Sächsische Schweiz Malerweg

A glittering canvas of castles, crags and canyons

The names Bastei, Schrammsteine, Affensteine, Pfaffenstein and Barbarine might be unfamiliar to us, but merely mentioning them is enough to raise the pulse of climbers in the know. Now, these massive sandstone formations in Saxon Switzerland have been opened up for walkers on the Malerweg. For 112 kilometres, the trail follows the same path taken by the German Romantics in the 18th and 19th centuries. A route that now enjoys cult status for its sensational scenery.

From Liebethal, south of Dresden, you head through the Liebethal and Uttewalde valley, past the rock arch and down to Stadt Wehlen on the Elbe river. It's then up again to the Bastei rocks, where a stone bridge leads to the viewing platform. From here, it's a 200 metre vertical drop to the pleasure boats below: you couldn't ask for a better start.

Saxon Switzerland National Park
In the Kinitzschtal valley, the trail heads deep into the Saxon Switzerland National Park. Over a series of steps and ladders, you come to the Schrammsteine rocks, before a narrow ridgeway brings you to the summit of Carolafelsen. The descent to the Lichtenhain waterfall negotiates a succession of bizarrely shaped rocks. Like a rollercoaster, the Malerweg rises steeply again to the Kuhstall (cowshed), a huge bedding plane cave. Be careful here, the path onto the plateau is extremely narrow.

After relaxing for a while and reflecting on the journey so far, it's time to head up the Grosser Winterberg and back down into the Elbe valley. The destination for painters in those bygone days was Pravčická Gate, a rock arch in the Czech Republic. Although the trail on which it was reached is now closed, you can instead ascend the colossal formation from Hřensko, before continuing to Vysoká Lípa on the Gabrielina Stezka (Gabriel's Trail). The return journey can be made by boat or on narrow paths through the Wilde Klamm and Edmundsklamm ravines.