Germany, Saxon Switzerland – Trek Up to the Tall Mountain Around

It is easy to get to Saxon Switzerland and the lpace is great for a one-day trip as well as whole weekend. Only two hours of ride from Prague will get you among the rocks criss-crossed by pathways and tourist direction boards. Head towards Decin and then join the road to Hrensko. The closer to the Elbe it gets the narrower it becomes until it gets you to the cliffs. You should drive across Hrensko, a popular place for our German neighbors, to Reinhardtsdorf, a small village. At its edge leave your car on the right side of the road where a large car park is located. Don’t forget to put on waterproof shoes then you may finally climb to reach local summits.

Turn right at the parking lot and follow down the road across Schöna. Schöna is sort of a border between the Czech Republic and Germany. Good tourist marking starts right there. We join the yellow trail first leading us to Zirkelstein (385 m), joining a pathway afterwards. There is a monumental rock on forest bed. The view looks like some sort of painting. Ladders and stairs lead towards the top with the smell of pines and resin around. Once I set my foot on the last step the view of Bohemian Switzerland opens in front of me showcasing meadows, hills, rocks, and silence. Enjoy your time there. How, you ask? Just sit an observe the beauty in front of your eyes while throwing your worries away. Think only about this unique moment.

The cold will motivate you to get out of there. Well, it is wind actually. It is windy all the time over there. Turn right at the first crossroads when descending. Walk through the forest, then go along the edge of the other until Zirkelstein is at your right hand. Walk by a recreational resort where are wooden huts. Then take a direction shown at the direction board pointing to (Grosser Zschirnstein). The road goes through nice forest but mind your steps and rise your feet high for there are many hundred years old roots. You can easily trip over them. I don’t recommend this trail when going by bike or with a baby carriage. We make our last steps and then beautiful panorama opens in front of us showcasing Czech and German hills, rocks, forests, fields, and tiny villages. We enjoy this view atop the tallest mountain in Saxon Switzerland – Grosser Zschirnstein (562 m). This is the place where you should enjoy your snack (that you have to carry with, by the way). We take a deep breath getting fresh air in our lungs. Our sight focuses on the land down below the rock.

On your way back, turn left to Kleiner Zschirnstein, a summit you shouldn’t let pass. This is the only cliff we happened to be completely alone at, something we truly appreciated. Given its smaller height, the view was nevertheless spectacular. There we followed the green trail immediately joining the red one. This took us to Wolfsberg, a sort of forest promenade. We go along the edge of one meadow and forest. We can see Zirkelstein from completely different perspective. Benches along the rout tempt you to take some time while enjoying the view. Then follow a field road which crosses to large fields down to the car park.

The total length of the trek overreaches 16 kilometers. Partially it follows the Malerweg the most famous trail in Saxon Switzerland. One trail exceeds 112 kilometers, which is unbelievable. Many painters tried to find inspiration along its kilometers. The same applies to you. Try to find your inspiration here. You don’t have to be a painter just enjoy the nature here.

GPS: 50°52'42.7"N 14°13'14.5"E

Text and photo: Šárka Vacková