altenberg, which uses it as a centre for tourist information and the operation of a cross-country ski trail.