# Saxon Switzerland

A landscape of sandstone towers and plateaus on the banks of the Elbe, south-east of Dresden, partly protected as a national park, with more than a thousand climbing pinnacles and a free-climbing tradition of its own.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/saxony/saxon-switzerland · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## Getting there from Spain

Fly to Dresden, Prague or Berlin. From Dresden main station, the S-Bahn follows the Elbe to Pirna, Kurort Rathen, Königstein and Bad Schandau, the gateway to the National Park. For the Bastei, get off at Kurort Rathen and cross the river by ferry.

## Getting around the region

You can get around very well without a car: train along the valley, ferries to cross the Elbe and hiking buses to the upland villages. The Malerweg, the painters' trail, is a multi-stage route that starts and ends near Pirna; it can be done in day-long sections.

## What to do, where to eat and sleep

The essentials are the Bastei and its bridge, free and always open, and Königstein Fortress, one S-Bahn stop away. From Bad Schandau, the Kirnitzschtal tram leaves you half an hour's walk from the Kuhstall arch. For serious walking, stage 4 of the Malerweg through the Schrammsteine; to try the rock, a beginner climbing day, and for a rainy day, the Toskana Therme.

To eat, the Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall next to the arch, the Panoramarestaurant Bastei above the Elbe and the Gasthof zur Mühle in Schmilka, with its own beer. To sleep, the Berghotel Bastei beside the bridge, the Elbresidenz on the square in Bad Schandau or the Ostrauer Mühle campsite, open all year.

## Crowds and what to check beforehand

The Bastei is the most visited spot and fills up at weekends; arrive early. Before you go, check the restrictions currently in force on the region's tourism website: there are notices about the Bastei bridge and about path closures.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Elbe Sandstone Mountains
- Cerca: Bohemian Switzerland (a 7.9 km · Czechia), Dresden (a 32.5 km), Litoměřice (a 42.6 km · Czechia), Terezín (a 45.1 km · Czechia)

