The best way to explore beautiful Saxony is by bike or on foot. Countless hiking and biking routes crisscross the landscape and there is something for every taste. Close to the water along the Elbe, high up in Saxon Switzerland, gently hilly in the Vogtland,... We are happy to present you the most beautiful tours.
Table of contents
Hiking
1. The Malerweg - A path like painted
2. Quality trail Kammweg - Hiking as a border experience
3. Quality trail Vogtland Panorama Weg® - hiking pleasure with picture-book views
4. Upper Lusatian Mountain Trail - Hiking in the Three-Country Corner
5. Saxon Wine Trail - Gold in the Throat, Elbe in Sight
6. Luther Trail - Leaving everyday life behind
Cycling
1. Elberadweg - the star among the German cycle paths
2. Oder-Neisse Cycle Route - Border Crossers through Saxon Cultural History
3. Spreeradweg - cycling pleasure in the land of the Sorbs
4. Neuseenland bike route - lake hopping around Leipzig
5. Musicians' Cycle Route - A Journey for the Senses
6. Meißner 8: Romantic valleys and wide fields
Length: 112 kilometer
Start and destination: Liebethal (Pirna) - Pirna market
Through which region does the Malerweg lead?
The Malerweg leads you once across the popular Elbsandsteingebirge.
What awaits you?
Rightly counts the Malerweg is one of the most popular hiking routes in Germany. It leads through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, which have already inspired and magically attracted many artists and writers. Its historic route combines nature, hiking and culture in an incomparable way. It goes along the Elbe River, where the landscape is often shrouded in a mystical haze in the morning. When this dissipates, the extent of the beauty becomes visible: bizarre sandstone formations and charming villages as far as the eye can see.
The route is divided into eight stages, each with its own highlights. Unforgettable is the stone landmark of the National Parks Saxon Switzerland: the Bastei bridge. By the way, thanks to the well-developed transport network, you can easily start hiking along the Malerweg at any place.
You wonder where the trail got its name? The answer is, among others, the famous painter Caspar David Friedrich, who liked to be inspired on his walks through the region. And one thing is certain: you won't be able to get the images of the landscape of steep cliffs, deep gorges and opaque forest created by nature hundreds of millions of years ago out of your head.
Length: 289 kilometers
Start and finish location: Geising in the Eastern Ore Mountains - Blankenstein in Thuringia
Through which regions does the ridge trail lead?
On 17 stages the Ridgeway through the Ore Mountains and the Vogtland to the borders of Bavaria and on to Thuringia - always along the Bohemian border.
What awaits you?
The route starts in Altenberg-Geising and winds from there over the heights of the Ore Mountains. Later you will cross the Musikwinkel in the Vogtland, briefly greets Bavaria and finally reaches Blankenstein in Thuringia. The path leads along the ridge of the Ore Mountains over unimagined heights and lets you look into the deeply cut valleys - some of them are filled with clear streams. Quasi between the sky and the ridge trail you look over a thousand hilltops, from here you have the best view of well-preserved villages and listen to the sound of the wind and the streams.
Along the way, you will pass many places that invite you to take a break. For example, the toy village of Seiffen with its long wood-turning tradition, the Saigerhütte smelter, which was once dominated by copper mining, or the 1215-meter-high Fichtelberg mountain in Oberwiesenthal. No matter where you start - the Kammweg has many highlights ready to be marveled at on its 17 stages.
Length: 225 kilometer
Start and finish location: Circular trail, starting and ending at the Göltzschtal bridge near Mylau
Through which region does the Panorama Trail lead?
The Vogtland Panorama Weg® leads you - as the name suggests - through the enchanting landscape of the Vogtland.
What awaits you?
Even the beginning of the route is spectacular: Fresh in your hiking boots, you start at the Göltzschtal Bridge, the largest brick bridge in the world. Take another deep breath and listen to the babbling of the Göltzsch, look into the distance and recharge your batteries for the first of the 12 stages on which the Vogtland Panorama Weg® is divided.
