# Day trip to Saxon Switzerland from Prague: the Kirnitzschtal tram, the Kuhstall arch and thermal baths

Direct train from Prague to Bad Schandau, the Kirnitzschtal tram, half an hour of forest to the Kuhstall arch, soup at the mountain inn and a bath at the Toskana Therme.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/saxony/saxon-switzerland/itineraries/kirnitzschtal-kuhstall-day-from-prague · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## El día
- 07:30 · Salida: 1 h 45 by train (Direct EC from Praha hlavní nádraží · buy your ticket in advance)
  - 7 min by boat (ferry from the station to the Elbkai, in the centre of Bad Schandau)
- 09:45 · Kirnitzschtal tram to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall and the climb to the Kuhstall (tram to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall and a 30 min climb · day ticket €10)
  - 5 min on foot
- 12:30 · Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall (beside the arch · in winter, weekends and public holidays only) · Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall, €
  - 1 h by tram
- 15:30 · Toskana Therme Bad Schandau, salt water with a view of the Elbe (30 min walk down and tram to Bad Schandau · 2 h from €22)
- 18:00 · Vuelta: 1 h 45 by train (ferry to the station and EC to Prague · in Prague around 20:00)

Saxon Switzerland is less than two hours from Prague and can be done entirely without a car. This plan puts you on the direct EC to Bad Schandau, the gateway to the national park, gets you on an 1898 tram through a wooded valley and drops you half an hour's walk from the Kuhstall, the largest rock arch in the region, with a mountain inn beside it. In the afternoon, before the train home, two hours of hot salt water at the Toskana Therme.

## The day, hour by hour

7:30 · Train from Prague. The ECs on the Prague–Dresden–Berlin line stop at Bad Schandau; there are few a day, so check the timetable and buy your ticket beforehand. The station is on the other bank of the Elbe: the ferry takes you across to the centre in about seven minutes.

9:45 · Kirnitzschtal tram and climb to the Kuhstall. From the spa park, the tram climbs the Kirnitzsch valley in about 30 minutes to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall. Buy the day ticket (€10; families €25). From the last stop, the red-dot path climbs for half an hour through the forest to the arch. If you feel like it, climb the Himmelsleiter, a metal ladder between rocks.

12:30 · Lunch at the Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall. Soups, the cold-cuts board and bread, ice cream for the children and a terrace with 150 seats. In winter it opens only at weekends and on public holidays, from 11:00 to 16:00.

15:30 · Toskana Therme. You go down to the tram, return to Bad Schandau and spend two hours in the saltwater pools, with underwater music in the Liquid Sound. From €22 for adults and €11 for children.

18:00 · Journey back. Ferry to the station and EC to Prague.

## With children or in the rain

With children, the tram is already half the plan and the climb to the Kuhstall is short; leave the Himmelsleiter for the older ones. If it rains, swap the Kuhstall for Königstein fortress, two S-Bahn stops from Bad Schandau, and keep the thermal baths.

## Cómo llegar

### Without a car
Direct EC from Prague to Bad Schandau and a ferry to the centre; in the area, tram and on foot.

### By car
About 130 km on the D8 motorway and the A17 and the Elbe road; the Elbe bridge at Bad Schandau is closed, so check access. Park at the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall or at the Beuthenfall.

## Consejos

### Buy the tram day ticket
With a return it already pays off.

### Bring swimwear in your rucksack
The thermal baths are on the way back to the station.

### Check the EC timetable
There are few direct trains a day.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can I go to Saxon Switzerland from Prague in a day?
Yes: the direct EC reaches Bad Schandau in under two hours.

### Do I need a car?
No. Train, ferry, tram and on foot.

### How much does the day cost?
Tram €10, lunch €10–20 and thermal baths from €22, plus the train.

### What about winter?
It works, but the Kuhstall inn is only open at weekends and on public holidays.