Walking in the Saxon Switzerland National Park
- Follow the Malerweg ‘Painters’ Trail through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains
- Explore the unique and photogenic rock formations of the table mountains
- Discover the world-famous Bastei formation and the bridge spanning across it
- Stay in the wellness resort of Bad Schandau, let its old town take you back in time
- Reward yourself with a glass of cool German beer as you relax after the day’s walking
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Bad SchandauPrague (in Czechia), Dresden, and Berlin Airports are all gateway hubs into this part of Germany and are served by a variety of low-cost and international airlines. Intercity trains are available from their main train stations to Bad Schandau. The train station in Bad Schandau is a short ferry ride across the river from the town.
Bad Schandau is perched right on the edge of the Saxon Switzerland National Park, in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. Just 6 km from the Czechia border, the town dates back to the 14th century and is home to many timber-framed houses and typically Germanic architecture. It is a Kneipp health resort and the oldest spa town in Saxon Switzerland. The town’s motto is ‘hike, feel good, come back’, so it feels like a fitting place to start and end your tour.
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The Elbhotel, located in the city center of Bad Schandau, directly on the Elbe promenade, offers its guests a pleasant atmosphere. Starting with the restaurant and the lobby & bar, up to the comfortable guest rooms, the highest standards of comfort and service are met here - hospitality that ties in with the great tradition of the house.
Located on the banks of the Elbe, surrounded by the impressive natural backdrop of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, is this hotel along with the famed Bad Schandau thermal baths. The hotel offers comfortable rooms, a first-class culinary experience, and a spacious wellness department.
The walk starts with a steady climb up the side of the valley to Brand which offers breathtaking views over the dramatic landscape of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. Continue upwards to the imposing ruins of Hohnstein Castle. From here there is a more relaxing descent through idyllic valleys back to the Elbe River at Rathen. The town has a natural theatre and the serene Amselsee Lake.
If you prefer, you can take the bus from Hohnstein to Rathen (payable locally).
Ascent/Descent:Â 608m/609m
Located on the banks of the picturesque river Elbe, Hotel Steiger offers free WiFi, parking, and beautiful views.
The Hotel Elbschlösschen is located in the middle of the Saxon Switzerland National Park, directly on the banks of the Elbe. The rooms have been renovated and are now modern and comfortably furnished. You can relax in the spacious wellness area, the fireplace room and the lobby.
We recommend starting your walk early this morning so you can appreciate Bastei Bridge with its stunning views over the Elbe River Valley and the table mountains before the crowds arrive. After passing the small village of Wehlen the next highlight is Rauenstein before descending back to Rathen or further to Königstein (according to hotel availability).Â
If you are staying in Rathen you will need to take the ferry across the Elbe at the end of your walk to get back to the town centre. There is also another ferry crossing about half way through your walk. Ferry tickets are not included.
Ascent/Descent:Â 370m/368m
Located on the banks of the picturesque river Elbe, Hotel Steiger offers free WiFi, parking, and beautiful views.
The Hotel Elbschlösschen is located in the middle of the Saxon Switzerland National Park, directly on the banks of the Elbe. The rooms have been renovated and are now modern and comfortably furnished. You can relax in the spacious wellness area, the fireplace room and the lobby. A restaurant is available. Please book a seat for breakfast and dinner via the reservation system www.dein-hotelassistent.de. You can also find more information about the hotel here. The city of Rathen charges a guest tax
Pension Bomätscher is located directly on the Elbe River and offers an excellent starting point for your activities. Enjoy the beautiful view on the terrace while you relax from your hike.
Having spent the night in Rathen you ascend via Weibig to the impressive Konigstein Fortress. After passing the village of Konigstein you walk on pleasant forest paths to Pfaffenstein and the famous Barbarine rock pinnacle. At the top of your climb take in the views over the scenery including Konigstein Fortress and Lilienstein Mountain. You continue your walk via Muselweg to the spa town of Gohrisch. This spa town is surrounded by the table mountains and is known for its gastronomy as well as its modern wellness facilities and historical buildings.
Ascent/Descent:Â 718m/573m
Guesthouse Villa Irene was rated the most hospitable guesthouse in the Saxon Switzerland in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The spacious lawn for sunbathing, the terrace under shady trees and the comfortable lounge area invite you for a stay. The guesthouse Villa Irene was built in 1900; it is a nice, light-flooded house and was built with architecture, typical for Gohrisch, having many windows, patios, terraces and balconies. It is surrounded by greenery and situated directly at the forest. The guesthouse is equipped with its own Kneipp basin as well as facilities for having a sauna and doing some fitness. The atmosphere of well-being and calmness is also reflected in the spacious and comfortable rooms.