And it could hardly be more diverse: 280 times the panorama changes and the landscape shows itself in a new dress. The Elster valley, the Plauen lace embroideries, the Pirk dam, the health resorts of Bad Elster with its thermal springs and Bad Brambach with its radon spring, the towns of Markneukirchen and Klingenthal with the highest density of workshops of handcrafted musical instrument making, the space town of Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz with the German Space Museum, the ski jump towering high into the sky in the Vogtland Arena and, and, and... There is so much to discover here!
By the way: the Vogtland Panorama Weg® was the first eastern German hiking trail to receive the "Wanderbares Deutschland" quality seal in 2005. Those who follow its path will understand why. You can find more information about the trail here.
Length: 112 kilometer
Start and destination: Neukirch/Lausitz - Zittau
Through which region does the Upper Lusatian Mountain Trail lead?
The name already gives it away: it goes through Upper Lusatia.
What awaits you?
On the Upper Lusatian Mountain Trail an exciting route through the border triangle of Germany - Poland - Czech Republic awaits you. Wide views over mountain tops and deep valleys - on this route Saxony shows its wild and romantic side. In between you will pass cozy villages with traditional Upper Lusatian half-timbered houses.
From the pottery village of Neukirch, the trail winds through the Upper Lusatian Mountains, where several lookout towers await you and promise fantastic distant views. Further east you hike to the Zittau Mountains National Park with its bizarre and fascinating sandstone formations. Time to marvel! Daring and experienced climbers can also demonstrate their climbing skills here. The highest peaks of the mountain range are the Hochwald and the Lausche, from where you can admire the surrounding landscape in peace and quiet. Before you head for the home stretch, pay a visit to the Castle and monastery ruins on the mountain Oybin and when your strength begins to fail, the romantic Zittau narrow-gauge railroad will take you to your destination.
Length: 88 kilometer
Start and destination: Pirna - Diesbar-Seußlitz
Through which region does the wine trail lead?
The route leads along the Elbe valley and past the Saxon state capital Dresden.
What awaits you?
A real pleasure hike! The Saxon wine trail takes you from Pirna through the Saxon Elbe Valley, often very close to the Elbe, always accompanied by fascinating wine culture. For over 850 years, wine has been grown here in a small area with great passion. In the middle of Saxony, hikers often get the impression of strolling through Mediterranean landscapes - vines everywhere. And somehow the clocks also seem to tick differently here: plenty of peace and quiet, no hustle and bustle, pure enjoyment!
With every step through the high, vine-covered mountains, the view wanders over the Elbe Valley: to the table mountains of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains behind Pirna, to the vineyard church in Pillnitz, to the famous silhouette of Dresden's old town with its Church of Our LadyPalace, the Court Church, the Zwinger and the Semper OperaThe view of the Albrechtsburg and the Meissen Cathedral or down into the wide meadows on the banks of the Elbe in the direction of Diesbar-Seußlitz.
Do not forget: In between, put your tired legs up and enjoy a glass of wine! Goldriesling is best, because this grape variety is only grown here. There are many opportunities to stop for refreshments and after a break it is all the easier to hike.
Length: 550 kilometer
Start and destination: round trip, starting and ending in Bad Düben
Through which region does the Luther Trail lead
The Luther Trail crisscrosses the diverse landscapes of the Leipzig region.
What awaits you?
Make your way along the Luther Way on a spiritual journey! You will walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther, across the charming landscape of castles and moors. Once the initiator of the Reformation said, "It's good to free yourself from what burdens you every day." A guiding principle that many hikers follow and concentrate fully on the here and now on the total of 27 stages. Given the beauty of the trail, that's really not difficult.
One special stop is Torgau, for example: in the 16th century, the city was the political center of the Reformation and is still one of the most beautiful Renaissance cities in Germany. But also the ruins of the Nimbschen monastery near Grimma, Leisnig, where Luther wrote the oldest social paper in the world, Borna with its spectacular Emmaus Church or the village church of Löbnitz with the largest picture ceiling in Germany are highlights along the route. For the most part, the well-marked hiking trail runs tranquilly, in Leipzig it becomes a pulsating lifeline. There is no more authentic way to experience Saxony's Reformation era than on the Luther Trail.
