Bastei bridge arcing between sandstone pinnacles above the Elbe

Flagship · Sachsen · Elbe sandstone mountains

Malerweg — Saxon Switzerland

The Painters' Way — 112 km through the sandstone dreamscape that inspired Caspar David Friedrich.

See day routes All flagships Save to library

Full length

112 km · 8 days

Best window

Apr – Oct

Flagship stages

4 curated

Difficulty

Moderate

Soul Signature

94 / 100

The path, gently held

Cut through eight days of ravines, table mountains, and Romantic-era viewpoints, the Malerweg follows the exact paths that shaped 19th-century landscape painting. Four flagship stages — walkable as a full traverse or one perfect day at a time.

Day-routes

Trail km

40.2

Ascent m

1,510

Walk hours

Soul avg

Malerweg — Saxon Switzerland · 4 days combined

One .gpx · 4 numbered day tracks (D01…D04) · elevation on every point.

puresoul-malerweg-saxon-switzerland-full-trip-4-days-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx

D01 · 6.5 km · +193 m
Liebethaler Grund → Uttewalder Grund
puresoul-malerweg-saxon-switzerland-segment-d01-liebethaler-grund-uttewalder-grund-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx
Google Maps Apple Maps Walk route (Apple)
D02 · 13 km · +418 m
Bastei bridge → Hohnstein
puresoul-malerweg-saxon-switzerland-segment-d02-bastei-bridge-hohnstein-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx
Google Maps Apple Maps Walk route (Apple)
D03 · 8.7 km · +308 m
Schrammsteine ridge & Schmilka
puresoul-malerweg-saxon-switzerland-segment-d03-schrammsteine-ridge-schmilka-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx
Google Maps Apple Maps Walk route (Apple)
D04 · 12 km · +591 m
Kuhstall arch → Pfaffenstein table
puresoul-malerweg-saxon-switzerland-segment-d04-kuhstall-arch-pfaffenstein-table-YYYY-MM-DD.gpx
Google Maps Apple Maps Walk route (Apple)

Every file mirrors the emerald ribbon on the map with zero drift · Garmin · Strava · Komoot · AllTrails · Gaia · OsmAnd. For offline map tiles, open a day-route below and tap Download GPX & Offline Maps.

Open offline mode

Choose your day

4 curated day-routes.

Each route stands beautifully on its own — or stitch them together for a slow, multi-day pilgrimage. Real photos, Xymove maps, GPX & offline pack on every one.

Sunlit sandstone arch of Uttewalder Felsentor in Saxon Switzerland

Day-route 01

Stage 1 · fern-choked ravines

Liebethaler Grund → Uttewalder Grund

The Malerweg begins in cool green light — moss walls, the Wagner monument, and the narrow Uttewalder Felsentor arch that seems to swallow the sky.

↔ 6.5 km↑ +193 m◔ 4 h

Serenity91Regenerative77Family79Joy & beauty92

92/ 100

Soul Signature

Exceptional · Liebethaler Grund → Uttewalder Grund

Best for a walk that lingers long after it ends — just know that arriving without a car takes planning.

Soul92 · Exceptional
How deeply the walk stays with you. A walk people plan a year around. Give it a whole, unhurried day.
Serenity91 · Exceptional
How quiet the trail feels — crowds, traffic noise, remoteness. Expect long stretches entirely to yourself.
Regenerative77 · Balanced
Wild ground and low-impact access — how gently you can arrive and walk. Mixed access — check the car-free options before you book a car.
Joy & beauty92 · Exceptional
Views, water, light and variety along the way. Continuous reward — allow extra hours simply for stopping.
Family-friendly79 · Balanced
Suitability for mixed pace — distance, ascent and exposure. Teenagers and used-to-walking families; plan turn-around points.

050100

Who this walk suits

Suits confident young walkers with breaks planned.
Quiet enough to hear the weather change.
Share transport where you can; the ground here is slow to heal.

Scores are derived from the route's real GPX shape — distance, ascent and time on foot — combined with our editors' calibration across 175+ walks. Nothing here is sponsored.

Trail at a glance

Distance6.5 km
Elevation+193 m
Duration4 h
DifficultyModerate
Serenity91 / 100

Xymove · terrain map

LiveRolling

6.5 km193 m155 mSerenity 91

Soul Signature6.5 km↑193↓155

Map key

Hiking trail
Start
Finish
Parking

Trail field guide

Water
Food
Shelter / hut
Viewpoint
Trailhead
Rest / picnic
Stay

Tap any pin for hours, water & food details.

