Painters' Trail – tracing the history of Romanticism in Saxon Switzerland

The spectacular landscape of the Elbe Sandstone Massif, which lies south of Dresden, provides the backdrop for the Painters' Trail. Walkers can follow in the footsteps of Caspar David Friedrich through gorges and past steep rock faces.

Tip

Bastei rocks
The Bastei rock formation is Saxon Switzerland's most famous landmark and inspired the painter Casper David Friedrich. The rocks rise high above the Elbe, affording spectacular vistas as far as Růžovský vrch hill in the Czech Republic. This region is packed with striking legacies of natural phenomena.

At a glance

• Starts: Liebethal
• Ends: Pirna
• Length: 112km
• Number of stages: 8
• Altitude variation (approximate values): Ascent 6,700m, descent 6,700m
• Terrain: 78% unmade, 6% asphalt, 16% other, e.g. gravel