Length: 180 kilometers (in Saxony)
Start and destination: Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna - Dommitzsch
Through which region does the Elbe Cycle Route?
You will cycle across Saxony, always along the Elbe River. You will cross many beautiful landscapes, especially the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
What awaits you?
The Elbe Cycle Route is an excellently developed cycling route that runs mostly to the left and right of the Elbe in Saxony. It is one of the most popular routes among cyclists - no wonder, since it offers an incomparable wealth of culture and nature. Its entire length stretches from the source of the Elbe in the Czech Giant Mountains to its mouth at the North Sea near Cuxhaven.
However, the bike course in the Saxon section is particularly beautiful and varied. A magnificent 180 kilometers with many highlights: Dramatic rock formations of the Saxon Switzerland to the east, the Elbe castles of Eckberg, Lingner and Albrechtsburg on the slopes of the Elbe, and Radebeul with probably the most beautiful village green in the district of Altkötzschenbroda. From here, the flat asphalt ribbon stretches impressively along the picturesque hilltops of the Meissen Spaar Mountains with their many vine-covered slopes. There are so many stops that could hardly be more picturesque - and quite a few opportunities to rest and reflect on what you have seen.
Length: 155 kilometers in Saxony
Start and destination: Zittau - Guben
Through which region does the Oder-Neisse Cycle Route?
Here, too, the name already reveals the region: along the Neisse River, the route follows Germany's eastern border to the Oder River.
What awaits you?
Along the rivers Neisse and Oder, which mark the natural border with neighboring Poland, you will roll along on largely flat, well-maintained routes. The high quality of the bike paths is by far not the only reason for the popularity of the Oder-Neisse bike path: The blue glittering surface of the rivers is your constant companion, the green glow of the Neisse floodplains and the forests gently rush past you. Here, nature shows itself from its most beautiful side!
In addition, there is a rich cultural history, which can be experienced during a bike tour in the area. Among other things, you can admire one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries in Ostritz along the route. Zittau marvel at the Church of the Holy Cross, the former Franciscan monastery with the Lenten cloths and art treasures of immeasurable value or in Goerlitz with its approximately 4,000 architectural monuments, enjoy a touch of Hollywood. And last but not least, the route leads past the Fürst Pückler Park in Bad Muskau, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A tip for travelers with children: The amusement park "Kulturinsel Einsiedel - The Secret World of Turisede" is great fun for the little ones and definitely worth a stop.
Length: 120 kilometers in Saxony
Start and destination: Spree spring at the Kottmar - Spremberg
Through which region does the Spreeradweg?
The tour starts in the Upper Lusatian Mountains and continues through the UNESCO-protected heath and pond landscapes of Upper Lusatia to the Lusatian Lakeland.
What awaits you?
For the start of your tour on the Spreeradweg The starting point is on the Kottmar, where the Oberspree rises. Admittedly: The bike path here is a bit tedious, you have to pedal hard, but it's worth it! The air of the beech forest is as clear as the spring. The picturesque landscapes that pass you by are also worth it. Along the way, you'll be enchanted by the Körse Therme near Kirschau, the Umgebinde houses around Schirgiswalde and Bautzen's towers.
And when you finally roll into the Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape, you quickly forget the exertions. From now on, the Spreewald Trail leads straight into the Lusatian Lake Land. An astonishing landscape: once people dug deep open-cast mining holes in the earth, today active vacationers and water sports enthusiasts cavort in and on the crystal-clear lakes. There are many beautiful places here for a relaxing break.
Length: 100 kilometer
Start and finish location: circular route, for example starting and ending in Dreiskau-Muckern
Through which region does the Neuseenland Cycle Route lead?
It goes to the Leipzig hinterland, to nine of the total of 19 new lakes in the former crater landscapes of lignite mining.
What awaits you?
