The Malerweg in Germany is a captivating 116-kilometer (72-mile) hiking trail that takes you through the breathtaking Saxon Switzerland National Park. This trail offers a unique combination of rolling hills, towering cliffs, and dense forests that make for an incredible outdoor experience.
Since Saxony is not mountainous, one does not necessarily expect a challenge from the Malerweg. However, the relaxed forest paths are repeatedly interrupted by deep ravines. Some of the ascents are so steep that you have to climb ladders to get to the top. Sometimes the path is so narrow that you can just barely fit through it with your backpack. For the steep, partly narrow passages you need a head for heights, but otherwise, solid personal fitness will be enough. Furthermore, the Malerweg is a loop with a start and end in Pirna, which makes arrival and departure logistics much easier.
Starting in Pirna-Liebethal
Though you can call this hike a loop because it starts and ends in the same city, the trailhead is a few kilometers outside the center. The hike begins quite relaxed in the valley of the river Wesenitz. Here you get a good taste of what to expect in the next few days. There are rock faces, old buildings, and many stories about the artists who also went on this hike many years ago to be inspired. These artists also give the path its name: Painters’ Path. After only a short but steep climb, you find yourself in the middle of a typical Saxon village. This will also prove to be a pattern over time.
For the next few kilometers you will be surrounded by a rural flat landscape, only to suddenly find yourself in a deep canyon again, from which, according to the first impression, there are not many ways out. In this gorge is the famous rock gate, a very shallow passage, where you can now, fortunately, get through without crawling. Shortly after, you will descend through the historic old town of Wehlen, right on the banks of the Elbe River.
Up and down again
From here we go straight up again and directly into the core zone of the national park. Here, the Bastei Bridge is waiting for you. This rock formation has been used for tourism for, believe it or not, over 200 years and is one of the most famous viewpoints in Germany. After you have enjoyed the view here, it descends directly again, only to then back up to the small village Rathewalde. From there it is not far to the Hockstein. From here, you have a beautiful view of Hohnstein Castle. However, to get down from there, the path does not lead along the rock, but through the rock. Here you will be tested for the first time on claustrophobia.
The next kilometers will alternate steep ascents and descents with flat sections. Thus, the trail remains a varied challenge. You will pass the village of Altendorf, which will be the last on the way before you leave the national park in over 35 kilometers. You will go deeper and deeper into the rocky landscape until you reach the Schrammsteine. Here, too, the path does not show any mercy and does not lead around it, but directly up the rock face. Frodo’s climb up the stairs of Cirith Ungol must have felt something like this.
Into the heart of Saxon Switzerland
Over the ridge of the Schrammsteine, you have a 360° view. The descent will lead you directly into the core zone of the national park. Here you remain surrounded by cliffs for many kilometers and although you are not far from civilization, you are still quite cut off from it. However, since there is a long climbing culture in Saxon Switzerland, the trail network is still very well developed. Even if there are no villages or towns, you will regularly pass by guesthouses. After all, this is one of the oldest tourist areas in the world.
The Malerweg leads you along many scenic highlights of this region up to the highest mountain of the trial, the great Winterberg. From here it is a long steep descent down again to the banks of the Elbe. With a short ferry ride you leave the steep rock walls of the north bank behind you.
Finish the Malerweg Trail in Pirna
At this point, you will have passed many of the famous highlights of the Way of the Painters. The landscape also looks much easier at first glance. But even on this side, there are still some prominent sandstone cliffs. The last section is therefore the opposite of the first. Instead of deep valleys, you walk across open fields and up narrow ladders and steps to exposed rock formations. The last prominent destination in this section is Koeningstein Fortress. This large historic complex of buildings also offers views in all directions. From here it is only a few flat kilometers to the center of Pirna, which marks the end of the Malerweg.
Itinerary
The official itinerary aims for 8 days, but your stages will be defined by the places you choose to stay the night. Due to the terrain, you might take more time than usual in some sections. Therefore, do not calculate too tightly. We recommend that you plan to do it in 5-6 days.
These are the possible Stages for a 6-day itinerary:
- Day 1 Liebethal – Rathen | 15km
- Day 2 Rathen – Altendorf | 21km
- Day 3 Altendorf – Räumichtmühle | 22km
- Day 4 Räumichtmühle – Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna | 16km
- Day 5 Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna – Königstein | 20km
- Day 6 Königstein – Pirna | 21km
Good to know
What to bring?
We walked the trail in trail runners, and never missed boots. Lighter shoes will make you more agile on the technical terrain, and save you much energy on the longer stair sections. Poles will come in handy too, but you will need to pack them away multiple times a day. The climbing sections are often only over metal steps in the rock, but you don’t need any equipment for this and you don’t have to hook yourself in at any point. Find our full gear list here!
Where to sleep?
The only way to thru-hike the Malerweg is to stay in guesthouses. Otherwise, you will have to take a shuttle several times. For the guesthouses, we would recommend booking in advance and checking which ones are open at the time you want to go. In some areas, there are not many alternatives if a particular guesthouse is closed.
If you are researching wild camping in this area, you will find that there are the so-called “boofen.” These are places where it’s technically allowed to sleep in the protected areas, but that’s only applicable for climbing. Otherwise, the strict German laws against wild camping apply here as well.
Best travel time
From March to October the days are long enough to keep up the pace. The best time to go is in spring and autumn. In late summer there is a greater chance of forest fires. The region is very unlikely to see snow in winter, so it is technically safe to walk all year round.
Getting to the trailhead and back
If you come by car, there is a free car park right at the Prina train station. Whether you arrive by train or by car, you can take the bus from there to the starting point of the hike. But you can also just start the hike at the train station, which will add a few more kilometers to the trail. As the hiking trail ends in the center of Pirna, it is only a few hundred meters back to the station.
Useful Links
