Hikes in Wehlen

Wehlen is just 30 kilometres from Dresden, the capital of Saxony, which is also known as Florence on the Elbe because of its beauty and baroque splendour. But you shouldn't just visit Dresden, because the nearby Elbe Sandstone Mountains are a must for hikers, climbers and nature lovers.

You can travel to Wehlen comfortably and quickly by suburban railway and theoretically even by boat. You will find beautiful and comfortable accommodation everywhere, because Wehlen lives mainly and quite rightly from tourism.

Wehlen itself also has a lot to offer. Well-known cultural monuments such as the famous Bastei, the ruins of Wehlen Castle, picturesque villas, churches and half-timbered houses are just as much a part of it as old, family-run inns, small hotels and shops. So it's well worth taking a walk along the hiking trails in the immediate vicinity of the town of Wehlen and the district of Pötzscha on the other bank of the Elbe.

A good place to start is the hike "Around Wehlen". Highlights are the panoramic viewpoints, such as the Wilkeaussicht, the Teufelstal and the castle ruins of Wehlen.

Wehlen is the ideal starting point for extensive hiking trips in the Saxon Switzerland National Park. Wehlen is centrally located, easily accessible and well equipped for tourism: The hiking trails are well signposted and the tourist information office has brochures with tried and tested hiking routes.

The classic par excellence is the hike to the world-famous Bastei Bridge. The hiking trail from Wehlen to the Bastei runs beautifully through the forest and to the "Steinerner Tisch" (stone table). You don't need to be particularly trained for the walk, but you should bring sturdy shoes as well as a basic level of fitness and surefootedness. Over the Bastei Bridge you will then reach the spa town of Rathen, which is well worth a visit. You can return either via the Wehlen-Rathener Elbweg along the shore or comfortably by ferry.

Easy hikes around Wehlen include the rock gate in the Uttewalder Grund, the Wehlener Rundweg (see above) or the "Detour to the realm of fairy tales". Moderately difficult hikes include the Rauenstein ridge trail, the Malerweg trail to Hohenstein or the descent into the Teufelsgrund.

On all your hikes in Saxon Switzerland you will be rewarded again and again with breathtaking views and vistas.

Many artists have been inspired by the beauty of Saxon Switzerland. Among them were the painters Caspar David Friedrich and Adrian Ludwig Richter as well as the composers Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner. The name Saxon Switzerland also goes back to two artists. These were the Swiss artists Anton Graff and Adrian Zingg, who were appointed to the Dresden Art Academy in the late 18th century and seemed to feel completely at home in the rocky landscape of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains while hiking.

The Malerweg circular hiking trail leads through the region in eight daily stages. Following in the footsteps of the artists, you will discover the most beautiful places and the most magnificent vistas of Saxon Switzerland.

The highest, if not best known, peak in Saxon Switzerland is the Große Zschirnstein with a height of 562 metres. The table mountains Königstein, Lilienstein and Pfaffenstein are better known and more prominent. Hiking rails also lead to them for worthwhile walks into the heights. Saxon Switzerland is a truly unique cultural and natural landscape and is made for hiking, relaxing and discovering.