Mountain hikes in Sebnitz

Large climb route in Saxon Switzerland and one of my personal classics when I want to go through the most exciting climbs & ladders with friends. I have been doing this route since around 2016 and it is always a great route. Attention! Appropriate experience and/or equipment is required!

Start Beuthenfall - Lower Häntzschelstiege (omitted, as in my opinion not suitable for children up to 10 years) - Zwillingsstiege (easily doable, also for the little one) - Upper Häntzschelstiege - Long Horn - Small Präbischtor - Lower Affensteinpromenade - Beuthenfall

Moderate hike with easy climbing sections

Wonderful climbing tour with stunning scenic moments. The first ascent takes place via the Hänztschelstiege, then towards Carolafelsen, from this viewpoint a spectacular descent over the Wilde Hölle which can hardly offer a closer connection to nature. After completing the descent, we are back at the feet of the Affensteine and then properly head up the Zwillingsstiege, through the Bauernloch and immediately back towards Carolafelsen, we pass the descent of the Wilde Hölle and continue towards Friedensstein - a wonderful conclusion of the tour in the Idagrotte.

Moderate tour through Saxon Switzerland, via the Wilde Hölle, Carolafelsen, Frienstein with Idagrotte, Upper Affensteinweg, Kuhstall to the Lichtenhainer Waterfall. With some spectacular views and sections of the trail.

The section of the Malerweg that runs from the Lichtenhain Waterfall through the rocky landscapes of the Hintere Sächsische Schweiz to the Großer Winterberg—the highest peak on the right bank of the Elbe—and down to Schmilka in the Elbe Valley is the most popular stretch of the trail. Since it features nearly alpine climbs, many hikers tackle this section and cap it off with an overnight stay at the car-free “Großer Winterberg” mountain hotel, located in the heart of the national park.▶ At the Lichtenhainer Waterfall 01, the Malerweg crosses the Kirnitzsch River and runs parallel to the Flößersteig trail briefly upstream until the M marker turns right up into the Münzbach Valley and leads past the Münzborn to the Kuhstall 02. The Kuhstall is a passage cave in the sandstone reef of the Neuer Wildenstein; it served as a refuge for local residents and their livestock from the hardships of the Thirty Years’ War—hence the name “Kuhstall” for this 11-meter-high, 17-meter-wide, and 24-meter-deep joint cave. Refreshments are available at the Zum Kuhstall inn. From the Kuhstall, the expansive summit plateau can be reached via the Himmelsleiter, a staircase with 108 steps. It offers a magnificent view of the rugged cliffs of the Hintere Sächsische Schweiz as well as, to the north, the gentle granite peaks beyond the Kirnitzsch Valley. Traces of carving and remnants of walls bear witness to the former rock fortress of Neuer Wildenstein, which served as a seat of the Bohemian Berken von der Duba family from 1409 to 1451 and functioned as a stronghold for robber barons.The Malerweg leaves the Kuhstall area via a flight of steps and then follows the Haussteig eastward through the forest, descends through the Ferkelschlüchte into the Kleiner Zschand Canyon, and follows it downhill until just before it flows into the Kirnitzsch, where the Felsenmühle Inn and Guesthouse 03 (www.pension-felsenmuehle.de) invites visitors to stop for refreshments and spend the night. Before reaching the bottom of the Kirnitzsch Valley, the Malerweg turns right onto the Flößersteig and follows it upstream to the Neumannmühle Inn and Museum 04 at the mouth of the Großer Zschand Canyon. The Neumannmühle consists of the inn and the mill itself, which houses a museum. The centerpiece is a wood pulper (1871/72) used to produce wood pulp for the paper industry (www.neumann-muehle.de).The next mill offering overnight accommodations is the Buschmühle Inn 05 (www.die-buschmuehle.de) on the opposite side of the Kirnitzsch Valley Road. At the three-way intersection above the Buschmühle, the Malerweg turns left onto the north-facing slope, where the Arnstein rock fortress—also known as the Ottendorfer Raubschloss—is signposted; meanwhile, the Malerweg winds through the forested slope above the road toward the Stadelschlüchteturm, the Kleinsteinhöhle, and the Sturmbauers Eck 06 parking lot in the valley of the Saupsdorfer Bach (where there is a shelter and a bus stop), and then follows the road upstream through the valley to the Mühlschlüchte junction just before the Räumichtmühle Inn 07; those who wish to stop for a meal or take the bus back should walk the final stretch to the bus stop at the restaurant next to the road.At the Mühlschlüchte junction just before the inn, the Malerweg turns right and ascends into the wooded Mühlschlüchte, leading to the Kleines and Großes Pohlshorn overlooks 08. From the Großes Pohlshorn, the Dreisteigensteig trail—frequently marked by stairways—descends steeply into the upper Kirnitzsch Valley 09 and, after a brief ascent toward the Teichstein viewpoint, reaches the Zeughaus inn complex 10 in the rocky landscape of the canyon Großer Zschand (www.alteszeughaus.de and www.zeughaushuette.de). The Teichstein (412 m), accessible via a secured trail, is one of the most beautiful vantage points in the Zschand region of the Hintere Sächsische Schweiz, alongside the Goldstein viewpoint. To the southeast, the volcanic cone of the Rosenberg rises behind the Thorwalder Walls; to the southwest, the massive basalt dome of the Großer Winterberg rounds off the landscape above the Goldstein, with the Kleiner Winterberg and the Affensteine adjoining it on the right, while between the Großer and Kleiner Zschand, the striking Härtling of the Winterstein (Hinteres Raubschloss) peeks out, and further to the right, the Lorenzsteine rise up. Deep down in the Großer Zschand, the houses at the Zeughaus can be seen; the Teichstein is said to take its name from the former pond located there. At the Zeughaus, the Malerweg turns onto the Roßsteig, which leads steeply upward, where the Goldsteinaussicht 11 is signposted shortly thereafter on the left. The rock outcrop, located above the Zeughaus and in the immediate vicinity of the Goldstein—a climbing peak—offers an excellent view of the Grand Zschand gorge system as well as the basalt peaks beyond the Thorwalder Wände in Bohemian Switzerland, while to the west, the rounded summit of the Großer Winterberg comes into view. Further along, the Roßsteig passes a geological outcrop known as the Zeughausgang (basalt). At the Katzenstein 12, which overhangs on all sides, the Malerweg leaves the Roßsteig and follows the historic Fremdenweg to the mountain hotel on the car-free Großer Winterberg 13, the highest mountain on the right bank of the Elbe in Saxon Switzerland. The young volcanic basalt dyke cuts through the sandstone over a length of one kilometer and a width of 100 meters; on the basaltic weathered clay, a beech forest with a species-rich shrub layer has developed: woodruff, mountain speedwell, lungwort, hazelwort, and various medicinal herbs have found a refuge here. Basalt boulders are also scattered widely across the sandstone slopes of the Winterberg, which lies within the car-free core zone of the national park. The descent into the Elbe Valley begins on the Winterberg. The Malerweg briefly follows Winterbergstraße—the access road to the mountain hotel, which is closed to public traffic—and then switches to the scenic Bergsteig trail, which later crosses Winterbergstraße once more before reaching Schmilka 14 in the Elbe Valley on Federal Highway 172; the car-free ferry connects the town with the Schmilka-Hirschmühle S-Bahn station on the left bank of the Elbe.

Physically very demanding

A technical, in some spots (ladder climbs through rockways), hike that is mostly through the beautiful forest leading to several stunning viewpoints over the surrounding area!

difficult hiking tour off the main routes