A bike tour, for which a certain basic condition is necessary, but which rewards you with nine beautiful lakes. An entry into the circuit is possible everywhere, a popular place among Leipzigers is the nearby Lake Cospuden with its pretty marina, which can be reached via a near-natural, mostly car-free route. Here, as well as at the Markkleeberger, Störmthaler, Zwenkauer and Hainer See lakes, there are diverse leisure and recreational opportunities despite their young history.
The bike tour is an absolute highlight, especially in summer - after a few kilometers and again and again in between, the crystal clear fresh water invites you to cool down. Those who still have energy left and are in the mood for action can try white-water rafting in the Markkleeberg Canoe Park, dive in the lake or practice kite surfing or standing on their heads in the roller coaster of the Belantis amusement park - the offers could hardly be more varied. Those interested in culture can take a trip to VINETA, a floating island, to Borna with its historic old town and the converted Emmaus Church, to Wiprechtsburg Castle or to the baroque Wiederau Castle. Here you will find more info to this eventful route through the Leipzig countryside!
Length: 115 kilometer
Start and finish location: Circular route, starting and ending in Adorf
Through which region does the Musicians bike trail?
It goes through the idyllic Vogtland music corner.
What awaits you?
Get ready for a cycling route that will take you through the most important places of traditional musical instrument making. A route for all the senses! Start in the small town of Adorf, home of the famous organ builder Trampeli. In no time, you'll reach Markneukirchen, the center of German musical instrument making and known for its master craftsmanship for 300 years. Sounds exciting? Then plan a little more time for this stop, there is a fascinating musical instrument museum here.
You will get to know the "balcony of the Vogtland" in Schöneck. Get to know the history of the harmonica and the accordion in Klingenthal and the neighboring town of Zwota. Another highlight awaits you here, which for once has less to do with music: The Vogtland Arena, which ski jumping fans from all over the world appreciate. By the way, e-bikes are highly recommended for this route, which you will notice at the latest when you get to Erlbach. At an altitude of 900 meters, people here are diligently working on the production of new musical instruments. More than 30 handicraft businesses can be admired. From here, it's a relaxing 14-kilometer ride on the gorgeous Schwarzbachtal bike path back to Adorf - a contemplative end to a musical journey.
Which region does the Meissen 8 run through?
The bike path owes its name to its shape: the Meißner 8 consists of a North and a South routewhich, when put together, form an eight. The route leads on well drivable routes along the left-Selbian valleys and the Lommatzscher Pflege.
North route
Length: 36 kilometer
Start and destination: circular route, starting and ending in Meißen
What awaits you?
We start at the Meissen train station: Get ready for a short tour through the old town. Afterwards, you'll cross the railroad bridge and have a beautiful view of the Elbe and the porcelain city. Admittedly: From here on, it gets a little bumpy for a short while. To get to Semmelsberg, there's no way around the cobbled state road 83. Instead, you can expect natural or well-paved paths on the rest of the route.
Interesting stops along the way include the viaduct in Robschütz, the Löthain Railway Museum, several stations on the historic narrow-gauge railroad, the Leutewitz estate and quarry, the Zöthain double bridge and the Prositz Germanic burial ground. In the truest sense of the word, the route is rounded off by the last stop at the Heilig Kreuz monastery ruins.
South route
Length: 37 kilometer
Start and destination: circular route, starting and ending in Meißen
What awaits you?
The southern route also starts at the train station in Meissen. From there, you will get to know many important sights of the city on wheels - for example, Albrechtsburg Castle with the cathedral, St. Nicholas Church and the world-famous porcelain factory. The start of the route is identical to that of the northern route: It goes to Semmelsberg, but from there the two routes of the Meissen 8 lead in different directions.
The southern route takes the path to Taubenheim. From there it continues to Sora, Klipphausen, through the Prinzbach Valley, Constappel and back to Meissen. But don't be in too much of a hurry, in between you'll want to admire the Götterfelsen, Pechstein cliffs and historic mills.
Cover photo: View of the Ore Mountains © Ingo Hübner
