Walking holidays along the Malerweg Trail in 10 days

Detailed tour description

Please note that the routes indicated in the itinerary are the hiking stages only. The places of accommodation may differ from the starting and finishing points of the hikes.

Day 1: Individual arrival at Dresden/Pirna
The "Florence on the Elbe" shines with the world-famous sights of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), the Zwinger, the Semper Opera House and the Brühl Terrace and forms a picturesque silhouette. Let yourself be enchanted by the historical flair during a stroll through the baroque Old Town.

Day 2: Dresden/Pirna-Liebethal – Wehlen/Rathen (approx. 12/17 km, walking time: approx. 4/5,5 hrs, + 310/390 m, - 330/425 m)
In the morning, you will take the S-bahn train and bus to Pirna-Liebethal, the starting point of your first hiking tour along the Malerweg. During your first hiking stage you will walk through three wild and romantic ravines. Experience one of the special features of the natural landscape in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains: favoured by the microclimate, you will encounter a lush and varied flora in the deep gorges along the Malerweg Trail. The pretty resort town of Stadt Wehlen awaits you at the end of today's hike.

Day 3: Wehlen/Rathen – Hohnstein (approx. 13/8 km, walking time: approx. 5/3,5  hrs, + 480/255 m, - 400/175 m)
The first highlight of today is the probably most famous view point: the Bastei Bridge. Thereafter, you descend into the Amselgrund and head for the second highlight of today's route- the Hockstein. Through the Wolfsschlucht you reach the Polenztal valley, below the village of Hohnstein with its castle, which you will have enough time to visit.

Day 4: Hohnstein – Altendorf/Kirnitzschtal (approx. 15 km, walking time: approx. 6 hrs, + 600 m, - 520 m)
Today you will hike to the Brand viewpoint which is also called the ‘Balcony of Saxon Switzerland’. You will continue the tour by taking roughly 800 steps down into the ‘Tiefen Grund’ gorge. Passing Waitzdorf you will reach Altendorf or continue along the Panorama trail to the Kirnitzschtal valley.

Day 5: Altendorf/Kirnitzschtal – Schrammsteine – Neumannmühle (approx. 17 km, walking time: 6.5 hrs, + 700 m, - 755 m)
Hike directly uphill to the Schrammstein viewpoint and along the ridge path through the Schrammstein massif. Passing the Großer and Kleiner Dom, you reach the Affensteinweg, which leads you to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall. Via the Kuhstall with its sky ladder, you reach the stage destination - the technical monument Neumannmühle. By bus you return to the Kirnitzschtal valley or to Bad Schandau.

Day 6: Neumannmühle – Großer Winterberg – region Schmilka/ Krippen (approx. 14 km, walking time: approx. 6.5 hrs, + 620 m, - 720 m)
You start the day taking the bus back to Neumannmühle to continue the walking tour along the Malerweg Trail. Explore the region called "Hintere Sächsische Schweiz" with Zeughaus and Goldstein view point before climbing up the mountain Großer Winterberg, with 556 metres the second highest mountain in Saxon Switzerland.  In Schmilka you take the Elbe ferry and travel by S-bahn train to your accommodation in Bad Schandau/Krippen or continue hiking the Malerweg via Schöna and Reinhardtsdorf to Krippen (another approx. 9 km).

Day 7: region Schmilka/ Krippen – Gohrisch (approx. 17 km, walking time: 6.5 hrs, + 620 m, - 720 m)
Take the S-Bahn to the end of yesterday's hike to Schmilka or continue directly from Krippen on the Malerweg. Climbing the table mountains Papststein and Gohrisch are on your tour plan today. You will spend the night in Gohrisch.

Day 8: Gohrisch - Königstein (approx. 9 km, walking time: approx. 4 hrs, + 270 m, - 470 m)
Today's short hike along the Malerweg leads you over the Pfaffenstein, past the Diebeskeller cave to Königstein Fortress. This leaves enough time for a visit to the "Impregnable".

Day 9: Königstein – Pirna/Dresden (approx. 20 km, walking time: approx. 7.5 hrs, + 670 m, - 660 m)
Passing Thürmsdorf and Weissig, the last hiking stage on the Malerweg trail leads you to the Rauenstein massif. From the top you can catch sight of the Bastei Bridge on the other side of the Elbe River. Over the ridge you walk on towards Pirna. Depending on availability, you will sleep in Dresden (tickets included).

Day 10: Individual departure
We would be delighted to book additional overnight stays for you in Dresden or in other towns along the trail.

Services included

• 9 x overnight stay in hotels with 3-star-standard and guesthouses
• 9 x continental breakfast
• Luggage transfer from accommodation to accommodation during your walking tours
• GPS data on request
• 1 package with maps and information material per room (in English language)
• telephone-service-hotline during your walking holidays

Bookable value-added services for these walking holidays along Malerweg trail

Please feel free to add the following value-added services to the basic travel package to personalize your walking holidays along the Elbe Sandstone Mountains Malerweg trail: 

• Additional nights in Pirna or Dresden
• Trip to Lilienstein on Day 8 from/to Gohrisch (additional night)
• FlexPLUS: rebook or cancel up to 28 days before arrival without giving reasons (more about our FlexPLUS)

Prices of these value-added services are detailed under the tab "Quotes".

Further advice on the hiking tours along the Malerweg trail

Please note that in certain cities in the Elbe Sanstone Mountains compulsory city, tourist or occupancy taxes may be required to be paid. Unless otherwise indicated, the taxes are not included in our prices and have to be paid directly to the hotel.

This walking trip is not recommendable for travellers with mobility impairments.