The complex metal oxide Mn3TeO6 exhibits a corundum related structure and has been prepared both in forms of single crystals by chemical transport reactions and of polycrystalline powders by a solid state reaction route. The crystal structure and magnetic properties have been investigated using a combination of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction, electron microscopy, calorimetric and magnetic measurements. At room temperature this compound adopts a trigonal structure, space group R (3) over bar with a = 8.8679(1) angstrom. c = 10.6727(2) angstrom. A long-range magnetically ordered state is identified below 23 K. An unexpected feature of this magnetic structure is several types of Mn-chains. Under the action of the incommensurate magnetic propagation vector k = [0, 0, 0.4302(1)] the unique Mn site is split into two magnetically different orbits. One orbit forms a perfect helix with the spiral axis along the c-axis while the other orbit has a sine wave character along the c-axis. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.