Painter's Way Stage 6
Journey into the Realm of Tabletop Mountains: This is the theme of stage six of the Painter's Way. Two of these rare elevations are conquered on this segment!
Route description
The journey starts in Schmilka. The Elbe ferry takes you to the southern riverbank to the Schmilka-Hirschmühle S-Bahn stop.
After about a hundred meters upstream along the Elbe, the Aschersteig branches off to the right, gently ascending past the Kaiserkrone and leading to Schöna.
You follow the Caspar-David-Friedrich circular trail through the village to the Wolfsberg with panoramic views.
From here, the route continues to Reinhardtsdorf, where a little-known treasure awaits discovery: A church elaborately designed in a rural Baroque style. Here you will find the oldest artistic depictions of the Saxon Switzerland!
The Malerweg then leads to the Krippenberg, follows the Püschelweg, the Elysium- and Koppelsbergweg to the Liethenmühle. Subsequently, you follow the Alte Schulweg to the end and shortly after climb the two table mountains Papststein and Gohrisch.
The stage destination, the spa town Gohrisch, is reached via the Muselweg.
Stage 6 in Numbers
17.3 km
The sixth stage of the Painter's Way runs 17.3 kilometers along the left side of the Elbe.
7 Hours
You will hike approximately seven hours without detours to viewpoints or breaks on the 6th stage of the Painter's Way.
641 elevation gain/drop
UPHILL. The sixth stage starts steeply uphill from the Elbe and overcomes several ascents and descents along the way. It is the stage with the most elevation gain.
442 elevation gain/drop
DOWNHILL. Stairs and steps lead down from the tabletop mountains. The stage is classified as challenging due to its length and elevation gain.
Good to know
Travel to the 6th Painting Trail Stage
Bus line 252 stop: Schmilka, Border Crossing
Train S1, National Park Railway U28 stop: Schmilka-Hirschmühle and Ferry
Hiking Boat
Departure from the 6th Painting Trail Stage
Bus lines 244 stop: Spa Resort Gohrisch, Parking Lot
Good to know: The guest card mobile including use of buses, trains, and ferries in the VVO tariff zones as well as numerous advantages at leisure experiences is available to you as an overnight guest in most places in the region.
Tourist Information Spa Town Gohrisch
House of the Municipal Administration Gohrisch
Neue Hauptstraße 116b
01824 Spa Town Gohrisch
Tel.:+49 350216 6166 or +49 350216 6610
Tourist Information Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna
Waldbadstraße 52d/e
01814 Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna
Tel.:+49 35028 80433
Tourist Service Bad Schandau
at Hotel ELBRESIDENZ
Markt 1-11
01814 Bad Schandau
Tel.: +49 35022 90050
The detour around the two table mountains Papststein and Gohrisch is possible to avoid iron ladders.
To learn which renowned artists of the past traversed the 6th stage of the Malerweg and which motif of the collectible postcards you can take for free, find out here:
Yes, it is possible! There are several campsites along the Malerweg. They are not always located exactly on the Malerweg. We recommend the following:
6th Stage:
Stage start: Unfortunately no campsite in the vicinity.
Stage end: Caravan Camping in Gohrisch or at the Heymannbaude in Kleinhennersdorf
Editorial Tips
Recommendations on the 6th Stage of the Malerweg
Accommodation & Gastro on the Malerweg
Hosts on this page bear the label "Hiker-friendly on the Malerweg". They are geared towards Malerweg hikers. Following are all Malerweg partner accommodations of the 5th stage of the Malerweg.
Detours and Highlights on the Malerweg
On the 6th stage of the Malerweg, not only are there impressive views from the Papststein or Gohrisch, but also detours to the Zirkelstein, Kaiserkrone, and the Lichterhöhle. Insider tip: A visit to the impressive view on the Kohlbornstein is worth it. So definitely plan for 2 days for this stage.