Overview
This Malerweg Trail Classic Route is a moderate-grade itinerary following the complete trail in 10 days, giving you plenty of time to take in all the natural and cultural highlights of the Painters Path.
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains (also called Saxon Switzerland) are one of Germany’s most beautiful regions, located just a few miles from Dresden. They were named by two Swiss painters who were impressed by the similarity of the area to their own country’s landscapes. You will see bizarre rock formations, walk through ancient woods and picturesque valleys alongside the winding Elbe River. In the Romantic Era, many painters from Switzerland and England discovered this region with its beautiful wilderness.
The two Swiss painters Adrian Zingg and Anton Graff, both of them teachers at the Dresden Academy of Arts, were among the first to discover the unique beauty of the stones, valleys and gorges in 1766. Together with their students, they spent a lot of time in this area. Soon many other artists followed their steps. The most famous painter from this group of nature-loving artists was the German Caspar David Friedrich (1774 – 1840) with his masterpieces ‘View of the Elbe Valley’, ‘Rocky Gorge’ and ‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog’.
In 2006 the 115km long Painter’s Path (Malerweg) was inaugurated, leading you in the footsteps of these romantic painters.
- Elbe Sandstones Mountains
- Dresden
- Bad Schandau
- The Bastei (Bastion) Bridge
- Königstein Fortress
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Dresden
Arrive in the capital of Saxony Dresden. Take the time to explore the Olt Town and landmarks such as the Zwinger, Semper Opera House or the famous Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady).
- Accommodation: Hotel Martha Dresden or similar in Dresden
Day 2: Dresden – Stadt Wehlen/Rathen | 12/16km
Take the S-bahn and local bus to the start of the trail in Pirna-Liebethal (tickets included). Along the first stage, hike through three distinct wild ravines. Take in the lush and varied flora created by the microclimate along the gorges in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains before reaching Stadt Wehlen, your final destination. Stadt Wehlen is a historic town on the right bank of the Elbe River, known for sandstone formations, churches, and art galleries.
- Walking for the day: 12km, 4h ↑113m ↓146m or 16km, 5.5h, ↑304m ↓423m
- Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast Wehlen or similar Wehlen
Day 3: Wehlen/Rathen – Hohnstein | 7/10.5km
Take in the views from the famous Bastei Bridge before descending into the Amselgrund to head for Hockstein Rock. From here, there are fantastic views of Hohnstein and its castle. Continue on through the Wolfsschlucht gorge to the Polenztal valley and end the day in Hohnstein.
- Walking for the day: 7km, 3h, ↑477m ↓396m or 10.5km, 4h, ↑477m ↓396m
- Accommodation: Pension und Gaststätte Polenztal or similar in Hohnstein
Day 4: Hohnstein – Altendorf | 15km
Hike to the Brand viewpoint, also known as the Balcony of Saxon Switzerland. Take in the views before descending around 800 stpes into the Tiefen Grund Gorge. Continiue on past Waitzdorf to reach Altendorf, or continue along the Panorama trail to the Kirnitzschtal valley. Depending on availability, spend the night in Altendorf, Kirnitzschtal valley or Bad Schandau.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 5-6h, ↑596m ↓518m
- Accommodation: Hotel Forsthaus or similar in Altendorf or Kirnitzschtal
Day 5: Altendorf – Neumannmühle | 18.5km
Ascend to the Schrammsteine viewpoint and along the Schrammsteine massif, an elongated and heavily rugged rock formation offering stunning views. Continue on to the Großer and Kleiner Dom to reach the Affensteinweg and later the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall. Finally, via the Kuhstall Cave with its sky ladder, reach today’s final destination, Neumannmühle. Take the local bus to return to the Kirnitzschtal valley or Bad Schandau depending on your accommodation.