The Parkhotel Margaretenhof is a nice, light-flooded house and was built with architecture, typical for Gohrisch, having many windows, patios, terraces and balconies. The family run hotel offers comfortable individually furbished rooms, a restaurant and a fantastic wellness & beauty area with sauna and spa.
This morning you walk from Gohrisch to Lilienstein, another iconic landmark in Saxon Switzerland. The walk takes you back through Konigstein town, so why not take advantage of the shorter walking distance today and spend longer exploring here and have lunch either before or after beginning your ascent on this peak loop walk?
Lilienstein is a highly distinctive mountain that was once the site of a Bohemian castle. It is one of the few table mountains to the east of the Elbe River. From the top you get a wonderful view of the surrounding rolling countryside and charming small towns and villages, and of course, the River Elbe flowing through the valley below.
Ascent/Descent:Â 465m/465m
Guesthouse Villa Irene was rated the most hospitable guesthouse in the Saxon Switzerland in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The spacious lawn for sunbathing, the terrace under shady trees and the comfortable lounge area invite you for a stay. The guesthouse Villa Irene was built in 1900; it is a nice, light-flooded house and was built with architecture, typical for Gohrisch, having many windows, patios, terraces and balconies. It is surrounded by greenery and situated directly at the forest. The guesthouse is equipped with its own Kneipp basin as well as facilities for having a sauna and doing some fitness. The atmosphere of well-being and calmness is also reflected in the spacious and comfortable rooms.
The Parkhotel Margaretenhof is a nice, light-flooded house and was built with architecture, typical for Gohrisch, having many windows, patios, terraces and balconies. The family run hotel offers comfortable individually furbished rooms, a restaurant and a fantastic wellness & beauty area with sauna and spa.
Today’s walk begins gently with a slightly uphill section across meadows and fields. You make your way to the top of the table mountains of Gohrisch (448 m) and Papststein (451 m). From the tops of these mountains, you’re greeted by wonderful views that will compensate for the effort to get there. Along the way, there is an old mill where you can stop to sample some regional cuisine for lunch before you continue your walk toward Krippen or to Bad Schandau (according to hotel availability).
Ascent/Descent:Â 335m/486m
The dominant building of the market place in the medieval town of Krippin stands the Hotel Erdgericht.
The Elbhotel, located in the city center of Bad Schandau, directly on the Elbe promenade, offers its guests a pleasant atmosphere. Starting with the restaurant and the lobby & bar, up to the comfortable guest rooms, the highest standards of comfort and service are met here - hospitality that ties in with the great tradition of the house.
Located on the banks of the Elbe, surrounded by the impressive natural backdrop of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, is this hotel along with the famed Bad Schandau thermal baths. The hotel offers comfortable rooms, a first-class culinary experience, and a spacious wellness department.
Cross the Elbe by ferry and walk to the Schramstein Rocks. Please be aware that today’s walk involves a number of very steep rocky paths and sections where the route requires you to use iron steps in the rock. On leaving the rocks you walk through fine woodland to the cave at Kuhstall. The cave is also known as the ‘cow stall’ cave and was the subject of paintings by the Romantic Artists. You’ll be alking along paths on the Affensteig Trail and the Malerweg Trail to the Lichtenhain Waterfall. Continue to the valley of the Kirnitzsch. From here you return to Bad Schandau (a nice spa town with thermal pools), either along the path by the river or using the historic Kirnitzsch valley tram.
Ascent/Descent:Â 675m/632m
The Elbhotel, located in the city center of Bad Schandau, directly on the Elbe promenade, offers its guests a pleasant atmosphere. Starting with the restaurant and the lobby & bar, up to the comfortable guest rooms, the highest standards of comfort and service are met here - hospitality that ties in with the great tradition of the house.
Located on the banks of the Elbe, surrounded by the impressive natural backdrop of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, is this hotel along with the famed Bad Schandau thermal baths. The hotel offers comfortable rooms, a first-class culinary experience, and a spacious wellness department.
Check out of your accommodation and make your own way home.
This trip has a carbon score of 7kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 7kg is equivalent to 1 single running shoe (not even a pair!). Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?This moderately graded walking tour focuses on the unique sandstone countryside popularised by the Romantic Artists. Walk between traditional Saxon towns, following trails along the well-known Elbe River and up to rocky outcrops. This tour is an ideal accompaniment to time spent in the cultural city of Dresden or romantic Prague. We’ve included all your breakfasts and dinners throughout the tour, to take the stress out of having to make reservations in these places where the restaurants tend to book up quickly.
