Hohnstein: Hike from the Napoleonschanze through Brand and the Polenztal Valley to the spa town of Rathen and the famous Bastei
- 3:30 h
- 9.84 km
- 469 m
- 472 m
- 117 m
- 356 m
- 239 m
- Start: Hohnstein
- Destination: Bastei
Hohnstein - Forstgraben - Tiefer Grund - Brandbaude - Schulzengrund - Polenztal - Waltersdorfer Mühle - Füllhölzelweg - Rathen - Bastei
Waypoints
Start
Destination
Good to know
Best to visit
- suitableDepends on weather
Directions
- This tour starts in Hohnstein. Passing the cemetery, the trail leads to the outdoor swimming pool, which you’ll leave on your left. Just beyond it, the trail narrows and passes under the Hohnstein Viaduct of the Schwarzbachbahn railway. The trail crosses a meadow where the Napoleonschanze lookout point is located. The trail continues to the edge of the forest, past a hunting blind, and onto a wide forest path. Keeping slightly to the right, you’ll pass a small, unassuming quarry and reach Brandstraße. Follow this road to the Brandbaude. After a few meters, the Forstgraben trail branches off to the left into the Tiefen Grund. At the fork stands the monument “Die Hand.” Upon arriving at the Brandbaude, hikers can enjoy food and drink along with the beautiful view of the Brand. The trail continues through the Schulzengrund into the Polenztal valley, crossing the Polenz River to the Waltersdorfer Mühle. The route continues along the Polenztalweg to the Füllhölzelweg parking lot. Follow this path to the spa town of Rathen and ascend the Basteiweg. Ahead lies an elevation gain of just under 200 meters to the summit. During the ascent, we enjoy the magnificent view of the Elbe flowing through the valley and the landscape of Saxon Switzerland. We pass the Rathen Rock Fortress, which was already known as a defensive structure as early as 1500. There, we can take a short walk to experience views of the sandstone mountains in the opposite direction. Now we cross the 76-meter-long Bastei Bridge and once again enjoy the views in all directions. There’s a fantastic view of Rathen, the Elbe Bend, Königstein, Lilienstein, Rauenstein, and the other rocks and mountains of Saxon Switzerland.
Tour information
Cultural Interesting
Stop at an Inn
Equipment
- Sturdy footwear required
Directions & Parking facilities
- Getting thereTake the A4 highway from Leipzig, Erfurt, or Görlitz. Alternatively, coming from Dresden on the A17 toward Prague, take the Pirna exit. Or, coming from Berlin on the A13, then the A4 toward Görlitz, take the Ottendorf Okrilla or Burkau exits, both via Neustadt, Saxony.ParkingHohnstein Train Station, Hohnstein Oak, Hohnstein Neustädterstraße, Hohnstein Sports FieldPublic transportationDirections
By bus to the "Hohnstein / Eiche" stop
- Bus lines 236,
- 237 ( Pirna – Sebnitz),
- Bus line 264 (Hohnstein – Neustadt)
Departure:
- Bus Line 260 ( Bad Schandau – Sebnitz),
- Saxon-Bohemian National Park Railway (Bad Schandau – Sebnitz – Pirna)
Additional information
- Open year-round
Please note: In the Saxon Switzerland National Park, only marked trails may be used in the core zone! Violations may result in fines.
Trail markings
Literature
- Order Now: Saxon Switzerland Online Store
Author
Yvonne Brückner
Organization
Tourismusverband Sächsische Schweiz
License (master data)
Yvonne Brückner
Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author
- A stop at the Brandbaude is highly recommended. The view across the vast expanses of Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland from the panoramic terrace is impressive.
Map
- Shop here: Saxon Switzerland Online Store