Elevation cross-section · metres↑ 193 m↓ 155 m174–282 m · 6.5 km~5.3% avg

Soul & Serenity · how this path is felt

A path that returns you to yourself — slowly, kindly, completely.

Walked, sat with, scored honestly — strongest in nature.

91soul

Presence

93/100

How easily the mind quiets here

Nature

95/100

Wildness, water, light, living silence

Regeneration

89/100

What the body & nervous system bring home

Solitude

85/100

Space from crowds, kindly shared with locals

Distance6.5 km

Elevation↑ 193 · ↓ 155 m

TerrainRolling

Start · Liebethaler Grund (Wagner-Denkmal)Finish · Wehlen

Take the path with you — full GPX track & offline map tiles for the whole route.

Verifying GPX accuracy…Garmin · Strava · Komoot · AllTrails

How to use offline · a soul-aware guide›

Tap Download GPX & Offline Maps on Wi-Fi — your route, waypoints, elevation and soul notes are saved together.
Import the .gpx into Garmin Connect, Komoot, Strava, AllTrails or Gaia GPS — same file works everywhere.
Open this page once before you leave signal. The map will replay from the cache, even on a plane.
On the trail, breathe before you check the screen. The Emerald Guardian is already with you.

Live from OpenStreetMap

Along the trail — water, shelter, parking & food

Points within 1.5 km of the emerald ribbon, sourced live from the OSM community and cached for 30 days so they still appear when you’re offline in the field.

Water

Loading…

Shelters & huts

Loading…

Parking & trailheads

Loading…

Restaurants & cafés

Loading…

Practical, gently arranged

S-Bahn S1 Dresden → Pirna, bus to Liebethal.

Wehlen guesthouses — book at least a week ahead in summer.

Bastei sandstone bridge above the Elbe valley in morning light

Day-route 02

Stage 2 · the iconic sandstone bridge

Bastei bridge → Hohnstein

Onto the Bastei bridge with the Elbe curling below, then down through the Amselgrund past the waterfall to Hohnstein's cliff-top castle.

↔ 13 km↑ +418 m◔ 4.5 h

Serenity88Regenerative80Family69Joy & beauty92

96/ 100

Soul Signature

Exceptional · Bastei bridge → Hohnstein

Best for a walk that lingers long after it ends — just know that the distance and ascent ask for hiking legs.

Soul96 · Exceptional
How deeply the walk stays with you. A walk people plan a year around. Give it a whole, unhurried day.
Serenity88 · Strong
How quiet the trail feels — crowds, traffic noise, remoteness. Calm outside peak hours; start before 9am for near-solitude.
Regenerative80 · Strong
Wild ground and low-impact access — how gently you can arrive and walk. Good public-transport access; stay on the marked line.
Joy & beauty92 · Exceptional
Views, water, light and variety along the way. Continuous reward — allow extra hours simply for stopping.
Family-friendly69 · Balanced
Suitability for mixed pace — distance, ascent and exposure. Teenagers and used-to-walking families; plan turn-around points.

050100

Who this walk suits

Suits confident young walkers with breaks planned.
Quiet enough to hear the weather change.
Share transport where you can; the ground here is slow to heal.

Scores are derived from the route's real GPX shape — distance, ascent and time on foot — combined with our editors' calibration across 175+ walks. Nothing here is sponsored.

Trail at a glance

Distance13 km
Elevation+418 m
Duration4.5 h
DifficultyChallenging
Serenity88 / 100

Xymove · terrain map

LiveRolling

12.8 km418 m388 mSerenity 88

Soul Signature12.8 km↑418↓388

Map key

Hiking trail
Start
Finish
Parking

Trail field guide

Water
Food
Shelter / hut
Viewpoint
Trailhead
Rest / picnic
Stay

Tap any pin for hours, water & food details.

Elevation cross-section · metres↑ 418 m↓ 388 m121–331 m · 12.8 km~6.3% avg

Soul & Serenity · how this path is felt

A grounded, regenerative walk. Move gently and it will meet you halfway.

Walked, sat with, scored honestly — strongest in nature.

