Mushroom treasure in northern Saxony: chestnuts and porcini mushrooms are waiting for collectors!

Mushroom treasure in northern Saxony: chestnuts and porcini mushrooms are waiting for collectors!

In the picturesque region of Northern Saxony, magnificent forests and wild landscapes, mushroom picking is becoming particularly attractive again. Despite the dry year, there is positive news for mushroom lovers. The Dahlener Weiher and Dübener Heide are particularly worth a trip for catching porcini mushrooms and chestnuts. According to LVZ reports, conditions have currently improved significantly with regular showers and mild temperatures, rekindling hopes of a bountiful harvest. This positive turnaround follows a difficult period in which many foragers looked around in frustration while the summer drought severely affected the mycelium and prevented a harvest.

As experienced mushroom consultant Christel Moltrecht from Delitzsch says, this year was “not a great mushroom year” because the mycelium needs between 12 and 14 days to form fruiting bodies. But the return to wetter weather has made them optimistic. She praises the colorful collections that can be found in the Wermsdorfer Forest and the forests around Delitzsch, including chestnuts, morels, velvet-footed turnips and cloudcaps. The Dahlener Heide also shows its best side, where porcini mushrooms are particularly common under beech trees. In the Dübener Heide you can enrich your searches with chanterelles, witch's boletus and squab. The Krause Glucken cavort in the Wermsdorf Forest, while the porcini mushrooms prefer to grow under oak trees.

The finds of the mushroom pickers

The reports about the mushroom harvest are not only positive in northern Saxony. There have also been a lot of positive things to report from the Zwickauer Land in the last few weeks. On October 5th, Scuttle discovered a variety of mushrooms there, including birch mushrooms, porcini mushrooms and the sought-after flake-stemmed witch's boletus. The summer weather has also caused a small increase in treasures found here, in addition to the species missing in recent months. Numerous collectors in the area around Bischofswerda had enjoyable trips with rich loot.

However, some collectors remained more cautious, like Horst, who reported many false red caps in Lusatia on October 3, 2025. The food value of this species is unclear, which is why he only took two specimens with him for an exhibition. Nevertheless, it appears that interest in mushroom collecting remains high and many collectors are willing to try their luck on excursions. Many tried and tested hotspots, such as the Tharandt Forest, have proven productive in recent weeks, even if some disappointed collectors had to share their experiences.

The outlook for the next few days

The forecasts for the coming days are promising. Moltrecht encourages mushroom lovers to venture further into the woods as there are still opportunities for good finds, especially if the weather stays this way. Their hope for chestnuts, birch mushrooms and also many porcini mushrooms is increasingly shared by other collectors who are looking forward to the new growing conditions. Overall, one thing remains clear: Anyone who seeks adventure and seeks out nature will be rewarded with a bit of luck.

For all mushroom lovers who are either in the forests of northern Saxony or other areas looking for the next big catch, it's now time to go! The promise of delicious mushrooms is stronger than ever. LVZ and Passionate about collecting mushrooms confirm: the mushroom season is far from over!