## Qué hacer
- **The Bastei and its stone bridge over the Elbe** (2 h · All ages; from Rathen, steep steps · Free): What it is
The Bastei is a group of sandstone pinnacles that overlook the Elbe between Rathen and Stadt Wehlen. It is the best-known image of Saxon Switzerland. The passage between the rocks is spanned by a 76.5-metre stone bridge built in 1851, which replaced a wooden one of 1824. From the viewpoints you see the river far below (the Berghotel restaurant, next door, is 194 metres above the Elbe), the plateaux of the Lilienstein and the Königstein and, at your feet, the village of Rathen. Next to the bridge are the remains of the Felsenburg Neurathen, the largest medieval rock castle in the area; because of renovation works it can now only be seen from the outside, with no reopening date. A new panoramic viewpoint opened in 2023.
Getting there
Without a car, the classic way is to climb from Kurort Rathen: the S1 S-Bahn from Dresden stops on the opposite bank, you cross the Elbe by ferry and climb on foot through the village and a path of steps and passes between rocks. The tourist office suggests several loops from Rathen of between 4.7 and 10 kilometres, and one through the Schwedenlöcher, a gorge with stairs, that leaves from Lohmen. By car you go up the Basteistraße: car park 1, at the start of the road, has a day rate and is about 3.5 kilometres' walk away; from 1 April to 31 October a shuttle covers that stretch. Car park 2 is closer and more expensive. Buses 237 and 254 also come.
When to go
The Bastei has no opening hours or entry fee. At weekends at midday it fills with groups; early in the morning or at the end of the afternoon it is much more pleasant to walk and the light is lovelier. In autumn the forest turns red; in winter the stairs can be icy.
- **Königstein Fortress, on a sandstone plateau** (3 h · All ages; under-7s free · Desde 15 € per adult, in winter): What it is
Königstein Fortress occupies the plateau of a sandstone mountain above the Elbe, between Rathen and Bad Schandau. From below it looks like a rock table with a rim of walls; at the top there are buildings from various periods and exhibitions on its history. The walk along the wall goes right round the plateau, with views of the Bastei, the Lilienstein and the Elbe valley. It is the most complete paid visit in Saxon Switzerland and works well with children and in bad weather, because there is plenty under cover.
Opening times and prices
Open every day: from April to October from 9:00 to 18:00 and from November to March from 9:00 to 17:00; last entry is an hour before closing. In winter (2 November 2026 to 19 March 2027) entry costs €15 for adults, €11 concession and €36 for a family (two adults and up to four children aged 7 to 16). On Advent weekends and from 20 March 2027 the prices go up to €17, €13 and €42. Under-7s go free; older children pay the adult rate. The ticket includes the lift and all the exhibitions. Audio guides can be hired, but the website does not say in which languages.
Getting there
By S1 S-Bahn from Dresden to Königstein station. From the village you walk up in about 30 to 45 minutes, or take the Festungsexpress, a little train that leaves Reißiger Platz every half hour from 9:00 to 16:30 from April to October (€8 return, families €17); in winter it only runs the stretch from the car park, weather permitting. By car there is parking all year at the foot of the fortress: €2 for the first hour, €8 up to four hours and €13 for the day. From April to October there is also a panoramic lift.
- **Kirnitzschtal tram to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall and the climb to the Kuhstall** (3 h 30 · Families; the final stretch to the arch has steps · Desde 7 € per journey, adult): What it is
The Kirnitzschtalbahn is a narrow-gauge tram that leaves Bad Schandau and runs for about eight kilometres up the Kirnitzsch valley, a forest river between sandstone walls, to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall, a small waterfall with an inn. It has run since 1898. The journey takes about 30 minutes and stops at the Ostrauer Mühle, the Mittelndorfer Mühle and other points in the valley where trails begin. From the last stop, a forest path marked with a red dot climbs in about 30 minutes to the Kuhstall, the largest rock arch in Saxon Switzerland, at 336 metres above sea level. Next to the arch there is a stairway between rocks, the Himmelsleiter, and the Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall, a mountain inn.
How it works
You take the tram in Bad Schandau, next to the spa park. In summer (28 March to 1 November 2026) it leaves every half hour; in winter, 2 November to 25 March 2027, there is a reduced timetable that the company publishes as a PDF. A single ticket costs €7 (€3.50 concession), the day ticket €10 (€5) and the family day ticket €25, for two adults and up to four schoolchildren under 15. Children not yet at school travel free with an adult; a dog pays €3.50. If you are going to get on and off at several stops, the day ticket pays off. With the guest card of many accommodations in the area, transport on the VVO network is free: ask whether the tram is included in yours.
The walk to the Kuhstall
From the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall stop it is a 30-minute climb through forest; you can also get there in 25 from the Beuthenfall stop. Wear medium or hiking footwear. At the top, the Kuhstall stairway and the Himmelsleiter, a metal stairway between rocks, are the stretch older children like best; with a dog or if you are afraid of heights, the back path of the Kuhstall avoids them. Return the same way or follow the Malerweg if you are prepared.
