de-DEen-US
de-DEen-US

Saxon Switzerland

If you think you have to travel far away for spectacular nature, you're wrong. Because the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland are “just around the corner”, so to speak. To be more precise, the national park stretches from Germany to the Czech Republic. You'll be amazed on a hike through the mountains at any time of year!

25/10/2020

dear(travel)diary,

I still remember the exact moment when I saw a photo from Saxon Switzerland for the first time. I immediately wanted to know where this beautiful picture was taken. When I saw that it was taken in Germany, I was stunned. We have something so beautiful right under our noses?

My expectations of Saxon Switzerland were correspondingly high. After all, there are endless beautiful pictures of the sandstone mountains circulating on the internet. Fortunately, my expectations were not disappointed. Because the rock formations are also gigantic in reality! Whether early in the morning, during the day or at sunset - we were able to enjoy fascinating views at any time of day!

xx Chiara

Overview:


9 Things to do

Saxon Switzerland has a lot to offer. So that you are not overwhelmed by the choice, I have put together my top 9 things you can experience there:

  1. Discover the Bastei bridge & Neurathen rock castle
  2. Hike to the Schrammsteine (at sunset)
  3. Rowing on the Amselsee in Rathen
  4. Climb the Lilienstein mountain
  5. Take a stroll through Pirna
  6. Conquer the Königsstein fortress
  7. Cycle a stage along the Elbe cycle path
  8. Hike along the Malerweg trail
  9. Gaze at the Barbarine from the Pfaffenstein


Where to sleep

We treated ourselves to a good hotel with a wellness area on the occasion of passing my exams: the Hotel Elbschlösschen in Rathen. We chose this hotel because of its location. The hotel is only a 20-30 minute walk from the Bastei Bridge.

The room was good and the staff were friendly. We were able to use the sauna or go swimming every evening to recover from our excursions. The food in the hotel is made from regional products as far as possible. That makes it taste even better!

The hotel is located in a climatic health resort. This means that there are hardly any cars in the town. We therefore parked our car in the free parking lot on the other side of the Elbe and then took the Gierseilfähre ferry to Rathen. The ferry is only powered by the Elbe.

The accommodation was more expensive than most of the places we usually book. However, we usually travel on a very low budget. I still think the hotel was great value for money. I can therefore recommend the hotel for your next visit to Saxon Switzerland!


I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.

From the community for the community

Tips from the community

"I can highly recommend the Lilienstein and the little Bärenstein!"

goetze.hannah

"The Bastei between Rathen and Wehlen, really great view & beautiful way up!"

paulbjahn

Do you have a tip for Saxon Switzerland? Or a suggestion for the blog? Or would you simply like more information?

Then write me!