This varied and scenic route initially leads through the idyllic Elbe valley. Besides other historic and culturally significant buildings, the Königstein Fortress forms the highlight of the cycling round.
We start our route in Königstein and cycle westward along the Elbe cycle path. We always follow the symbol with the blue ‚e‘. In the spa town Rathen, a short stop at the so-called sound terraces is worthwhile, which (between Easter and October) offer a musical experience every half hour. After about 9 km in total, we finally reach the town of Wehlen. We enter the town in the district Pötzscha on Rathener Weg and then turn left onto Robert-Sterl-Straße. This takes us out of the Elbe valley and uphill now. On Robert-Sterl-Straße, we pass the former studio and residence of the German painter Robert Sterl. A number of his paintings are displayed in the house; his grave is located in the garden. Directly behind the house, we turn left onto Hermann-Schneider-Weg and pass the Große and Kleine Bärenstein. At the Kleine Bärenstein parking lot, where there is a covered rest area and an information board, we turn right. It goes a bit downhill again. After about 500 m, a hiking trail branches off to the left (marked with a red dot on white background), which we follow. Shortly thereafter, we pass the small Thürmsdorf Castle with its castle park. A short tour here is worthwhile. At the eastern edge of town, we continue on the path „Am Schloßberg“. Where this path ends, it is worth taking a short break to climb up to the Biedermann Mausoleum. Here you can enjoy a wonderful view over the Elbe valley. Then we continue into the town on Pehnaberg-Straße, but then take a sharp left onto Thürmsdorfer Straße. We leave Thürmsdorf behind us on this road. We cross the state road and continue straight on the hiking trail. Shortly afterward, on the left, we reach the federal road B172, which we pass under through a tunnel. Here we have to carry our bikes over some steps. Immediately afterward, we reach the Hotel-Restaurant „Neue Schänke“. If planning an extensive exploration of Königstein Fortress, this is a good place to refresh yourself. Then continue southeast towards Königstein Fortress. The site covers nearly 10 hectares, and you should plan at least two hours for a tour. After visiting the historic buildings and enjoying the wide view over the Elbe valley, we cycle back to Königstein. For this, we go back from the fortress entrance along the path we came, and at the first opportunity, turn sharply left. We follow the trail marked with the white-blue-white symbol and cycle along the base of the fortress. Here also runs the popular long-distance hiking trail Malerweg, which covers a total of 112 km through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. On the last kilometer to Königstein, caution is needed as it is steep downhill. We can conclude our varied route with a walk around Königstein.
