Forststeig Elbe Sandstone
Forststeig Elbsandstein
Key figures
Length
105 km: the stated length (Sachsenforst).
Our map line follows only 86 % of the official track on its weakest stage, so it isn't used as a length; the search sorts this trail by the figure above.
- 105km
Ascent · descent
2,911 m up and 2,925 m down: the stated totals (Sachsenforst).
The 7 main stages in the stages table add up to 2,803 m up and 2,811 m down.
- 2,911m ↑2,925m ↓
Difficulty
How hard a trail is, in three ways: the terrain, the climate in season and the length of the days. Each is rated from Easy to Hard with the same thresholds for every trail, and takes its hardest measure. It describes the trail, not how it will feel to you: that depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather you get.
- Terrain: DemandingPath grade: ≈ T3
- Climate: Moderate in Aug–OctHeat: 24 °C by day (August)
- Effort: DemandingLongest day: 7 h (stage 4)
- Terrain: Demanding; Climate: Moderate in Aug–Oct; Effort: Demanding
- Suggested
- 7days
Per stage
The 7 main stages' totals over their number (Sachsenforst), so the averages come from one source.
- 15km· 400 m ↑
- Season
- April to October
Landscape
Land cover along the main route, from ESA WorldCover satellite data:
- Forest: 96%
- Grassland and shrubs: 3%
- Farmland and villages: 1%
- Mostly Forest
Location
- Country
- Germany, Czechia
- Regions
- Saxony, Ústí nad Labem Region
- Start
- Schöna station
- Finish
- Bad Schandau station
- Route type
- Point to point
- Travel hubs
- Dresden Hauptbahnhof51.6 km by road · 75 min
- Dresden Airport (DRS)78.9 km by road · 107 min
- Prague Airport (PRG)149.7 km by road · 162 min
- Protected areas
- Landschaftsschutzgebiet Sächsische Schweiz; CHKO Labské pískovce (Elbe Sandstones Protected Landscape Area)
- Managed by
- Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst (Nationalpark- und Forstverwaltung Sächsische Schweiz), Lesy České republikyOfficial website
- Waymarking
- Yellow vertical stripe; green signposts on public roads and in Czechia
- Trail
- Start
- Stage start
- Finish
- Contour lines
Difficulty
Terrain
How hard is the ground to walk: the path, the climbing, the steep bits, the ground underfoot? Rated over the whole main route. The rating takes its hardest measure.
Path grade: the trail's SAC grade, stated, converted or estimated.
- EasyT1
- ModerateT2
- DemandingT3
- HardT4 to T6
Climbing: ascent of the main stages over their length.
- Easyunder 15 m per km
- Moderate15–30 m
- Demanding30–50 m
- Hard50 m or more
Steep stretches: share of the route steeper than 15 %, up or down (terrain model).
- Easyunder 5 %
- Moderate5–15 %
- Demanding15–30 %
- Hard30 % or more
Natural ground: share on footpaths and trails (OpenStreetMap); never Hard on its own.
- Easyunder a third
- Moderatea third to two thirds
- Demandingtwo thirds or more
Demanding
- estimated T3
SAC hiking scale
Trails rate their difficulty in many local scales, or only describe it in words. We translate each rating into the Swiss Alpine Club's hiking scale, from T1 (easy) to T6 (very hard), so trails can be compared. It stays an estimate: how hard a trail feels depends on your fitness, experience, pack and the weather.
This trail: T3 (our estimate). Sachsenforst rates the route "difficult", for experienced, sure-footed and well-equipped hikers. Most of it runs on simple forest paths and tracks (SAC T2), but it also follows forestry lanes where the way isn't always obvious, and stage 3, which the regional tourism association rates "difficult" (the other stages "medium"), leads through rock gorges and up narrow metal ladders. The SAC scale grades a route by its hardest parts, so T3.
- T1 · HikingWell-made paths, mostly flat or gently sloping. No risk of falling; trainers are enough.
- T2 · Mountain hikingA continuous path, steep in places, where a fall can't be ruled out. Be sure-footed; wear hiking boots.
- T3 · Demanding mountain hikingThe path is not always visible; exposed spots may have chains or ropes, and you may need your hands for balance.
- T4 · Alpine hikingOften no path. Hands are needed in places, terrain is exposed, and there can be easy snowfields.
- T5 · Demanding alpine hikingMostly pathless, with easy climbing and exposed, demanding terrain. Needs alpine experience.
- T6 · Difficult alpine hikingPathless, very exposed, with climbing and glaciers. For experienced mountaineers only.
- Climbing27 m per km
- Steep stretches8 % of the way
- Natural ground63 %
Climate
How hot, cold, wet and windy does it get? Rated for each month from 30 years of weather (ERA5). Without months picked (the search's When filter), the rating is for the trail's best run of at least two months in its season, and each measure shows its hardest month of that run; a pick re-rates it for your months. The rating takes its hardest measure.
Heat: mean daily high at the lowest point.
- Easyunder 22 °C
- Moderate22–27 °C
- Demanding27–32 °C
- Hard32 °C or more
Cold: mean nightly low at the highest point.
- Easy8 °C or more
- Moderate3–8 °C
- Demanding−2 to 3 °C
- Hardbelow −2 °C
Wet days: days a month with 1 mm of rain or more, the wetter of both points.
- Easyunder 10
- Moderate10–14
- Demanding14–18
- Hard18 or more
Snow: days a month with 1 cm of snow or more at the highest point.
