Wheelchair route "Stroll between Wehlen and Rathen"

You start your hike at the Stadt Wehlen station in the district of Pötzscha. If you arrive by train from the direction of Dresden, you first cross the tracks at the nearby level crossing. Then the ferry road leads you directly to the picturesque Elbe promenade, which opens with a wonderful view of the river up to the ferry.

After the short crossing, you will first encounter a section of about 100 meters with sandstone pavement on the other Elbe side. Keep right, then you will quickly be past it. As soon as you reach Mennickestraße, the path improves. In Stadt Wehlen and in Rathen there are some short sections with sandstone pavement for traffic calming (attention cyclists!) – a sign that gentle tourism is emphasized here. However, the majority of the route is asphalted and allows relaxed progress.

A gentle, barely noticeable incline (2–3%) leads you along the Elbe further through Stadt Wehlen. At the edge of town, the path turns into a promenade. This section is also part of the Elbe cycle route, so you will meet cyclists again and again along the way.

About one kilometer before Rathen, a beautiful resting place with a pavilion invites you to a relaxing break. Shortly afterwards, the landscape opens up, and you enjoy a fantastic view of the picturesque houses of the spa town. If you look up, you can already see the impressive sandstone rocks of the Bastei to the left, which majestically tower above the Elbe.

Once in Rathen, you have numerous options for refreshments. There are also cozy cafés and restaurants on the station side, which you can reach after a short ferry ride. From the ferry landing, keep right – the station is then easy to find. With the S-Bahn, you can return to the starting point of your route.

By car via federal road B172 to Pirna, from there to Struppen and further to Naundorf and Pötzscha (station parking lot in Wehlen, OT Pötzscha) or directly according to the signs to the spa town Rathen. If the Elbe parking lot in Stadt Wehlen is to be targeted (then the ferry crossing is omitted), then from Pirna to Dorf Wehlen and further down to the Elbe to Stadt Wehlen.

Large (paid) parking lots on the station side in Stadt Wehlen or spa town Rathen - however, in Wehlen it is better to use the large Elbe parking lot in the town on the right Elbe side.

S-Bahn to Stadt Wehlen (Pötzscha), return trip from spa town Rathen

Further information

If a car is used for arrival, the return to the starting point can be barrier-free (possibly with assistance) by S-Bahn between the train stations spa town Rathen and Stadt Wehlen (no intermediate stops). Alternatively, the return as a hike via the left Elbe cycle path is possible (distance on asphalt approx. 3.2 km, but hilly).

The route is suitable as a short detour - e.g. from the spa town Rathen to the pavilion on the promenade - and can also be combined with an excursion to the Amselsee in the heart of the Rathen rock landscape.

The motor ferry between Pötzscha and Stadt Wehlen is accessible on the station side via an approx. 8% steep concrete ramp - see photo (do not use the first access with sandstone pavement!). On the other Elbe side, the slope / gradient is only about 4-6%, but here the ground consists of coarse sandstone pavement with wide joints.

The large cable ferry across the Elbe is barrier-free accessible via small mobile ramps e.g. also for electric wheelchairs and handbikes. If necessary, these are laid out by the ferry operators on the landing stage. The slope / gradient of the path to and from the landing stage is about 6% on the station side and about 10% on the opposite riverbank.