The SPORTY hike on the Malerweg

All applicable guest taxes are NOT included in the travel price and must be paid on site.

Please note the Information sheet for informing the traveler in the case of a package tour according to § 651a of the German Civil Code

• For organizational reasons, this hike can only be booked up to 10 days before the arrival date.
• We recommend sturdy high-ankle hiking boots for the tours as well as a small backpack for provisions and rain protection.
• A good basic fitness level, sure-footedness, and a head for heights are required for this hiking trip.
• The complete overview of booked accommodations is noted on the travel confirmation/invoice and will be sent to the guest by the tour operator along with the documents after booking the trip.
• Communication during the trip is possible in the following languages: German
• The trip is unsuitable for guests with limited mobility.
• For German citizens, the current identification documents apply. All other persons should observe the respective passport and visa deadlines. Your embassy will be happy to provide information on this.
• Please also pay attention to the notes in the terms and conditions of the tour operator CORSO …die reiseagentur
• The Saxon Switzerland Tourism Association is only an intermediary for this trip.

• 1st Day: Individual Arrival in Pirna
  You individually travel by train or car to Pirna (affordable parking options for cars are available in the parking garage)
• 2nd Day: Pirna/Liebethal Valley - Spa Town Rathen  (approx. 21/16 km)
  Your hike begins in Pirna with the crossing of the Elbe River, continuing through Jessen to the starting point of the Painter's Path at Liebethal Valley (approx. 5 km).
  Alternatively, you can take the regional bus G/L from Pirna to Liebethal (approx. 20 minutes travel time, included in the visitor card mobility). The Liebethal Valley is the gateway to the Painter's Path. This stage leads along the Wesenitz River through the romantic valley to the monumental Richard Wagner Monument. After the village of Lohmen, you reach the Uttewalder Valley. Through the Uttewalder Rock Gate and the Wehlen Valley, the Painter's Path leads to Wehlen on the Elbe. Here you will also find the Wehlen Castle Ruin, from whose plateau you have a beautiful view over the town. From Wehlen, the Painter's Path follows the Schwarzbergweg past the "Stone Table" to the most famous landmark of Saxon Switzerland, the Bastei viewpoint. From here, you look 190 meters deep into the Elbe Valley. After descending from the Bastei, you reach the small spa town Rathen.
• 3rd Day: Spa Town Rathen/Hohnstein Polenztal - Kirnitzsch Valley  (approx. 24/19 km)
  After the Amselsee in the spa town Rathen, the path leads into the Schwedenlöcher. This is a rewarding short detour from the route, combined with a short hike into the narrow valley of the Schwedenlöcher. After returning to the Amselgrund and a short ascent, you reach Rathewalde. Just before the Hockstein viewpoint, you cross the Devil's Bridge and follow the Painter's Path down through the narrow Wolfsscharte into the Polenztal. Overlooking the valley is the town of Hohnstein with its castle. Past the remnants of the former bear garden, the path leads directly into the small town, which is also famous for the Hohnsteiner hand puppets. From Hohnstein, the Painter's Path leads to one of the most beautiful viewpoints of Saxon Switzerland, the Brand Viewpoint. Via the steep and step-rich Brand Steps, you reach the Tiefen Grund and hike on the Painter's Path to the picturesque village of Waitzdorf. In the middle of the village is the Waizdorfer Tavern with a beer garden and guest room. You continue the path to Kohlmühle. From here, it runs parallel to the railway track of the National Park Railway towards Großdorfer Raubschloss. Via the Mühlenweg, you leave the Sebnitz Valley and head up to Altendorf, reaching the Kirnitzsch Valley via the large climbing facility of the Dorfbach Canyon.
• 4th Day: Kirnitzsch Valley - Kirnitzsch Valley Lichtenhain  (approx. 14 km)
  The Painter's Path leads from Ostrau past the Falkenstein to the Great Schramm Gate and the impressive Schrammstein Viewpoint. A genuine ridge walk at "the highest level" offers you great views. Via the Schrammsteinweg and the Zur Rückestieg, you reach the area of the Affensteine. A worthwhile detour from the Painter's Path is at this point the path to the Carola Viewpoint. Back on the Painter's Path route, the descent is comfortable towards the Lichtenhainer Waterfall over the Little Dome and the lower Affenstein Path into the Kirnitzsch Valley.
• 5th Day: Kirnitzsch Valley Lichtenhain - Schmilka  (approx. 20 km)
  The Painter's Path first leads you to the Rock Gate Kuhstall, then to the Prebischtor, the second-largest rock gate in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
  Don't miss the somewhat hidden ascent to the Neuen Wildenstein via the narrow rock crevice Himmelsleiter. On the rock plateau, remnants of the Wildenstein Castle can still be discovered. From the Felsenmühle, the Painter's Path runs upstream along the Kirnitzsch towards the Buschmühle and on to the Kleinstein Cave. Follow the road towards Räumichtmühle and shortly before it, turn into the Mühlschlüchte. Past the Alten Zeughaus, you hike across the Pohlshorn and the Goldstein Viewpoint to the beech-covered basalt dome of the Großen Winterberg. Here is the National Park Information Center "Eishaus." Via the step-rich mountain path, you soon reach Schmilka, where a visit to the Schmilka Mill with its mill garden and bakery is recommended.
• 6th Day: Schmilka - Königstein District Halbestadt  (approx. 25 km)
  With the ferry, you change sides of the Elbe and hike via the Aschersteig to Schöna.
  Your hike begins with the ascent to the Wolfsberg. Discover in Reinhardtsdorf a gem of Baroque church architecture. The church in Reinhardtsdorf is among the oldest and most beautiful churches in this area. From Reinhardtsdorf, the Painter's Path leads into the Krippenbach Valley. Further on, two "highlights" await you: The Papststein and the Gohrisch, with their 451 and 440 meters respectively, are the highest points on the Painter's Path after the Großen Winterberg. On the Muselweg, you reach the spa town Gohrisch and a little later the ascent to the Pfaffenstein. Here, you are greeted by the legendary view of the "Barbarine," a rock spire said to be a petrified maiden according to legend. Via the Kammerweg, you descend from the Pfaffenstein and hike towards Quirl. At this table mountain lies the largest cave in Saxon Switzerland, the Thief's Cellar. From Pfaffendorf, the Painter's Path leads you into the Elbe Valley and through the narrow alleys of Königstein's old town. With the ferry, you change sides of the Elbe and reach the district Halbestadt.
• 7th Day: Königstein District Halbestadt - Pirna (approx. 20 km)
  In the morning, you hike over the Latzweg to the famous Königstein Fortress and shortly afterward reach Thürmsdorf.
  If you have a sweet tooth, make sure not to miss visiting the chocolate factory at Thürmsdorf Castle. At the Biedermann Mausoleum, the Thiele Viewpoint awaits with a view of the Elbe, the Lilienstein, and the Königstein Fortress. A few kilometers further, you reach Weißig. The hiking trail ascends with the Rauenstein, the final summit of the Painter's Path. In Naundorf, a visit to the Robert Sterl House is worthwhile. The museum preserves the artistic legacy of the Impressionist painter Robert Sterl. From the König's Nose, there is one more view over the Elbe Valley. Shortly before Pirna, the Painter's Path leads onto the Canalettoweg and finally ends at the Pirna Market Square. Stroll through the picturesque historic old town with its elaborately decorated bourgeois houses and discover special details such as the Devil's and Angel's Erker.
• 8th Day: Individual Departure from Pirna