Schöna: Zschirnsteins and Zirkelstein via the Gelobtbach Valley

The hike starts at the station in Schöna and initially leads gently along the Elbe Cycle Path towards the Czech border. On reaching here, a very steep, paved path (caution slippery in autumn and winter!) leads to an idyllic reservoir with a small waterfall of the Gelobtbach. Wildly romantic, it goes up meter by meter always along the brook.

At the top, you always turn right following the forest trail, then right at the green dot and later following the forest trail to the foot of the Großer Zschirnstein. The ascent to the highest peak of the Saxon part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains – the Großer Zschirnstein – is marked with the red dot. At the top, besides a shelter and an old Saxon surveying pillar, a magnificent view awaits.

Downhill also leads the red dot past the wild game cave. At the so-called Wing B, which also has the marking green and yellow dot, you continue to the right. In the saddle between Kleiner and Großer Zschirnstein, follow the signpost to Kleiner Zschirnstein and walk following the yellow dot to the viewpoints on the northern rock edge. The circular route leads back to the saddle between the two table mountains. Now you go left here, cross the meadow path and follow the Schlosserhübelweg straight ahead for about two kilometers.

After a bench, a path crosses from right to left, which you turn right onto and follow the last stretch on the road to the forest bath. Directly behind the forest bath, a forest path goes uphill to the Reinhardtsdorf forest adventure trail. Follow it on the right to a small forest parking lot, passing interesting stations along the way.

Here you continue on Waldbadstraße to the right and come to a hiking trail marked with a yellow line always leading along the forest edge. From afar, you see the small slim table mountain rising, which is the last high-altitude destination of the tour. From the plateau, you can look at the sandstone formation on the other side of the Elbe, the beech-covered Winterberg, and the Pravčická brána behind the deeply incised Elbe.

After the descent, follow the path to the left around the Zirkelstein and hike comfortably back to Schöna and downhill over the Kohlichtgraben to the S-Bahn station.

 GPS data updated 2022