- **Malerweg stage 4: Schrammsteine, Kuhstall and Lichtenhainer Wasserfall** (7 h 15 · 18.3 km · Good walkers, fit and sure-footed · Free): What it is
The Malerweg, the Painters' Way, is the great trail of Saxon Switzerland: 116 kilometres in eight stages that follow the landscapes the Romantics painted. The fourth stage, from Altendorf to the Neumannmühle, is the most spectacular for a single day. It goes down through the Dorfbachklamm gorge to the Kirnitzsch valley, passes the Ostrauer Mühle and climbs to the Schrammsteine, a ridge of sandstone towers walked along the Schrammsteingratweg, with a detour to the Schrammsteinaussicht, the best-known viewpoint on the ridge. It continues through the national park forest to the Kuhstall rock arch and its Himmelsleiter, descends to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall and ends at the Neumannmühle, an old mill that is now a museum.
What you need to know
It is 18.3 kilometres, 553 metres of ascent and 662 of descent, and about seven and a quarter hours of walking, not counting stops or detours. The tourist office rates it as demanding: it takes good fitness and a sure foot. The climb up the Jägersteig has iron ladders, and in other stretches the path goes over steps and ladders. With a dog, or if you prefer to avoid the more exposed parts, there are marked variants: you can bypass the Dorfbachklamm towards the Ostrauer Mühle, avoid the Jägersteig by the Elbleitenweg and Zeughausweg paths, and bypass the Kuhstall ladder by the back path, marked in red. In the national park you may only walk on marked routes.
Getting there and back
To the start you arrive on the U28 line, the national park train, to Goßdorf-Kohlmühle, or by bus 260 to Altendorf. From Bad Schandau, a 5-kilometre link of an hour and a half via Ostrau. To shorten it, take the Kirnitzschtalbahn in Bad Schandau to the Ostrauer Mühle (11 minutes) and climb from there to the Schrammsteine; you can finish at the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall and return on the same tram. From the Neumannmühle, bus 241 takes you back.
Where to stop
The Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall, next to the arch, is the place to stop for lunch: soups, a cold-cut board and cold drinks. It is open daily in season and only on weekends and public holidays in winter. Bring water and some food just in case.
- **Introduction to climbing on Elbe sandstone, from Ottendorf** (6 h · No experience needed; children with their own rate up to age 12 · Desde 93 € per adult, with equipment): What it is
Saxon Switzerland has more than a thousand sandstone pinnacles and a climbing tradition of its own. If you have never climbed, the way to try it is an introductory day with a local school. The one at the Ottendorfer Hütte, in Ottendorf, in the upper Kirnitzsch valley, has been running courses for more than 25 years. Its Schnuppertag Felsklettern is a day on real rock: it begins with the basics and exercises on the ground, and then you climb easy routes chosen according to what the group wants and can do, always belayed by mountain and climbing guides.
Price and what is included
The day costs €93 per adult and €75 per child up to age 12, with rental equipment included. That individual price requires at least three participants paying the full rate; for groups they quote separately. If you like it, the two-day course costs €190 (€160 for children) and each extra day, €93. There are tailor-made guided outings from €275 for one or two people. The school only climbs when the rock is dry: after days of rain it is postponed.
Getting there and booking
The meeting point is in Ottendorf, in the municipality of Sebnitz, above the Kirnitzsch valley. From Bad Schandau you get there by car; by public transport, check the connection with the Kirnitzschtalbahn and the local buses on the VVO transport association's website. Book on the website or by phone: they have a calendar of fixed dates and also dates by arrangement. The website does not say whether classes are given in English; ask when you book.
- **Toskana Therme Bad Schandau, salt water with a view of the Elbe** (2 h · All ages; under-4s free · Desde 22 € adult, 2 hours): What it is
The Toskana Therme is in Bad Schandau, on the bank of the Elbe, on Rudolf-Sendig-Straße. It is a spa of warm salt-water pools, with a separate sauna area, the Saunawelt. What sets it apart is the Liquid Sound, a concept of the chain's own: a brine pool at a controlled temperature in which music plays underwater while lights are projected, with views of the sandstone mountains. It is the best plan in the area for a rainy day and a good end after a long hike through the Schrammsteine or the Kuhstall.
Opening times and prices
Open Sunday to Friday from 10:00 to 22:00 and Saturdays from 10:00 to 23:00, also on public holidays, except 24 and 31 December. You pay by time: €22 for two hours, €29 for four hours and €38 for the day for adults; children, half (€11, €14.50 and €19). Child rates apply up to and including age 13; from 14 you pay the adult rate, and up to age 3 entry is free. The family ticket (two adults and one child) costs €47, €59 or €77, and each extra child €6.50. If you overstay you pay €2.50 for every half hour. From Monday to Friday, entering between 16:00 and 19:00, there is a happy hour: three hours for the price of two (not on Saxon public holidays or with already discounted tickets). The website does not clarify whether the Saunawelt is included in all tickets: ask at the ticket office.
Getting there
It is in Bad Schandau, by the river. If you arrive by train, the station is on the opposite bank: the ferry takes you across in about seven minutes to the Elbkai landing stage, in the centre. Guests of the Hotel Elbresidenz, on the market square, have unlimited entry included in their stay.