88soul

Presence

90/100

How easily the mind quiets here

Nature

92/100

Wildness, water, light, living silence

Regeneration

86/100

What the body & nervous system bring home

Solitude

82/100

Space from crowds, kindly shared with locals

Distance12.8 km

Elevation↑ 418 · ↓ 388 m

TerrainRolling

Start · Wehlen ferryFinish · Hohnstein castle

Take the path with you — full GPX track & offline map tiles for the whole route.

Verifying GPX accuracy…Garmin · Strava · Komoot · AllTrails

How to use offline · a soul-aware guide›

Tap Download GPX & Offline Maps on Wi-Fi — your route, waypoints, elevation and soul notes are saved together.
Import the .gpx into Garmin Connect, Komoot, Strava, AllTrails or Gaia GPS — same file works everywhere.
Open this page once before you leave signal. The map will replay from the cache, even on a plane.
On the trail, breathe before you check the screen. The Emerald Guardian is already with you.

Live from OpenStreetMap

Along the trail — water, shelter, parking & food

Points within 1.5 km of the emerald ribbon, sourced live from the OSM community and cached for 30 days so they still appear when you’re offline in the field.

Water

Loading…

Shelters & huts

Loading…

Parking & trailheads

Loading…

Restaurants & cafés

Loading…

Practical, gently arranged

Cross the Bastei before 9:30 am to have the bridge to yourself.

Jugendherberge Burg Hohnstein for a castle sleep, or Amselgrund guesthouses.

Schrammsteine sandstone crest from the panoramic viewpoint

Day-route 03

Stage 5 · sandstone spine

Schrammsteine ridge & Schmilka

The Malerweg's alpine chapter — iron ladders onto the Schrammsteine's jagged crest, then a long panoramic descent to the Elbe at Schmilka.

↔ 8.7 km↑ +308 m◔ 5.5 h

Serenity90Regenerative79Family71Joy & beauty93

95/ 100

Soul Signature

Exceptional · Schrammsteine ridge & Schmilka

Best for a walk that lingers long after it ends — just know that the distance and ascent ask for hiking legs.

Soul95 · Exceptional
How deeply the walk stays with you. A walk people plan a year around. Give it a whole, unhurried day.
Serenity90 · Exceptional
How quiet the trail feels — crowds, traffic noise, remoteness. Expect long stretches entirely to yourself.
Regenerative79 · Balanced
Wild ground and low-impact access — how gently you can arrive and walk. Mixed access — check the car-free options before you book a car.
Joy & beauty93 · Exceptional
Views, water, light and variety along the way. Continuous reward — allow extra hours simply for stopping.
Family-friendly71 · Balanced
Suitability for mixed pace — distance, ascent and exposure. Teenagers and used-to-walking families; plan turn-around points.

050100

Who this walk suits

Suits confident young walkers with breaks planned.
Quiet enough to hear the weather change.
Share transport where you can; the ground here is slow to heal.

Scores are derived from the route's real GPX shape — distance, ascent and time on foot — combined with our editors' calibration across 175+ walks. Nothing here is sponsored.

Trail at a glance

Distance8.7 km
Elevation+308 m
Duration5.5 h
DifficultyChallenging
Serenity90 / 100

Xymove · terrain map

LiveRolling

8.7 km308 m236 mSerenity 90

Soul Signature8.7 km↑308↓236

Map key

Hiking trail
Start
Finish
Parking

Trail field guide

Water
Food
Shelter / hut
Viewpoint
Trailhead
Rest / picnic
Stay

Tap any pin for hours, water & food details.

Elevation cross-section · metres↑ 308 m↓ 236 m167–315 m · 8.7 km~6.2% avg

Soul & Serenity · how this path is felt

A path that returns you to yourself — slowly, kindly, completely.

Walked, sat with, scored honestly — strongest in nature.

90soul

Presence

92/100

How easily the mind quiets here

Nature

94/100

Wildness, water, light, living silence

Regeneration

88/100

What the body & nervous system bring home

Solitude

84/100

Space from crowds, kindly shared with locals

Distance8.7 km

Elevation↑ 308 · ↓ 236 m

TerrainRolling

Start · Bad SchandauFinish · Schmilka ferry

Take the path with you — full GPX track & offline map tiles for the whole route.

Verifying GPX accuracy…Garmin · Strava · Komoot · AllTrails

How to use offline · a soul-aware guide›

Tap Download GPX & Offline Maps on Wi-Fi — your route, waypoints, elevation and soul notes are saved together.
Import the .gpx into Garmin Connect, Komoot, Strava, AllTrails or Gaia GPS — same file works everywhere.
Open this page once before you leave signal. The map will replay from the cache, even on a plane.
On the trail, breathe before you check the screen. The Emerald Guardian is already with you.

