Handbike route "From the Bastei to the town of Wehlen"
- 0:20 h
- 5.22 km
- 11 m
- 199 m
- 117 m
- 316 m
- 199 m
- Start: Bastei parking lot
- Destination: Town of Wehlen (marketplace)
One of the most beautiful routes in the Vorderer Saxon Switzerland is the ride from the Bastei through the rock gorges of Rein-, Kohl- and Tscherregrund down to the Wehlstädter valley at the Elbe. Here, you get as close to the rocks in a wheelchair or handbike as rarely anywhere else. It's not about impressive panoramic views—because these are not to be found on the route—but much more about experiencing narrow, romantic rock valleys in their variety of shapes. However, the route described here is not a circular route, so logistics should also be considered when planning.
Good to know
Pavements
Best to visit
Directions
From the parking lot at the Bastei, we drive back along the road we came on. About 220 m after the bus stop "Steinerner Tisch", where a forest path branches off, we leave the road and roll downwards on a initially somewhat gravelly forest path towards Wehlen. The route is now signposted as a "cycling route in the national park". We follow the path into the valley, which becomes increasingly deep and impressive. In the Tscherregrund, the rocks come very close to the path, and here, immediately at the roadside, so-called "whirlpools" can also be found. From the junction to the Uttewalder Grund, a short detour can be made to the inn "Waldidylle", which is reached after about 600 m. Back on the main route, we soon reach the paved Steinrückenweg, which takes us down to the town of Wehlen after a rapid descent.
Tour information
Cultural Interesting
Stop at an Inn
Suitable for Pushchair
Directions & Parking facilities
From Pirna over the new Elbe bridge (Sachsenbrücke). Take the first exit onto the S167 to the left. Follow the signs "Bastei". At the bending priority road, turn diagonally left/straight ahead onto the S164 uphill. After 1.1 kilometers, turn left onto Lohmener Straße towards Lohmen. Continue on the S165 behind Lohmen. Through the forest to the Bastei entrance on the right.
From Bad Schandau towards Hohnstein/Bastei. In the district Plan, follow the bending priority road uphill. Via Waltersdorf and Ziegenrückenstraße to the strange intersection at Hockstein. Continue left via the village Rathewalde towards Lohmen. Shortly before the forest, the access to the Bastei is to the left.
The first parking lot is located right at the junction of the side road to the Bastei (but is only used during peak times). The front Bastei parking lot is 2.75 kilometers further towards the Bastei viewpoint. On the parking lot beyond that for hotel guests, there are also several (free) wheelchair parking spaces; access is explicitly permitted for visitors with mobility impairments via traffic signs.
Additional information
Although the start and finish points differ in this route proposal, active handbikers can also extend the route via the village of Wehlen and Lohmen on mostly low-traffic roads to create a circular route. This adds another 11.3 km and 230 m of elevation to be covered.
Refreshment options:
Waldidylle in the Uttewalder Grund (somewhat off the described route on the detour to the rock gate)
Restaurants on the marketplace in the town of Wehlen
Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author
At the beginning of the route, a detour to the Bastei viewpoint is worthwhile, and later on the route also to the rock tour in the Uttewalder Grund.
Safety guidelines
Attention: Only if the route is traveled in the described direction is it passable without support from others with a towing handbike. On two steeper sections, the traction of the drive wheel might otherwise not be sufficient uphill.
Please note: In the Saxon Switzerland National Park, only marked paths may be used in the core zone! Fines can be imposed for violations.
Nearby
