Elbe Cycle Path
Centre-based cycle tours
Saxon Switzerland
Circular walking tours
Sportive walking tours
Section 1 of the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail
In 2017, we were once again " out and about for you ..." and would like to share our active travel experiences with you. Today we are reporting on the first section of the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail, which was added back to our portfolio in 2017 after a four-year break.
...away from the desk, out onto the hiking trail. We test the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail for you!
Hiking with a view of the historic old town of Pirna with Sonnenstein Castle.
The local park is home to the "Richard Wagner educational trail", which provides information about the different periods of the composer's life.
On a Sunday from Pirna to Pillnitz
On Sunday, we meet at Pirna railway station early in the morning to hike the first section of the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail from Pirna to Pillnitz. The weather could be better, but there's no such thing as bad weather. Equipped with rain gear, we walk over the stone bridge to the other side of the Elbe and along the riverbank for about two kilometres towards the starting point of our hike. The starting point is at Villa Hennes on Postaer Straße. An information board, currently hidden behind large glass containers, provides information about the history of viticulture in Pirna past and present and the route of the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail. We are in high spirits as the sun is still shining.
Just a few metres after the start, we are challenged for the first time. A steep ascent leads us onto the path "Burglehnpfad". We now hike back along the route we started from the stone bridge at a lofty height - with a magnificent "Canalletto" view of the historic old town of Pirna, Sonnenstein Castle and, on a clear day, even as far as the mountain Geisingberg in the Eastern Ore Mountains.
By the time we leave Pirna behind us, an hour has already passed. Heading out of the town, we reach the neighbouring villages of Copitz and Jessen. After crossing the busy new main road over the bridge, the roads become narrower and the traffic less intense. We pass Hunting Lodge Graupa. The park is also the site of the "Richard Wagner educational trail", which provides information about the various phases of the famous composer's life.
The first vineyards
After Graupa, we see the first vineyards on our today's route. A few wineries along the route, such as the Zimmerling winery or the Rogge winery, offer their wines to taste and buy in season. Unfortunately, we are too early.
Once we are almost at the level of the Elbe, the route climbs steeply uphill again. Are we on the right track? The signpost is hidden in the next tree. The last climb was worth it. We enjoy a marvellous view of Pillnitz, the castle with its park and the vineyard church. Despite a light drizzle, we see winegrowers among the vines.
We now walk along the Leitenweg. Along the way, we learn interesting facts about the history of winegrowing in Saxony, the local grape varieties and the treacherous grape phylloxera in the mid-19th century. Did you know that Saxony's speciality is the Goldriesling, which was imported from Alsace in 1913? It's worth allowing more time for the last stretch, enjoying the views and tasting a wine or two. For us, today's section ends at the Leonardo da Vinci Road.
We enjoy a marvellous view of Pillnitz, the castle with its park and the church.
