Schöna: Zschirnsteine and Zirkelstein over the Gelobtbach valley

The hike starts at the train station in Schöna and leads first leisurely on the Elberadweg towards the Czech border. Once here, a very steep, paved path (beware of it in autumn and winter!) leads to an idyllic reservoir with a small waterfall of the Gelobtbach. Wildly romantic it goes uphill meter by meter always along the stream.

Once you have reached the top, turn right and follow the forest trail, then turn right and follow the green dot and later the forest trail to the foot of the Großer Zschirnstein. The ascent to the highest elevation of the Saxon part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains - the Great Zschirnstein is marked with the red dot. At the top, in addition to a refuge and an old Saxon surveyor's column, a magnificent view awaits you.

Downhill, the red point also leads past the Wildbrethöhle. At the so-called wing B, which also has the markings green and yellow point, you hike on to the right. In the saddle between the Small and Large Zschirnstein, follow the sign to the Small Zschirnstein and hike along the yellow point to the viewpoints on the northern edge of the rock.  The circular route leads back to the saddle between the two table mountains. Now walk to the left, cross the meadow path and follow the Schlosserhübelweg straight ahead for about two kilometers.

After a bench a path crosses from the right to the left, which you turn right and follow on the road for the last part until you reach the forest bath. Directly behind the swimming pool, a forest path goes uphill to the right, which meets the Reinhardtsdorf forest adventure trail. Follow it to the right until you reach a small parking lot in the forest and pass some interesting stations along the way.

Here you continue along the Waldbadstraße to the right and thus come to a hiking trail marked with a yellow line, always leading along the edge of the forest. From afar you can see the small slender table mountain that rises and is the last high destination of the tour. From the plateau you can see the sandstone formation on the other side of the Elbe, the beech-covered Winterberg and the Prebisch Gate behind the deeply cut Elbe.

After the descent, follow the path to the left around the Zirkelstein and hike comfortably to Schöna and over the Kohlichtgraben downhill back to the train stop.

Arrival/ Departure:

Line S1 (Schöna - Bad Schandau - Pirna - Dresden - Coswig - Meißen)

Line U28 (Rumburk - Sluknov - Sebnitz - Bad Schandau - Decin)