The Malerweg (Painter's Way) is a hiking trail in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in the Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz) National Park in eastern Germany. It takes its name from the many Romantic painters who were inspired by the region's dramatic rock formations and landscapes. The trail runs from Pirna-Liebethal (near Dresden) to Schmilka on the right side of the Elbe river. In Schmilka the Elbe is crossed and the trail loops back to the historic centre of Pirna. Hiking the Malerweg you pass sandstone towers, table mountains, river cliffs, forest gullies, and charming towns.
Technical difficulty
When just looking at the distances and elevation profiles of the stages the trail does not seem that difficult, but hikers find the many stairs and steep, rocky ups and downs to be quite challenging.
Art along the Malerweg
Along the Malerweg you will find information boards displaying the trail's art-historical heritage. These are located at viewpoints and landmarks where historical paintings, drawings and prints are shown alongside the landscapes that inspired them. The boards feature works by artists including Adrian Zingg, Ludwig Richter, Caspar David Friedrich and Hermann Krone.
Signage
The Malerweg is signposted with the Malerweg symbol:
Best time to hike
Spring (May and June) and autumn (September and October) are generally considered the best months to hike the Malerweg. In the summer months it can be very hot and some popular spots, like the Bastei bridge, are (extremely) busy.
Beware of (heavy) rains and snow that can make the trail slippery.
Please note that many accommodations and restaurants along the trail begin closing for winter from early November onward.
The below ratings are mainly based on the typical weather conditions and the available hours of daylight.
Malerweg in short
| Trail name | Malerweg |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Painter's Way, Painter's Path |
| Trail identifier | — |
| Website | https://www.saechsische-schweiz.de/en/hiking/malerweg |
| Distance | 116.7 km / 72.5 miles |
| Stages | 8 |
| Stage length | 10.9 – 18.4 km / 6.8 – 11.4 miles |
