The name Saxon Switzerland confuses a lot of people, mainly because it’s not in Switzerland at all. It’s in Germany, and known locally as Sächsische Schweiz. The name is a scenic and tourism name, rather than an official regional name, its more bureaucratic nomenclature being the State of Saxony. You still with us? You will be once you get to see some of the Saxon saunters that await in this stunning region, where sandstone peaks, ridges, towers and the Elbe River are protected by Saxon Switzerland National Park.
Where is Saxon Switzerland National Park?
The national park is located around the Elbe Valley, south-east of Dresden, in the east of Germany. It is just 160km south of Berlin, and the national park leads up to the border with the Czech Republic (Czechia). Where, just to add to the country confusion, it joins up with Bohemian Switzerland National Park on the other side of the border. Together, the region is known as Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland. So, in short, Saxon Switzerland actually covers two countries, neither of which is Switzerland.
The Painter’s Way or Malerweg
The name Sächsische Schweiz was actually coined by two Swiss artists, who taught at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts in the 18th century, and who fell in love with the region’s elevated landscapes, which were reminiscent of home. Consequently, the region’s long-distance trail is called the Painter’s Way, or Malerweg in German, as it was often the subject of their work, as well as their students and peers. There’s no doubt that the 115km walking trail is pretty as a picture, leading you through honey-coloured Elbe Sandstone Mountains and dramatic rock formations, where we have walks throughout the seasons. An artist’s dream, you’ll want to pack one of those mini watercolour sets in your backpack. Or at least a proper camera to capture it fully.
How to walk the Painter’s Way and beyond
We have a wide array of walking holidays along the Painter’s Way, or Malerweg, the River Elbe and the many exquisite environs of Saxon Switzerland National Park.
Walking the Malerweg Trail circuits
Just as the painters would have seen the Malerweg from different perspectives, walkers can do the same. We have various options on circuits depending on where you want to start and finish, and how long you want to take to complete it. You can explore the Malerweg on two circuits that start and finish in Dresden: one that takes eight days, and the other with a slightly slower pace of 10 days. On both of these tours, although you get time in the fascinating capital of the region, you need to take a 40mins train transfer to Wehlen to start the trail on day two.
Another option is to start and finish the Malerweg Trail in Bad Schandau, a medieval spa town also located on the River Elbe. This takes eight days, and the difference between this and the Dresden start and finish, is that you don’t need to take a rail transfer to join the trail on your first day of hiking.
Walking the Malerweg Trail in sections
There are two clear sections of the Malerweg, and people usually come back to do the other one, as they fall in love with it so much. The Malerweg Trail south is from Krippen, just across the River Elbe from Bad Schandau, and finishes in Pirna, famous for Sonnenstein Castle, but also for a collection of paintings by Canaletto. In between you have trails to the likes of Grosser Winterberg (the second-highest mountain in the region at 556m), a trek up the Pfaffenstein massif using a collection of steel stairs and ladders, and an array of riverfront spa towns.
Malerweg Trail north is between Pirna, just 20mins from Dresden by train, and Bad Schandau. It also takes six days and highlights include Wolfsschlucht Gorge, Polenztal Valley and the famous Brand Viewpoint over the mountains.
Walking the Malerweg in winter
Some adventurers who hike the Malerweg in summer fall in love with the Painter’s Way so much, they come back to walk it in winter for a very different picture. Which is why we’ve now have a couple of winter options, which take you through these unique landscapes when they’re frosty, fresh and fairytale-like, with tours between November and March. Temperatures average 02-03C but they are actually the driest months too.
“A very enjoyable short break. The winter walks along the Malerweg were absolutely gorgeous in the snow and ice. We used our mini crampons every day as the paths were so icy. The weather was bitterly cold but the combination of walking and saunas at the end of each day made the experience enjoyable and relaxing.” – John from London on our Malerweg short winter break.
The Malerweg marvel of Bastei Bridge and Rocks
If we had to pick a favourite day of walking on the Malerweg, it would be the 11km day hike through Bastei Rocks, which features on all of our Malerweg walking holidays, except the southern section. It’s images of the world-famous Bastei Bridge that puts Malerweg on the map for many in the first place. First built as a wooden structure in 1824 to connect the colossal rock structures known as the Bastei, it was replaced in 1851 with one made of local sandstone. Which means it segues perfectly into its surroundings.
The walk starts in the spa town of Rathen, from which you go on a circuit from Bastei Bridge through Wehlener Grund Gorge, a narrow valley lodged between typical towering sandstone cliffs, as far as the town of Wehlen. This is a typically romantic style town, with traditional houses on the River Elbe’s wooded slopes.
Here you cross the river by ferry which then gives you access to the rock formation of Rauenstein, walking up a series of staircases and ladders. The climb is worth it though, with some of the best Bastei breathtakers at the top, which continue as you return to Rathen on a different route.
Best time to visit Saxon Switzerland National Park
The majority of our Malerweg and Saxon Switzerland walking holidays run between April and October. So you traverse three seasons which, being in the east of Germany, have summers averaging around 19C, with March, April and October hovering around 13C.
The rainiest season is actually during July and August so, back in the day, painters must have created their masterpieces in spring and summer to keep their canvases dry. They are usually only short summer showers, however, and you will still get to appreciate the full palette of flora in summer, with generous spreads of orchids, poppies, cornflowers and foxgloves, to name but a few. As mentioned above, we also have a couple of winter options between November and March.
Who is the Malerweg Trail suitable for?
Our Malerweg holidays are categorised as moderate, with the exception of our short break in winter which is easy/moderate. So the Malerweg Trail is suitable for walkers with a good fitness level walking, on average, five to six hours a day. There are also several parts of the trail that include short but steep ascents on rocky paths where you have to use metal stairways to navigate.
Getting to Saxon Switzerland National Park by train
All of our holidays in and around Saxon Switzerland National Park are reachable by rail, with stations in Dresden, Bad Schandau and Krippen. The national operator is Deutsche Bahn (DB), and tickets are released six months in advance. They have two types of fares for their long-distance trains, as opposed to quick regional journeys. These are the more expensive Flexpreis because, the clue’s in the name, they are valid on any train on a certain day. Or their cheaper Sparpreis tickets which have no flexibility at all. You can get some amazing bargains though. In addition, Germany has a very good value Deutschland Ticket which costs €63 for travel on all regional services over a month, so not on the speedy intercity ones. However, there are a few more caveats, which are best explained in the Man in Seat 61’s train guru guide.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed your journey around Saxon Switzerland National Park and that it gives you a better understanding of the region, and also why it’s an all season adventure. For more information on Germany, here are all our tours, and please don’t hesitate to contact our adventure specialists for more information. We also have more blogs that feature Germany here.
Walking the Malerweg Trail (Bad Schandau Circuit)
Walking the Malerweg Trail in Winter
Walking the Malerweg Trail South: Krippen to Dresden
Walking the Malerweg Trail (Classic Circuit, 8 days)
Walking the Malerweg Trail North: Dresden to Bad Schandau
Walking the Malerweg Trail in Winter Short Break