You can add additional nights at any point along the walk or at the start/end of your journey. If you decide to spend more time in Bad Schandau then there is an extra walk in the Macs app that you may like to take on the Caspar David Friedrich Trail, showing the highlights of the scenery loved and regularly painted by this famed German artist.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 8 Years
We have graded this trip as moderate. The trails range from narrow mountain paths to wider hiking paths. The daily distances do not exceed 18 km, nevertheless, as you would expect from this region, there are some significant ascents and descents as described in the daily itinerary which are sometimes along steep and narrow paths or steps. There are also some rocks to climb over in places, as stated in the itinerary.
The accommodation on this walk is a combination of 3-star hotels and guesthouses. Some hotels do not have an official rating. All offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality, and an authentic experience. Please note that hotels in this region of Germany do not tend to have ‘true’ double or twin rooms. Instead, two single mattresses, each with their own bedding, are usually found placed together in one double bed frame. The Pension Villa Irene in Gohrisch does not have twin rooms. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your requirements.
Hotel Upgrades
On this tour, it’s possible for us to request a hotel upgrade for you. This would include:
- 3 nights in our premium Hotel Elbresidenz Bad Schandau
- At least one more hotel during the tour that will have a spa and/or sauna
- Entrance to Toscana Therme Bad Schandau (thermal baths)
The trail is very well way-marked, and together with our maps, route notes and the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS, you will have no problems finding the way.
- Accommodation in en suite rooms in B&B’s, small hotels, and guesthouses on a twin share basis
- Daily breakfasts and dinners
- Door-to-door luggage transfers as per your itinerary
- Access to maps, GPX tracks, and daily route information with the Macs Adventure app
- All your trip documents including a detailed info pack are provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
- We’re here for you 24/7 if you need anything, just give us a call
- Travel insurance (required) and personal equipment
- Travel to and from Bad Schandau
- Lunches, drinks, and snacks
- Public transportation tickets (bus/ferry/train)
- Tourist taxes (charged locally at hotels)
- Excursion and attraction entrance fees
- Extra night(s)
- Upgraded hotels
This trip is available from the beginning of April to the end of October, starting on any day of the week. Traditionally July/August has been the most popular time of year because the weather is usually at its best. Although we believe any time between April and October offers a wonderful experience and the spring and autumn months are preferable for avoiding the heat of summer. May is when most wildflowers are out in bloom. October is best for seeing the fall colours.
By Air: Dresden, Prague, or Berlin Airports are gateway hubs into this part of Germany and are served by various low-cost and international airlines.
By Train: Trains are available from the cities’ main train stations to Bad Schandau; Berlin (2hrs50, direct service), Prague (1hr45, direct service) and local service are available from Dresden (30-45 mins, direct). The train station in Bad Schandau is a short ferry ride across the river from the town.
Leaving Bad Schandau, use any of the methods described above. From Bad Schandau you can get to any German destination via Dresden by train, should you have time to discover more of Germany.Â
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask that you limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.Â
Public Transport
The Saxon Switzerland Mobility Guest Pass includes the use of VVO (Upper Elbe Transport Network) buses, trains, and ferries and is available for guests staying in all locations on this tour except Rathen.
This pass gives your free travel and is valid in fare zones Pirna (70), Bad Gottleuba (71), Bad Schandau (72) and Neustadt (73) from the day of arrival to the day of departure for an unlimited number of trips. You pick up your pass on arrival at each hotel for the duration of your stay there (except Rathen where this scheme isn’t available).
The following special means of transport are excluded: the Hiking Boat (Wanderschiff) and transportation run by other companies such as the Elbe River Passenger Boat Company (Personenschifffahrt auf der Elbe), the ferry in Kurort Rathen Village and private bus services.
You can find more information at: https://www.saechsische-schweiz.de/en/good-to-know/guest-card-saxon-switzerland
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as the region is very popular over the summer months. However, we will always try our best to accommodate your plans.Â
This trip is graded moderate. Daily distances on average are around 14 km and they range between 9 – 18 km. On some days the terrain may be rugged underfoot and most days have numerous ascents and descents. You need to have a good level of fitness and have done some practice hill walking carrying your day pack to get the most out of this holiday. We recommend taking walking poles to assist with the hill climbs.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask that you limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.Â
Your detailed information pack will be sent to you after you book. This has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/trekking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes and a day pack.
Traditionally July/August has always been the most popular time of year because the theory goes that the weather is better. Although I believe any time between April and October offers a wonderful experience.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.Â
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