General:

Especially on extended weekends, holidays and during the vacation season it is difficult to get a place to stay for just one night. This is absolute peak season in Saxon Switzerland. Likewise, the months of May through October are extremely busy. Here we absolutely recommend a reservation in advance! From November to Easter you have a good chance to book an accommodation even at short notice. In the period from January to March, capacities are partly limited and there are accommodations that hibernate. Therefore, you should find out in advance whether the desired accommodation is open at the stage destination.

In the winter months, tree felling and securing work takes place frequently. This can put a lot of strain on the trails. Sturdy, high shoes are highly recommended for hikes on the Malerweg in winter.

The following restrictions currently apply to the Malerweg:

• 2nd stage:
  Due to construction work, it is not possible to visit the "Felsenburg Neurathen" until further notice. However, the way over the Bastei bridge is NOT affected.
• 4th stage:
  - Continue to note the closure of the Dorfbachklamm (since 2021). >> To the detour
  - Hartungspromenade (Flößersteig): Closed by the city of Bad Schandau due to logging. The alternative leads only via Kirnitzschtalstraße.
• 6th stage:
  Forestry work is taking place in the section between Krippen and the Liethenmühle. The areas where tree cutting is taking place will be closed at short notice, in sections, and may not be entered for safety reasons. A detour is signposted on site.

News from "Hiking Friendly on the Malerweg" partners:

• In the current edition of the brochure "Hiking in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains" is listed on the 5th stage of the Malerweg "Hotel and Restaurant Sonnenhof" in Hinterhermsdorf. The house has closed since March 2023 and is no longer available as an accommodation.

Good to know: You will only come across burned areas directly in a few places, as the fires were mainly in the valuable and less accessible core zone. However, these areas still need their rest. Therefore, please stay on the marked trails at all times!

Please inform yourself about news also here:

    >> Saxon Switzerland National Park
    >> Current information for guests on www.saechsische-schweiz.de

The content of the news section is frequently changing, that's why we are not able to translate this part manually. But most internet browser offer an integrated translation tool. We we recommend using the Chrome Browser. By right-click, a menu will open and there you will find an option to translate the page into your language.

Bare branches, brown needles, rotten trees. There are some stretches in the National Park area where the bark beetle has been particularly active. It is in fact a kind of natural woodland development where spruce cultures die off to make room for more resistant mixed forest vegetation. While this natural process is going on, certain precautionary measures have to be respected to cope with the danger of falling trees: Keep out of the forest in strong winds, heavy rain or when trees might break under snow. Don’t stop under fragile branches or treetops.

+++ You act at your own risk+++

Take note of diversions Attention: individual sections of the trail can be temporarily impassable because of fallen trees (bark beetle damage). This relates in particular to the 3rd, 4th and 5th stage of the Malerweg Trail.

We make efforts to provide all relevant information without delay on this page.

Before you start your trip, please inform yourself on this homepage or ask your host or tourist information staff for the current state of affairs. You can also call the National Park phone service to update yourself about closed or impassable routes in the National Park: +4935022 50240 (daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

Our information about path closures and impassibilities is sourced from:

https://www.nationalpark-saechsische-schweiz.de/aktuelles/wegeservice-und-wegeinfo/

https://www.sbs.sachsen.de/neustadt-17373.html