Live from OpenStreetMap

Along the trail — water, shelter, parking & food

Points within 1.5 km of the emerald ribbon, sourced live from the OSM community and cached for 30 days so they still appear when you’re offline in the field.

Water

Loading…

Shelters & huts

Loading…

Parking & trailheads

Loading…

Restaurants & cafés

Loading…

Practical, gently arranged

Straightforward via ferrata-lite — no gear needed, but not for vertigo-prone hikers.

Bio-Refugium Schmilka — organic mill village with baths and bakery.

Pfaffenstein table mountain with the Barbarine pillar

Day-route 04

Stage 7 · table mountains

Kuhstall arch → Pfaffenstein table

Through the Kuhstall's cathedral arch, across the Kirnitzsch valley, and up onto the flat green top of the Pfaffenstein for a sunset over the sandstone sea.

↔ 12 km↑ +591 m◔ 6 h

Serenity92Regenerative82Family63Joy & beauty93

93/ 100

Soul Signature

Exceptional · Kuhstall arch → Pfaffenstein table

Best for a walk that lingers long after it ends — just know that the distance and ascent ask for hiking legs.

Soul93 · Exceptional
How deeply the walk stays with you. A walk people plan a year around. Give it a whole, unhurried day.
Serenity92 · Exceptional
How quiet the trail feels — crowds, traffic noise, remoteness. Expect long stretches entirely to yourself.
Regenerative82 · Strong
Wild ground and low-impact access — how gently you can arrive and walk. Good public-transport access; stay on the marked line.
Joy & beauty93 · Exceptional
Views, water, light and variety along the way. Continuous reward — allow extra hours simply for stopping.
Family-friendly63 · Modest
Suitability for mixed pace — distance, ascent and exposure. A full adult hiking day. Not a family outing.

050100

Who this walk suits

Plan it as a full adult hiking day.
Quiet enough to hear the weather change.
Reachable without a car — check the station links.

Scores are derived from the route's real GPX shape — distance, ascent and time on foot — combined with our editors' calibration across 175+ walks. Nothing here is sponsored.

Trail at a glance

Distance12 km
Elevation+591 m
Duration6 h
DifficultyStrenuous
Serenity92 / 100

Xymove · terrain map

LiveRolling

12.3 km591 m514 mSerenity 92

Soul Signature12.3 km↑591↓514

Map key

Hiking trail
Start
Finish
Parking

Trail field guide

Water
Food
Shelter / hut
Viewpoint
Trailhead
Rest / picnic
Stay

Tap any pin for hours, water & food details.

Elevation cross-section · metres↑ 591 m↓ 514 m200–495 m · 12.3 km~9.0% avg

Soul & Serenity · how this path is felt

A path that returns you to yourself — slowly, kindly, completely.

Walked, sat with, scored honestly — strongest in nature.

92soul

Presence

94/100

How easily the mind quiets here

Nature

96/100

Wildness, water, light, living silence

Regeneration

90/100

What the body & nervous system bring home

Solitude

86/100

Space from crowds, kindly shared with locals

Distance12.3 km

Elevation↑ 591 · ↓ 514 m

TerrainRolling

Start · KuhstallFinish · Pfaffenstein plateau

Take the path with you — full GPX track & offline map tiles for the whole route.

Verifying GPX accuracy…Garmin · Strava · Komoot · AllTrails

How to use offline · a soul-aware guide›

Tap Download GPX & Offline Maps on Wi-Fi — your route, waypoints, elevation and soul notes are saved together.
Import the .gpx into Garmin Connect, Komoot, Strava, AllTrails or Gaia GPS — same file works everywhere.
Open this page once before you leave signal. The map will replay from the cache, even on a plane.
On the trail, breathe before you check the screen. The Emerald Guardian is already with you.

Live from OpenStreetMap

Along the trail — water, shelter, parking & food

Points within 1.5 km of the emerald ribbon, sourced live from the OSM community and cached for 30 days so they still appear when you’re offline in the field.

Water

Loading…

Shelters & huts

Loading…

Parking & trailheads

Loading…

Restaurants & cafés

Loading…

Practical, gently arranged

Kirnitzschtalbahn tram — one of Germany's oldest — from Bad Schandau.

