Berghotel Bastei
Why we like it: 64-room family hotel on the Bastei plateau, next to the bridge, with a panoramic restaurant, a sauna with views and free public transport around the area.
From €132
View details
Duration2 nights
Best timeApril – October
Budget€230–420 pp
Getting thereDirect EC from Berlin to Bad Schandau
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Berlin on Friday afternoon and return on Sunday night, without a car. You sleep both nights in Bad Schandau, with the thermal baths included; Saturday is for the Kirnitzsch valley and the rocks of the national park, and Sunday for the Bastei and Königstein fortress, downriver.
Friday
- 119:30Arrival at Bad Schandau
Ferry from the station and dinner at the Elbresidenz, on the market square. If you have energy left, an hour at the thermal baths, which are open until 22:00.
Saturday
- 19:30Kirnitzschtal tram
Day ticket and half an hour on the tram along the valley. Good walkers get off at the Ostrauer Mühle, climb to the Schrammsteine along the Malerweg and carry on to the Kuhstall; the rest carry on to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall and climb to the arch in 30 minutes.
- 213:30Lunch at the Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall
Soup and a cold-cuts board beside the rock arch. In winter it opens only at weekends, from 11:00 to 16:00.
- 317:00Toskana Therme
Back on the tram and hot salt water for your legs. Dinner in Bad Schandau.
Sunday
- 19:30Königstein fortress
Two S-Bahn stops downriver. A walk up of 30 to 45 minutes or, from April to October, on the Festungsexpress.
- 213:00Lunch at the Panoramarestaurant Bastei
One more S-Bahn stop to Kurort Rathen, a ferry and a walk up. You eat above the Elbe.
- 315:00The Bastei
The bridge and the viewpoints at leisure. Go down to Rathen, cross by ferry and take the S-Bahn to Bad Schandau for the EC home.
Saxon Switzerland is the easiest nature getaway from Berlin: a direct EC drops you at Bad Schandau, inside the Elbe valley, and from there everything is done by tram, boat, S-Bahn and on foot. In two nights you see the best of the national park: the Kuhstall arch and the Schrammsteine along the Kirnitzsch valley, the Bastei with its stone bridge and Königstein fortress on its plateau. Sleeping in Bad Schandau has a prize: the hotel includes entry to the Toskana Therme for when you come back from walking.
How do you get there?
By train, with the ECs on the Hamburg–Berlin–Prague line, which stop at Bad Schandau about four times a day; they take a little over two hours from Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Check the timetable beforehand: there are few direct ones and sometimes there are works on the line. If it does not suit, there are trains to Dresden every so often and from there the S-Bahn S1 every half hour. The station is on the other bank: the ferry crosses to the centre in seven minutes. By car it is about two and a half hours on the A13 and the A17, but here the car is unnecessary. From Spain, fly to Berlin and continue by train.
What do you pay for and what is free?
| What | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kirnitzschtal tram, day ticket | €10, families €25 | 30 min each way |
| Toskana Therme | Included at the Elbresidenz; otherwise from €22 | 2 h |
| Königstein fortress | €15 in winter, €17 from March | 3 h |
| Bastei, Kuhstall, Schrammsteine | Free | Half a day each |
Where to sleep
The Elbresidenz an der Therme, on Bad Schandau's square, is the most practical base: the ferry at the door and the thermal baths included. If you want the Bastei to yourself at dawn, switch one night to the Berghotel Bastei, which in high season asks for two nights. For spending little, the Ostrauer Mühle campsite has guesthouse rooms and the tram in front.
And if you change something
If it rains on Saturday, do Königstein that day and leave the Kuhstall for Sunday. For a different dinner, the Gasthof zur Mühle in Schmilka, two S-Bahn stops and a ferry away, serves its own organic beer until 20:00. If you like rock, swap Saturday for an introductory climbing day with the Ottendorfer Hütte school.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Saxon Switzerland, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Saxon Switzerland
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
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.
60–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHotel Elbresidenz an der Therme…
- Getting aroundS1 S-Bahn from Dresden through…
- Where to eatPanoramarestaurant Bastei, next to the…
- ServicesBad Schandau station, with direct…
Where to stay
- Hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme, in Bad Schandau, with the station ferry at the door
- Camping & Pension Ostrauer Mühle, with the Kirnitzschtal tram stop in front
- Berghotel Bastei, by bus or on foot from Kurort Rathen
Getting around
- S1 S-Bahn from Dresden through the Elbe valley, every half hour
- Ferries at Rathen, Bad Schandau and Schmilka
- Kirnitzschtalbahn from Bad Schandau to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall, 30 minutes
- Festungsexpress from Königstein to the fortress, April to October
Where to eat
- Panoramarestaurant Bastei, next to the bridge, every day
- Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall, 30 minutes' walk from the tram
- Gasthof zur Mühle, in Schmilka, a ferry ride from the S-Bahn
Services
- Bad Schandau station, with direct EC trains to Berlin and Prague and the S-Bahn to Dresden
- Saxon Switzerland guest card, with free VVO transport
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.
- Getting therePrague Airport (PRG): to Prague…
- Getting aroundS1 S-Bahn through the Elbe…
- Where to stayHotel Elbresidenz an der Therme…
- ServicesBad Schandau station, on the…
Getting there
- Prague Airport (PRG): to Prague main station and direct EC to Bad Schandau
- Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER): train to Berlin Hauptbahnhof and direct EC to Bad Schandau
- Dresden Airport (DRS): S-Bahn to Dresden Hauptbahnhof and the S1 towards Bad Schandau
- The Hotel Elbresidenz arranges transfers from Dresden and Prague airports, at a separate price
Getting around
- S1 S-Bahn through the Elbe valley
- Ferries and the Kirnitzschtal tram
- Hire car only if you want the upper villages in a hurry
Where to stay
- Hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme, in Bad Schandau, a ferry ride from the station: a good first night if you arrive late
- Berghotel Bastei, to begin the trip with the Bastei empty at dawn
Services
- Bad Schandau station, on the Berlin–Dresden–Prague line
- Dresden Hauptbahnhof, for the S1 S-Bahn
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme Bad Schandau
Why we like it: Grand 207-room hotel on Bad Schandau's market square, on the bank of the Elbe, with unlimited entry to the Toskana Therme and the ferry at the door.
Camping & Pension Ostrauer Mühle
Why we like it: Year-round campsite in the Kirnitzsch valley, with the tram at the gate, its own inn and guesthouse rooms; from €10 per person per night.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Saxon Switzerland
Bergwirtschaft Kuhstall
What to order: a soup of the day and the Brotzeit, the board of cold cuts and bread; ice cream for the children
In winter it opens only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
Panoramarestaurant Bastei
What to order: 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
What to order: an organic house beer with a hot soup or a grilled sausage, and something sweet from the mill bakery
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
When you check in at the hotel they give you the guest card: with it the S-Bahn, buses and ferries in the area are free. Ask whether it includes the tram.
We'd skip it
The Bastei on a summer Sunday at midday: arrive early or last thing.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Berlin to Saxon Switzerland?
A little over two hours by direct EC to Bad Schandau; about two and a half hours by car.
Do I need a car?
No: train, ferry, tram and S-Bahn cover the whole plan.
Is it worth sleeping there?
Yes: you see the Bastei and the Kuhstall outside peak hours and you have the thermal baths on your return.
Can it be done in winter?
Yes, with fewer trams and the Kuhstall inn open only at weekends.