With 2026 marking the 20th anniversary of the modern-day version of the Malerweg, or ‘Painters’ Trail’, through the Saxon Switzerland National Park, we felt this year was the perfect time to introduce an Inntravel walking holiday in the region, and to take a deep dive into its history.
As old as time
The rock formations and crags of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains are the rugged remains of what was once a sea floor in the Cretaceous period – the last epoch in the age of the dinosaurs. Over the millennia, the stony structure swapped sea for sky, pushing up towards the clouds and splitting into the peaks and towers that we see today, standing defiantly against the wind, rain, and river that slowly, slowly, chip away at their surfaces.
Prehistoric and wildly beautiful, this montane landscape reaches from Germany over the border into the Czech Republic – the Saxon Switzerland National Park on the German side and the Bohemian Switzerland National Park on the Czech side.
Prehistoric and wildly beautiful, this montane landscape reaches from Germany over the border into the Czech Republic – the Saxon Switzerland National Park on the German side and the Bohemian Switzerland National Park on the Czech side.
A natural work of art
In the 18th century, the city of Dresden in Saxony – already a flourishing cultural centre – became a hotspot for artists, with the founding of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts in 1764. The painters Johann Alexander Thiele and Bernardo Bellotto (known as ‘Canaletto’) had already made the nearby, rocky landscape their muse, but the opening of the Academy catalysed the arrival of hundreds of artists to the region. Two of them, the Swiss artists Adrian Zingg and Anton Graff, named the city’s neighbouring world of dreamlike rock towers and wooded ridges ‘Saxon Switzerland’, for its resemblance to their home country. The late 1700s and early 1800s saw the emergence in Europe of the Romantic movement – particularly a pull towards emotions and feeling over rules and rationality, and appreciation and awe of the great powers and beauty of the natural world. It’s hardly surprising, then, that the dramatic topography of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains – with their patchwork of scenic outcrops, table mountains, precipitous stone stacks, and deep, green valleys – became a popular source of inspiration for the artists in Dresden.
As more and more creative souls flocked to the area and wound their way through the trees to increasingly popular spots, a mainstream route became established that linked them all together. The trail was largely forgotten for a while, due to the development of the railway in the late 1800s, but it made a comeback about a century later as the ‘Painters’ Road’ or ‘Historic Painters’ Trail.’
As more and more creative souls flocked to the area and wound their way through the trees to increasingly popular spots, a mainstream route became established that linked them all together. The trail was largely forgotten for a while, due to the development of the railway in the late 1800s, but it made a comeback about a century later as the ‘Painters’ Road’ or ‘Historic Painters’ Trail.’
The modern-day route
In 2006, the tourism board extended the trail to its current 116-kilometre length, adding in landmarks on the left side of the Elbe River and ending (back near the start) in the medieval town of Pirna – another spot frequented by artists of the past, including Bernardo Bellotto and Caspar David Friedrich, who featured the town in some of their sketches and paintings.
Today, the ‘Painters’ Trail’ (the ‘Malerweg’) can be tackled in eight stages, each with its own unique sights to see – from the impressive Bastei Bridge and Königstein Fortress that look straight out of folklore, to the breathtaking vistas offered in abundance throughout the route. The trail is well signposted, and if you spot a red dot on the signs too, it means you’re walking along the historic path.
Today, the ‘Painters’ Trail’ (the ‘Malerweg’) can be tackled in eight stages, each with its own unique sights to see – from the impressive Bastei Bridge and Königstein Fortress that look straight out of folklore, to the breathtaking vistas offered in abundance throughout the route. The trail is well signposted, and if you spot a red dot on the signs too, it means you’re walking along the historic path.
Top tip
Don’t forget to pick up a free collectable postcard at each stage of the Malerweg from one of the many information points along the way – each one displays a different painting or sketch inspired by the area.
In the footsteps of artists
Possibly the most famous painter to be associated with the Saxon Switzerland National Park is Caspar David Friedrich, whose piece ‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog’ (1818) features the dramatic rock shapes he found in the area and is almost the epitome of German Romanticism.
Other notable artists to have wandered these hills include the aforementioned Johann Alexander Thiele, Bernardo Bellotto (‘Canaletto’), Adrian Zingg, and Anton Graff, as well as Johann Carl August Richter, Adrian Ludwig Richter, William Turner, and Irmgard Uhlig, among others. The writers Mary Shelley and Hans Christian Andersen, and the composers Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner, are also said to have visited.
Other notable artists to have wandered these hills include the aforementioned Johann Alexander Thiele, Bernardo Bellotto (‘Canaletto’), Adrian Zingg, and Anton Graff, as well as Johann Carl August Richter, Adrian Ludwig Richter, William Turner, and Irmgard Uhlig, among others. The writers Mary Shelley and Hans Christian Andersen, and the composers Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner, are also said to have visited.
Ideal for Inntravellers
Our new Walking in the Saxon Switzerland National Park holiday has been put together by Amber, one of our destination experts. The itinerary weaves on and off the Painters’ Trail, covering six of the eight stages with some extra sights added in, such as Prebischtor – Europe’s largest sandstone rock gate. Here’s why Amber picked out this particular pocket of Europe for our newest holiday:
“It’s an area Inntravel has never been to, and the dramatic landscape drew me there. The first picture I ever saw of it was taken in the autumn and the colours were so bold, bright, and beautiful. Even in moody weather, it can look amazing! There are panoramic-views galore, and it's a little unknown, which adds to the otherworldly experience and sense of adventure.
We have added the Inntravel twist by including a cross-border walk into the Czech Republic, as well as high-quality accommodation. If people are looking for a holiday off the beaten track, and a sense of wonder and authenticity – this is the place to go!”
We have added the Inntravel twist by including a cross-border walk into the Czech Republic, as well as high-quality accommodation. If people are looking for a holiday off the beaten track, and a sense of wonder and authenticity – this is the place to go!”
Amber, destination expert