Berggasthof Pfaffenstein on the plateau for a rare table-mountain sleep.

Where to sleep

Stays near the trail

Trail-close, calm and family-friendly — along Malerweg — Saxon Switzerland.

Hotels

Hotels in Bad Schandau

Central trailhead town

Elbe-side spa hotels — the classic Malerweg trailhead with ferry crossings to the sandstone.

Booking.com Google

Hostels & Budget

Guesthouses in Hohnstein

Mid-trail basecamp

Half-timbered village pensions at the heart of the Malerweg — quiet nights, honest breakfasts.

Booking.com Hostelworld Google

Camping

Camping Ostrauer Mühle

Kirnitzschtal camping

Forest pitches in a Kirnitzschtal side-valley — the traditional Saxon Switzerland climbers' camp.

Booking.com Google Campsite

Quiet, trail-close places to rest. Always check current availability and conditions.

Arrive car-free

S-Bahn Dresden along the Elbe sandstone

The S1 S-Bahn from Dresden serves every trailhead of the Malerweg — Rathen, Königstein, Bad Schandau and Kurort Rathen all sit on the same 30-minute clockface.

Transit linkTransit · not a hikeGermany
Kurort Rathen
→ Bastei bridge·Bus or shuttle
Link
Transit only
Operator
DB S-Bahn S1
Transfer
8 min
Mode
Bus / shuttle
Reaction ferry across the Elbe, then rock stairs
Historic Gierseilfähre ferry connects platform to trail — every 10 min.
DB S-Bahn S1
From Dresden Hbf (35 min) · Prague (via Bad Schandau)
Onward · Elbe reaction ferry to the Bastei trail.
Open station page Transit directions Station on OSM
Transit link
Kurort Rathen Bastei bridge
Public transit finishes the last mile — the hike starts at the trailhead.
8 min · DB S-Bahn S1
0–2 kmGermany
Bad Schandau
→ Schrammsteine footbridge trail·Short walk
Connector
1.6 km
Ascent
22 m · 1.4%
Walking time
22 min
Terrain
Pedestrian
Kirnitzsch valley promenade
Historic Kirnitzschtalbahn tram meets the S1 platform.
DB S-Bahn S1 · EC (Berlin ↔ Prague)
From Dresden · Prague · Berlin
Onward · Kirnitzschtalbahn tram · fährverbindung to Krippen.
Open station page Walk directions Station on OSM

Routing policy

Every connector prioritises official hiking paths, forest tracks and quiet approach lanes suitable for walking with a pack. Busy roads, highways and shoulder-less rural roads are avoided; where no pedestrian alternative exists, the segment is shown as a public transit link instead of a hike. Ascent is called out clearly so the approach climb is never a surprise, and each walkable connector ships a valid GPX so hikers can download the approach alongside the main route.

Other flagships

Walk on, gently.

Dolomite peaks glowing pink at sunrise above wildflower meadows

Italian Alps

Alta Via — Dolomites

Pink granite at dawn, hut-to-hut warmth, wildflowers underfoot.

Northern Spain

Camino del Norte

An ancient pilgrim line beside the sea — slow bread, cliff paths, the ocean always near.

Misty Scottish glen with heather slopes and emerald ridges

Scotland

West Highland Way

Lochs, mist and emerald ridges — a walk that softens the chest.

Mossy stone pilgrim path through ancient cedar forest in Japan

Kii Peninsula, Japan

Kumano Kodo

A thousand years of presence — cedar, moss, small shrines and one clear breath.

Aerial view of Château de Chambord glowing at golden hour above the Loire forest

Loire Valley, France

Sentiers de la Loire

Château walks, vineyard paths and slow river light — on foot.

Cantabria · Asturias, Spain

Picos de Europa

Limestone cathedrals above emerald meadows — Spain's wildest, kindest range.

Slovakia · Poland

High Tatras

Granite cathedrals over emerald lakes — Europe's smallest, sharpest alps.

Mont Blanc massif rising above alpine meadows in early summer

France · Italy · Switzerland

Tour du Mont Blanc

The classic circuit around Europe's white giant — three countries, one mountain, endless light.

The Aiguilles de Bavella red granite spires under Corsican sky

Corsica · France

GR20 · Corsica

Europe's wildest waymarked trail, red granite spine of the island.

Half Dome and Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point in golden light

California · USA

John Muir Trail

Three hundred and forty miles of Sierra granite and lake-light.

