From Stadt Wehlen over the Bastei Bridge to Kurort Rathen

The tour starts at the train station in Stadt Wehlen. You take the ferry across to the other side of the Elbe. In Stadt Wehlen, we walk upstream a bit, follow the Malerweg up the Schwarzbergweg and arrive at the "Steinerner Tisch" rest area. The object of the same name was once built by Elector Augustus the Strong to dine here on the occasion of a hunt.

From here we follow the tourist path that leads us to the Bastei Bridge. This is probably the best-known bridge in Germany and stands almost 200 metres vertically above the Elbe. This stone bridge was built in 1851; before that, the rugged rocky reef was accessible by a wooden bridge. From the Bastei Bridge and the surrounding vistas (e.g. Ferdinandaussicht, Hochzeitskanzel) we are offered magnificent views of the landscape. A recommended detour is the Felsenburg Neurathen, for which an entrance ticket must be purchased. This was one of the oldest and largest fortifications in Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland, known at the time as the double castle of Alt- and Neurathen. It was first mentioned in the 13th century. Even today, traces of the original dwelling and defences can be found in the rock - valuable legacies to reconstruct the past.

After the tour, we descend the Basteiweg via steps until we reach the spa town of Rathen. If the weather is fine, we can enjoy a boat trip on the Amselsee lake. Afterwards, a well-deserved stop at one of the many restaurants in the spa town of Rathen before taking the Gierseil ferry to the train station on the left side of the Elbe.

The tour is suitable for children, but not for dogs.Note: on weekends or public holidays it can be very crowded, especially on the Bastei Bridge between 10 am and 6 pm!

As there are only a few parking spaces available, arrival by car is not recommended.

Arrival: S1 to Stadt Wehlen (Sachs) railway station.

Departure: Kurort Rathen S1

Sachsen Kartographie Dresden GmbH: Anterior Saxon Switzerland

Wehlen railway station

Kurort Rathen railway station