## Dónde comer
- **Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall** (Restaurant, Bad Schandau, €). Qué pedir: a soup of the day and the Brotzeit, the board of cold cuts and bread; ice cream for the children
- **Panoramarestaurant Bastei** (Restaurant, Lohmen (Bastei), €€€). Qué pedir: the Dresden Sauerbraten with red cabbage and Klöße, or the venison goulash; from November to December, the St Martin's goose ordered two days ahead
- **Gasthof zur Mühle, Schmilka** (Restaurant, Schmilka (Bad Schandau), €€). Qué pedir: an organic house beer with a hot soup or a grilled sausage, and something sweet from the mill bakery

## Car-free: Saxon Switzerland without a car
Saxon Switzerland is one of the few mountain parks that are better explored without a car. The S1 S-Bahn follows the Elbe from Dresden to Rathen, Königstein, Bad Schandau and Schmilka; ferries cross the river; the Kirnitzschtal tram climbs the valley to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall, and buses reach the upper villages. If you sleep in the area, the guest card you are given when you pay the tourist tax makes the VVO transport association's public transport free throughout Saxon Switzerland.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–200 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Berghotel Bastei** (Hotel, desde 132 € / night): Sleeping by the bridge
The Berghotel Bastei is a family hotel on the Bastei plateau itself, a few steps from the stone bridge and the viewpoints, inside the national park. Its great advantage is the hour: when the excursion buses have gone, the Bastei is yours, and first thing in the morning you can watch the light enter the Elbe valley before anyone arrives. It has a panoramic restaurant, a bar, rooms for celebrations and a sauna and wellness area that also looks out over the landscape.
The rooms
There are 64 rooms, all non-smoking, with air conditioning, shower or bath, television, safe and free minibar; wifi is free and there is a lift. They range from the 17 m² single (from €93 a night) and the 22 m² standard double, some with a terrace (from €132), to doubles with a view of the rocks (from €156), the 26 m² large double, which they recommend for families (from €139), and the 45 and 50 m² suites (from €204 and €216). Prices are per room per night, with a full buffet breakfast. In high season and at weekends the minimum stay is two nights; on weekdays in low season, a single night carries a €10 supplement. The tourist tax (€3 per person per day from age 16) and an energy surcharge of €3.50 per room per night are paid separately.
Getting there and getting around
By car you drive up the Basteistraße from Lohmen. Without a car, you arrive by bus or walk up from Kurort Rathen, where the S1 S-Bahn stops. When you pay the tourist tax you are given the Saxon Switzerland guest card: with it you use the VVO transport association's public transport free in the area (Pirna, Bad Gottleuba, Bad Schandau and Neustadt) from the day of arrival to the day of departure, and you get discounts on many visits. From here you have the Schwedenlöcher and Rathen within walking distance, and one S-Bahn stop away, Königstein Fortress.
- **Hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme Bad Schandau** (Spa hotel): A spa hotel on the square
The Elbresidenz occupies a whole front of historic buildings on Bad Schandau's market square, with its façade onto the Elbe. It is the big hotel of Saxon Switzerland: 207 rooms and suites, the Elbterrasse restaurant, the Rio Xingù bar, lounges, a summer garden and its own wellness park with a pool. What counts most is that your stay includes unlimited entry to the Toskana Therme, the village's salt-water baths, so after a hike through the Schrammsteine or the Kuhstall you are guaranteed a hot soak. It is the comfortable base for getting around without a car: train, ferry, Kirnitzschtal tram and boats all leave a few steps away.
The rooms
There are Superior and Deluxe rooms, singles from about 18 m² and Deluxe doubles of 23 to 30 m², with views of the Elbe, the square or the quieter inner atrium. All have telephone, television, free wifi, safe, minibar, bathrobe and slippers; those on the river side have air conditioning. Smoking is not allowed in the rooms or on the balconies. The hotel publishes prices from €92.25 per person per night with buffet breakfast and entry to the baths. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 11:00.
Getting there
By train, Bad Schandau station is on the opposite bank: there stop the EC trains on the Hamburg–Berlin–Prague line four times a day and the Dresden S-Bahn every half hour. From the station, the ferry drops you in about seven minutes at the Elbkai landing stage, in front of the hotel. By car, you leave the car at the door and the valet takes it to the garage (€18 a night). Dresden is about 40 km away and Prague about 130. The hotel arranges transfers from Dresden and Prague airports, at a separate price.
- **Camping & Pension Ostrauer Mühle** (Campsite): A campsite in the tram valley
The Ostrauer Mühle is an old mill in the Kirnitzsch valley, a few kilometres from Bad Schandau, surrounded by forested slopes. As early as 1808 a guide to Saxon Switzerland spoke of the friendly people of this mill, who gave walkers milk and, in summer, good beer. In 1953 the first tents were pitched here, and today it boasts of being one of the oldest campsites in Germany. It is open all year, in a wide, sunny part of the valley, with a hundred or so pitches for caravans, motorhomes and tents. In front stops the Kirnitzschtalbahn, the tram of 1898, and the bus; the Malerweg passes through here, and many routes, including the climb up to the Schrammsteine, start at the very gate.
What it has
Modern heated bathrooms, washing machine and dryer, kitchen, electricity hook-ups, chemical toilet disposal, pitches with water and drainage, an adapted bathroom and a baby bath, and wifi. The Flößerstube inn has a terrace, and from April to October a little food shop opens. If you do not bring a tent, there are also guesthouse rooms with bathroom, balcony and television, apartments and a hostel for groups of walkers.
Prices
Per night: €10 per adult, €6 per child aged 4 to 17 (for families, the third child onwards free), €3 for the car, €5.25 to €7.50 for the tent, €7.50 for the caravan and €9 to €12 for the motorhome depending on length. Electricity costs €3.50, a shower €0.50 for every three minutes, a dog €3.50 and breakfast €14. The tourist tax is separate: €3 from age 16 and €1.50 for ages 7 to 15. A car that is slept in counts as a small motorhome. Check-out is until 12:00.

