Out and about for you: ... on the Malerweg trail from Krippen to Pirna

People keep asking us what makes AugustusTours special. The answer is simple: we know our trips! Further training courses, cycling tours and hikes are regularly on our schedule. And so we take every opportunity to pedal or lace up our hiking boots ourselves.

Shortly before Easter, we, Ricarda Mager and Anke Berndt, hiked from Krippen via Königstein to Pirna, following the Malerweg trail over five table mountains in keeping with our sportive hiking tour along the Malerweg. Admittedly, the weather was mixed, but that is not unusual in April and we started our hike well equipped. We travelled to Krippen by train on Wednesday morning.

A steep ascent along the Caspar-David-Friedrich-trail provided the "necessary warm-up" and led us directly onto the Malerweg. We followed this through the forest and up the first steps to the Liethenmühle, which is a good place to stop for a break in summer. The damp weather presented the rocks of Saxon Switzerland in a misty setting and we were surprised to discover four fire salamanders and numerous Burgundy snails.

We hiked along the "Alter Schulweg" path across the field and finally along the edge of the forest. Light green blueberry bushes and delicate birch greenery lined our path. At the fallow deer pen, we were initially eyed cautiously, then the gentle animals slowly approached - after all, we might have some food with us. A few snapshots later, we continued our hike and made our way up the Papststein.

The steps led us to the first view and finally up to the mountain restaurant. In the distance, we spotted the Lilienstein and Königstein Fortress. During the descent, we used the benches at the Hunskirchenblick viewpoint for a lunch break, as the ascent to Gohrisch was approaching. A prophecy from the Cree made us pause:

"When the last tree is cut down,
The last fish eaten,
And the last stream poisoned
you will realise that you cannot eat money."

The climb up Gohrisch turned out to be particularly varied and worth seeing: we followed the path through a crevice over stone steps and ladders. Once at the top, we enjoyed the view of Saxon Switzerland. A small hut offers shelter here in bad weather. Steps took us back into the forest.

We followed the Muselweg path to Gohrisch and visited one of our regular accommodations - often booked for our guests. After a cosy coffee break, we followed the Muselweg path back to the Malerweg trail and walked along the edge of the forest. In the distance, we saw the Lilienstein and Königstein Fortress again and soon the Pfaffenstein also came into our field of vision.

We reached the foot of the Pfaffenstein via a paved path, an alternative for hikers with dogs was recommended. We chose the direct ascent, which led us over roots, wooden, stone and metal steps up the Pfaffenstein - with the Lilienstein always behind us. We topped up our water reserves at the mountain restaurant - apple spritzer tastes heavenly in the fresh air! Before heading back downhill, we took the opportunity to take a photo of ourselves on the Jäckelfels.

The Malerweg trail led a few metres across the field and finally back into the forest. We rounded the Quirl and marvelled at the jagged rocks and the numerous small and large caves that can be explored with a torch. It was not far to Königstein now. We reached the town via a steep path that led downhill directly into the town centre. We checked into our accommodation in Königstein and rested our legs during a hearty dinner. Exhausted but happy, we went to bed and were already looking forward to the next day.

After a good breakfast and with provisions in our backpacks, we headed out on Thursday morning. The last shower had passed on time, the hoods stayed down and the rain protection was carefully packed away. As we climbed the Königstein, we followed the stone and wooden steps out of the village and up into the forest. A look back revealed the Lilienstein and the Elbe valley. As we climbed, we marvelled at the clouds of mist that surrounded the tree tops and rocks in the distance.

There was something magical about the sight... We soon passed flowering orchards before reaching Königstein Fortress. However, we didn't have time to visit it that morning, as we wanted to continue on to Pirna. But we didn't miss the view: The sun showed us our next destination, the Rauenstein. We even spotted the Bastei in the distance. Steps took us downhill again and across a field and through a tunnel we walked towards Thürmsdorf.

The Malerweg now led us through a mixed forest, the delicate greenery and fresh moss glowing in the sunshine. We soon reached a valley with countless moss-covered rocks, the stream gurgling wildly and romantically from rock to rock. We spotted a fox earlier on, but it quickly ran away from us. We enjoyed the sight and then crossed the stream over a bridge.

In Thürmsdorf, we had a clear destination in sight: the Adoratio chocolate manufactory. The bright yellow building is located directly below the castle and the moment we stepped over the doorstep, we were thrilled. The sweet smell of chocolate filled the sales room, where a chocolate-making workshop was taking place. We took sweet Easter greetings for our loved ones and treated ourselves to a delicious praline.

The Malerweg trail led us across fields to the Biedermann Mausoleum. The route is still fairly new and was not marked in our Hikeline, but was well signposted on site. The detour was rewarded with a wonderful view of the Elbe valley with the Lilienstein on the left and the Königstein fortress on the right. We continued along the Malerweg across fields and forests. Leaving the Eulensteine behind us on the left, we soon reached Weißig. Easter shrubs and blossoming apple trees lined our path. We spotted the Rauenstein in the distance. We managed the ascent via a winding wooden staircase.

Once we reached the Rauenstein, the Lilienstein, Bärensteine and the Weiße Brüche presented themselves in the sunshine. A shower seemed to be looming in the distance. We took time for a rest and enjoyed the distant views. Some hikers stopped off at the mountain restaurant, which tempted them with home cooking and drinks. But should that be all? No! We followed the Malerweg trail over the Rauenstein via a metal staircase, walking partly in the crevices, partly over bridges or directly on the rock. Pines, birches, heather and blueberries lined our path.

The descent from the Rauenstein led us through the forest and finally to Pötzscha. We walked a few metres through the village, which lies directly on the Elbe, until we reached a pasture and finally a wild and romantic valley after an ascent along the mountain path. After another climb and a few steps, we reached Naundorf. By then, we had already completed the majority of our hike.

The hike through a section of forest that leads above the Elbe to Obervogelgesang turned out to be no less challenging. The rain of the past few days had "dissolved" the path in some places and some trees were lying across it. The signposting on this section of the Malerweg is partially missing, which can be traced back to a private legal dispute. However, hikers hardly encounter any junctions and eventually reach stone steps that lead down into the Elbe valley. Having arrived there, the Malerweg now follows the Elbe cycle path. We hiked along the Elbe to Pirna. We proudly sat down on benches at the railway station and took the next train back to Dresden.