Malerweg
Four days on the Painters' Way through Saxon Switzerland National Park.
The Malerweg, or Painters’ Way in German, is one of Germany’s most beloved long-distance hiking trails. Winding through Saxon Switzerland, it weaves between dramatic sandstone formations, plunges into deep gorges, and rolls through dense forests along the Elbe river. The trail owes its name to the Romantic-era painters, Caspar David Friedrich among them, who were so captivated by these landscapes that they couldn’t help but immortalise them on canvas.
Over a long weekend, courtesy of Germany’s national day, we tackled 40 km of the trail’s full 112 km. Getting there from Berlin is refreshingly simple: a couple of trains and an S-Bahn, and you’re off. And what a place it turned out to be. Despite its reputation, early October had the paths almost to ourselves. We spent hours in near-total quiet, surrounded by forest, birdsong, and one jaw-dropping view of the valley after another.
Saxon Switzerland is also a legendary climbing destination. As early as the late 19th century, local climbers laid down a strict ethical code that still holds today: no pitons, no bolts, just knotted slings wedged into cracks for protection. This “Saxon style” went on to shape climbing ethics around the world. The area is home to over 1,000 sandstone towers, known as Felsen, each with its own name and personality. The rock itself is wonderfully rough and grippy when dry, but because sandstone soaks up moisture, climbing after rain is strictly forbidden to keep the towers intact.
Climber or not, if you’re based in Berlin or anywhere nearby, do yourself a favour: hop on a train and lose yourself in this valley for a few days. It really won’t disappoint.