## By plane: Fly to Prague, Berlin or Dresden and take the train to Saxon Switzerland
You reach Saxon Switzerland by flying to Prague or Berlin, both with direct flights from several Spanish cities, or to Dresden, with far fewer connections from Spain. From all three you continue by train: Bad Schandau, the gateway to the national park, is on the line of the EC trains that link Berlin, Dresden and Prague, and the Dresden S-Bahn runs along the valley every half hour. You do not need a hire car.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Berghotel Bastei** (Hotel, desde 132 € / night): Sleeping by the bridge
The Berghotel Bastei is a family hotel on the Bastei plateau itself, a few steps from the stone bridge and the viewpoints, inside the national park. Its great advantage is the hour: when the excursion buses have gone, the Bastei is yours, and first thing in the morning you can watch the light enter the Elbe valley before anyone arrives. It has a panoramic restaurant, a bar, rooms for celebrations and a sauna and wellness area that also looks out over the landscape.
The rooms
There are 64 rooms, all non-smoking, with air conditioning, shower or bath, television, safe and free minibar; wifi is free and there is a lift. They range from the 17 m² single (from €93 a night) and the 22 m² standard double, some with a terrace (from €132), to doubles with a view of the rocks (from €156), the 26 m² large double, which they recommend for families (from €139), and the 45 and 50 m² suites (from €204 and €216). Prices are per room per night, with a full buffet breakfast. In high season and at weekends the minimum stay is two nights; on weekdays in low season, a single night carries a €10 supplement. The tourist tax (€3 per person per day from age 16) and an energy surcharge of €3.50 per room per night are paid separately.
Getting there and getting around
By car you drive up the Basteistraße from Lohmen. Without a car, you arrive by bus or walk up from Kurort Rathen, where the S1 S-Bahn stops. When you pay the tourist tax you are given the Saxon Switzerland guest card: with it you use the VVO transport association's public transport free in the area (Pirna, Bad Gottleuba, Bad Schandau and Neustadt) from the day of arrival to the day of departure, and you get discounts on many visits. From here you have the Schwedenlöcher and Rathen within walking distance, and one S-Bahn stop away, Königstein Fortress.
- **Hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme Bad Schandau** (Spa hotel): A spa hotel on the square
The Elbresidenz occupies a whole front of historic buildings on Bad Schandau's market square, with its façade onto the Elbe. It is the big hotel of Saxon Switzerland: 207 rooms and suites, the Elbterrasse restaurant, the Rio Xingù bar, lounges, a summer garden and its own wellness park with a pool. What counts most is that your stay includes unlimited entry to the Toskana Therme, the village's salt-water baths, so after a hike through the Schrammsteine or the Kuhstall you are guaranteed a hot soak. It is the comfortable base for getting around without a car: train, ferry, Kirnitzschtal tram and boats all leave a few steps away.
The rooms
There are Superior and Deluxe rooms, singles from about 18 m² and Deluxe doubles of 23 to 30 m², with views of the Elbe, the square or the quieter inner atrium. All have telephone, television, free wifi, safe, minibar, bathrobe and slippers; those on the river side have air conditioning. Smoking is not allowed in the rooms or on the balconies. The hotel publishes prices from €92.25 per person per night with buffet breakfast and entry to the baths. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 11:00.
Getting there
By train, Bad Schandau station is on the opposite bank: there stop the EC trains on the Hamburg–Berlin–Prague line four times a day and the Dresden S-Bahn every half hour. From the station, the ferry drops you in about seven minutes at the Elbkai landing stage, in front of the hotel. By car, you leave the car at the door and the valet takes it to the garage (€18 a night). Dresden is about 40 km away and Prague about 130. The hotel arranges transfers from Dresden and Prague airports, at a separate price.

## Consejos

### Use the train and the ferry
Parking next to the Bastei is difficult; from Kurort Rathen you walk up.

### Do the Malerweg in stages
Choose one or two stages and come back by train.

### Stick to the marked paths
In the National Park you may only walk on the marked routes.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How do I get there from Dresden?
By S-Bahn along the Elbe valley to Kurort Rathen or Bad Schandau, in less than an hour.

### What is the Malerweg?
A multi-stage hiking route through Saxon Switzerland, past the landscapes painted by the Romantic artists.

### Do you need a car?
No. The train, the ferries and the hiking buses cover the main sights.

### Are there restrictions at the Bastei?
The tourist office publishes notices about the Bastei bridge: check them before you go.