Machu Picchu at dawn with mist rising from the Urubamba valley

Cusco · Peru

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Stone stairways through the cloud forest to a lost city.

Gandaki · Nepal

Annapurna Base Camp

A stone amphitheatre of eight-thousanders, teahouse-warm.

Oeschinensee turquoise lake beneath the Blüemlisalp massif

Bernese Oberland, Switzerland

Via Alpina · Green Trail

Turquoise lakes, high passes, and the cowbell heart of the Bernese Alps.

Turquoise Ölüdeniz lagoon on Türkiye's Lycian coast

Turquoise Coast, Türkiye

Lycian Way

540 km of sea, pine and ancient stone along the Mediterranean's kindest coast.

Landmannalaugar rhyolite mountains in soft summer light

Highlands, Iceland

Laugavegur

Rhyolite rainbows, obsidian fields, glacier rivers and the birch of Þórsmörk.

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral glowing in evening light

Northern Spain · The Way of St. James

Camino Francés

The oldest pilgrim road in Europe — 800 km of yellow arrows and quiet returning.

Khumbu · Nepal Himalaya

Everest Base Camp Trek

Twelve days to the foot of the highest mountain on Earth.

Katahdin's Baxter Peak — the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail

Maine · northern terminus

Appalachian Trail — 100-Mile Wilderness

The wildest, quietest hundred miles of America's longest trail.

The three Torres granite towers of Patagonia

Patagonia · Chile

Torres del Paine — the W Trek

Four days through the most theatrical mountains on Earth.

Snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro rising above the plains

Tanzania · Africa's rooftop

Kilimanjaro — Machame Route

Seven days from equatorial rainforest to Africa's highest summit.

Nepal · around the massif

Annapurna Circuit

The great circle — rice paddies to a 5,416 m pass in the Trans-Himalaya.

Fiordland · New Zealand

Milford Track

"The finest walk in the world" — four days through rainforest, alpine pass, and fiord.

Zugspitze massif rising above Alpine meadows in Bavaria

Bayern · Bavarian Alps

Bavarian Alps — Soul Days

Karwendel gorges, Zugspitze glaciers, and Königssee's cathedral of silence.

Zugspitze east face rising above the Wetterstein range

Bayern · Tirol · Wettersteingebirge

Zugspitze — Every Route to the Summit

Four publicly known paths to the top of Germany — from the classic Reintal walk-up to the Jubiläumsgrat traverse.

Türkisblauer Achensee zwischen Karwendel und Rofan

Tirol · Achensee · Karwendel & Rofan

Achensee — Tirol's Fjord Lake

Sechs Klassiker rund um Tirols größten See — vom Uferweg zur Gaisalm bis zum 5-Gipfel-Klettersteig im Rofan.

Wilder Kaiser limestone spires in Austrian Tirol

Tirol & Salzkammergut · Austrian Alps

Tirol Alpine Days

Wilder Kaiser drama, Dachstein glaciers, and the roaring Krimmler falls.

Karwendel Alps panorama along the Adlerweg

Tirol · The Eagle's Way

Adlerweg — Tirol Traverse

24 stages tracing the shape of an eagle across the Tirolean Alps.

Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau above the Bernese Oberland

Bern · Swiss Alps

Berner Oberland — Soul Days

Eiger's north face, Bachalpsee's blue mirror, and the great Aletsch glacier.

Rheinwald valley in Graubünden along the Walserweg

Graubünden · Alpine solitude

Walserweg Graubünden

300 km through the Walser villages of Switzerland's quietest Alps.

Königssee with St. Bartholomä chapel beneath the Watzmann east face

Bayern · Berchtesgadener Alpen

Berchtesgaden National Park — Cathedral of Silence

Watzmann's shadow on emerald Königssee, Wimbach's white river, and Germany's highest waterfall.

Panorama from Nebelhorn summit across the Allgäu Alps

Bayern · Allgäuer Alpen

Allgäu Alps — High Meadow Country

Cow-bell ridgelines, gentian meadows, and the wildest cirque in southern Germany.

The Rachelsee cirque lake in the Bavarian Forest

Bayern · Bayerischer Wald · Voralpenland

Bavarian Forest & Munich Foothills

Old-growth silence in Germany's oldest national park, and a ring of Munich's soul-mountains.

The Matterhorn's north-east face at dawn

Wallis · Zermatt · Matterhorn

Zermatt & the Matterhorn — Days beneath the Horn

Five mirror lakes, a glacier balcony, and the Hörnli ridge that made mountaineering.