- Walking for the day: 18.5km, 6-7h, ↑698m ↓755m
- Accommodation: Hotel Forsthaus or similar in Altendorf or Kirnitzschtal
Day 6: Neumannmühle – Schmilka/Krippen | 14/22km
Take the bus back to Neumannmühle to continue along the Malerweg Trail. Explore Hintere Sächsische Schweiz with Zeughaus and Goldstein viewpoints, before climbing up to Großer Winterberg (566m), the second highest mountain in Saxon Switzerland. On the descent, to Schmilka, we recommend a short detour to Kipphorn viewpoint before taking the Elbe ferry in Schmilka (payable locally). Finally, take the train or continue along the Malerweg Trail (9km) to Krippen to end the day.
- Walking for the day: 14km, 6h or 22km, 7-8h ↑617m ↓718m
- Accommodation: Hotel Erbgericht Krippen or similar in Schmilka, Reinhardtsdorf or Krippen
Day 7: Schmilka/Krippen – Gohrisch | 18km
Take the train back to Schmilka, or continue on from your accommodation. Take in the view of the Schrammstein massif from the other side of the Elbe River. Cross the table mountains Papststein and Gohrisch before reaching Gohrisch for he evening.
- Walking for the day: 18km, 6-7h, ↑617m ↓718m
- Accommodation: Parkhotel Margaretenhof or similar in Gohrisch or Papstdorf
Day 8: Gohrisch – Königstein/Weißig | 9km
Head out along the Malerweg to Pfaffenstein massif, reaching the top via the narrow Nadelöhr, a steep ascent featuring steel staircases and ladders and views over to Lilienstein and Königstein fortress. Continue on to Diebeskeller cave to reach Königstein and the fortress.
- Walking for the day: 9km, 4h, ↑270m ↓469m
- Accommodation: Sachsenstübel or similar in Königstein or Rathen
Day 9: Königstein – Dresden | 21.5km
Passing Thürmsdorf and Weissig, the last hiking stage on the Malerweg trail leads to the Rauenstein massif. From the top, take in views once again of Bastei Bridge on the other side of the Elbe River. Descend along the ridge to Pirna, to catch the train back to Dresden (tickets included)
- Walking for the day: 21.5km, 7-8h, ↑670m ↓660m
- Accommodation: Hotel Martha Dresden or similar in Dresden
Day 10: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
9 nights in 3-star hotels or comfortable guesthouses. All rooms have en-suite facilities. NB! Twin rooms are not available at the hotels! We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour. Please note that due to limited availability, you may stay for 2 or 3 consecutive nights at the same place with train tickets included, which does not affect the walking itinerary. Please note that, in Germany, it is common practice for hotels and other accommodations to join twin beds together to make a double, with separate linen for each person. If you prefer to opt for twin beds, we will happily request this at time of booking, however they can’t always be guaranteed.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Martha Dresden
- Parkhotel Margaretenhof
- Bed & Breakfast Wehlen
- Pension und Gaststätte Polenztal
- Forsthaus
- Hotel Erbgericht Krippen
- Sachsenstübel
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is graded moderate and is appropriate for walkers with a good level of fitness and no fear of heights. With daily walking distances ranging from 7-22km, you will be mostly on well-maintained walking trails (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you only to follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of April until the end of October. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date within the season.
Although it’s well known for city breaks, Oktoberfest and Christmas markets, Germany’s multi-seasonal treats stretch far beyond these clichés. Germany’s climate is typically northern European, and you can read more about temperatures, rainfall and events in our blog, Best time to go to Germany.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival airport for this holiday is Dresden Airport (DRS).
By train or bus
If you are able to travel to Germany without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with good connections to Dresden Hauptbahnhof. For more details, see the national rail operator, DB or use the Omio planner above.
Dresden Airport: take the S-Bahn S2 train to Dresden Hauptbahnhof (21mins). The platform is in the basement of the airport terminal and is well signposted.
Inclusions
Included
- 9 nights accommodation (double rooms only)
- 9 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on all walking days (one piece per person, max 20kg)
- Train tickets for the hiking days
- Tour materials (1 per room): detailed roadbook including maps a navigation app for smartphones and GPS tracks. Please note that no printed documents will be provided on-site.
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Other public transport
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist tax and entrance fees (payable locally)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own.
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights along the route
