The Elbe Sandstone Mountains stretch along the Elbe between Pirna in Saxony and Dĕčín in the Czech Republic. For most holidaymakers, a holiday in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains is associated with hiking.
The low mountain range is built almost exclusively of sandstone and reaches a maximum height of 723 metres (located in the Czech Republic). The German part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains is generally referred to as Saxon Switzerland and the Czech part as Bohemian Switzerland. Large parts of the region are designated as protected landscape areas.
Holiday in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains – Excursion tips
In beautiful weather, we set off from Bad Schandau to tackle our planned hike to the Bastei. First we take the train to Rathen.
Bad Schandau in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains is easily accessible by train. It is easy to discover many different hiking routes from here. We did two half-day tours, which were very varied and left lots of wonderful and atmospheric impressions.
Three days in Bad Schandau and one firm goal: We are going to go hiking despite the temperature being 30 degrees!
During a short trip to Saxon Switzerland, I was drawn to the fortress Königstein. My last visit was more than 10 years ago and the weather was awful – this time it was sunny and I enjoyed my visit to the fullest.
Indoor bouldering is a great alternative for Berliners. Still, there is something about the idea to do “the real thing” in the outside world. We made rock climbing in the Elbe Sandstone Highlands our first outdoor climbing experience.
In Saxon Switzerland on the banks of the Elbe, there is a bastion. Numerous tourists enjoy the wonderful view over the Elbe valley and the Elbe Sandstone Highlands from here.
Travel information about the Elbe Sandstone Mountains
Arrival
By plane
The nearest airport on the German side is in Dresden, on the Czech side the airport is in Prague.
By car
The mountain range begins about 30 kilometres from Dresden. The A 17 and A 4 motorways lead into the region. From the exits, federal roads and much smaller roads lead through the mountain range.
By bus
German and international bus lines go to Dresden (main station). From there you can take the S 1 to the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
By train
Saxon Switzerland, i.e. the German part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, is easily accessible by train. Regional trains run from Dresden to the region. The IC train in the direction of Prague stops in Bad Schandau.
On the way in…
Public transport
The National Park railway station in Bad Schandau is one of the region’s transport hubs. From there you can reach almost all places by S-Bahn, bus or ferry. Another central transfer station is in Pirna.
The S-Bahn line S 1 connects the entire region with Dresden and Meißen.
In addition, special hiking buses travel to the most popular hiking areas in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland National Park Railway
The railway line connects Bad Schandau with Sebnitz. It runs through 7 tunnels on its 16-kilometre route and crosses the Sebnitz River 28 times.
Kirnitzschtalbahn
The tram runs from Bad Schandau into the National Park. Some of the trains are old.
Steamship travel on the Elbe
The largest and oldest paddle steamer fleet in the world takes holidaymakers across the Elbe.
On foot
The entire region is criss-crossed by numerous well-signposted hiking trails.