Sefinenfurgge pass with view towards the Blüemlisalp

Schweiz · Berner Oberland · Waadtländer Alpen

Via Alpina — Swiss Alpine Pass Route

Sefinenfurgge, Hohtürli, Bunderchrinde — the classic hut-to-hut across Switzerland's spine.

Fuorcla Surlej pass with view towards the Bernina massif

Graubünden · Engadin · Val d'Anniviers

Engadin & Graubünden — Larch-light Days

Fuorcla Surlej above the Bernina, Segantini's light, and the wild solitude of the Swiss south-east.

Grossglockner and Pasterze glacier seen from Franz-Josefs-Höhe

Osttirol · Kärnten · Salzburg

Hohe Tauern & Grossglockner — Under Austria's Roof

Pasterze ice, Kalser meadows, and the long Sudetendeutscher balcony beneath Austria's highest peak.

The Schafberg rising above the Wolfgangsee

Oberösterreich · Salzburg · Steiermark

Salzkammergut — Lakes & Limestone

Schafberg's cog-rail summit, Loser's karst plateau, and the Traunstein cross above the lake.

Niederösterreich · Wienerwald

Vienna Hausberge — Rax, Schneeberg & Wienerwald

The city's own limestone plateaus — a train ride from Vienna to a summit cross.

The Feldberg summit in the southern Black Forest

Baden-Württemberg · Schwarzwald

Schwarzwald — Black Forest Heights

Feldberg summits, Wutach gorge, and the Westweg's soul-ridges above the Rheintal.

The Brocken summit in the Harz National Park

Sachsen-Anhalt · Niedersachsen · Thüringen

Harz — Germany's High North

The Brocken's misty roof, the Bodetal's granite gorge, and moss forest older than the country.

The Bremmer Calmont Moselle loop from above

Rheinland-Pfalz · Nordrhein-Westfalen · Saarland

Moselsteig · Rheinsteig · Eifelsteig — Germany's Great Steige

Vineyard balconies above the Mosel, Loreley cliffs, and Eifel maars in one soul-collection.

Malerweg — Saxon Switzerland

GPX, Google Maps & Apple Maps · one calm place.

4 curated day-routes.

Liebethaler Grund → Uttewalder Grund

Exceptional · Liebethaler Grund → Uttewalder Grund

Map key

Bastei bridge → Hohnstein

Exceptional · Bastei bridge → Hohnstein

Map key

Schrammsteine ridge & Schmilka

Exceptional · Schrammsteine ridge & Schmilka

Map key

Kuhstall arch → Pfaffenstein table

Exceptional · Kuhstall arch → Pfaffenstein table

Map key

Stays near the trail

Hotels in Bad Schandau

Guesthouses in Hohnstein

Camping Ostrauer Mühle

S-Bahn Dresden along the Elbe sandstone

Kurort Rathen

Bad Schandau

Walk on, gently.

Alta Via — Dolomites

Camino del Norte

West Highland Way

Kumano Kodo

Sentiers de la Loire

Picos de Europa

High Tatras

Tour du Mont Blanc

GR20 · Corsica

John Muir Trail

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Annapurna Base Camp

Via Alpina · Green Trail

Lycian Way

Laugavegur

Camino Francés

Everest Base Camp Trek

Appalachian Trail — 100-Mile Wilderness

Torres del Paine — the W Trek

Kilimanjaro — Machame Route

Annapurna Circuit

Milford Track

Bavarian Alps — Soul Days

Zugspitze — Every Route to the Summit

Achensee — Tirol's Fjord Lake

Tirol Alpine Days

Adlerweg — Tirol Traverse

Berner Oberland — Soul Days

Walserweg Graubünden

Berchtesgaden National Park — Cathedral of Silence

Allgäu Alps — High Meadow Country

Bavarian Forest & Munich Foothills

Zermatt & the Matterhorn — Days beneath the Horn

Via Alpina — Swiss Alpine Pass Route

Engadin & Graubünden — Larch-light Days

Hohe Tauern & Grossglockner — Under Austria's Roof

Salzkammergut — Lakes & Limestone

Vienna Hausberge — Rax, Schneeberg & Wienerwald

Schwarzwald — Black Forest Heights

Harz — Germany's High North

Moselsteig · Rheinsteig · Eifelsteig — Germany's Great Steige