- Easyunder 1 day
- Moderate1–3 days
- Demanding3–6 days
- Hard6 days or more
Wind: mean of the day's strongest wind (hourly mean, 10 m above ground), the windier of both points.
- Easyunder 15 km/h
- Moderate15–20 km/h
- Demanding20–25 km/h
- Hard25 km/h or more
Moderate in Aug–Oct
Outside the season (Apr–Oct): facilities may be closed, and the weather is harder to plan for.
- Heat · August24 °C by day
- Cold · October4 °C at night
- Wet days · August13 days
- Snow · October1 day
- Wind · October17 km/h
Effort
How long are the days? Rated by the longest main stage; a time range counts its upper end. The rating takes its hardest measure.
Longest day: walking time of the longest main stage, stated or by DIN 33466.
- Easyup to 4 h
- Moderate4–6 h
- Demanding6–8 h
- Hardmore than 8 h
Demanding
- Longest day · stage 47 h
Climate
- Days in season · lowest point
- 14–24°C
- Nights in season · highest point
- 1–12°C
- Wet days a month
- 11–14
- Daylight
- 10.6–16.5h
| Month | Lowest point, day high / night low (°C) | Highest point, day high / night low (°C) | Wet days | Snow days | Frost nights at the highest point | Daylight (h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.9 / -2.1 | -0.9 / -6.3 | 12.1 | 7.8 | 28.4 | 8.4 |
| February | 5.1 / -1.2 | 1.3 / -5.4 | 10.7 | 5.5 | 25.4 | 9.9 |
| March | 9 / 1.1 | 5.2 / -3 | 11.7 | 4.8 | 24.4 | 11.7 |
| April | 14.4 / 5 | 10.7 / 1.1 | 11.3 | 1.6 | 11.8 | 13.7 |
| May | 19 / 9.8 | 15.2 / 5.9 | 14 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 15.5 |
| June | 22.4 / 13.5 | 18.7 / 9.7 | 13.4 | 0 | 0 | 16.5 |
| July | 24.1 / 15.5 | 20.3 / 11.6 | 14.2 | 0 | 0 | 16.1 |
| August | 24.1 / 15.4 | 20.4 / 11.6 | 13.1 | 0 | 0 | 14.5 |
| September | 19.5 / 11.6 | 15.7 / 7.6 | 10.9 | 0 | 0.1 | 12.5 |
| October | 14.2 / 7.6 | 10.4 / 3.5 | 10.9 | 0.6 | 5.5 | 10.6 |
| November | 8 / 3 | 4.1 / -1.2 | 10.2 | 3.4 | 18.6 | 8.8 |
| December | 4 / -0.4 | 0.1 / -4.5 | 11.2 | 6.5 | 26.6 | 8 |
Climate by month
Averages for 1995–2024 from ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, at the trail's lowest and highest point, adjusted to each point's elevation. Bars span the mean night low to the mean day high; wet days have at least 1 mm of rain, snow days at least 1 cm of snow. Daylight runs from sunrise to sunset in the middle of the month. The shaded months are the trail's season.
Stages
| Stage | Route | Distance | Ascent | Descent | Elevation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schöna Grenzbaude | 15.0 km | 616 m ↑ | 351 m ↓ | estimated 130 → 430 m | 6 h 00 |
| 2 | Grenzbaude Ostrov | 15.0 km | 383 m ↑ | 323 m ↓ | estimated 440 → 460 m | 6 h 00 |
| 3 | Ostrov Kamphütte (Beutwald) | 14.0 km | 187 m ↑ | 225 m ↓ | estimated 460 → 420 m | 6 h 00 |
| 4 | Kamphütte (Beutwald) Rotsteinhütte | 20.0 km | 550 m ↑ | 555 m ↓ | estimated 420 → 410 m | 7 h 00 |
| 5 | Rotsteinhütte Nikolsdorf | 20.0 km | 471 m ↑ | 556 m ↓ | estimated 420 → 340 m | 6 h 00 |
| 6 | Nikolsdorf Gohrisch | 12.0 km | 347 m ↑ | 346 m ↓ | estimated 340 → 290 m | 6 h 00 |
| 7 | Gohrisch Bad Schandau | 9.0 km | 249 m ↑ | 455 m ↓ | estimated 280 → 130 m | 4 h 00 |
Totals and averages count the main stages only. Walking times from Tourismusverband Sächsische Schweiz. ≈ marks our estimates where the source gives no figure: heights from the terrain model (Copernicus DEM, 30 m grid, sampled every 100 m), to the nearest 10 m.
Terrain
- Highest · lowest point
- 722m high116m low
Gradient
The steepest 500 m of the trail in walking direction, uphill and downhill. On this trail the steepest climb is 23 % (13°, 117 m up over 500 m) on stage 6, the steepest descent −20 % (11°, 98 m down) on stage 7.
A gradient is height per distance: 20 % means 20 m up for every 100 m forward. Percent and degrees don't grow alike: 100 % is 45°, not 90°.
Gradient Angle Feels like 10 % 6° Noticeable on a road 20 % 11° A steep path, slow going 30 % 17° Very steep, often steps 100 % 45° Scrambling Averages over 500 m from a 30 m terrain model: short pitches within them, such as steps and ladders, are steeper.
- 23% ↑−20% ↓
Steep stretches
How many kilometres of the main route climb or descend at 15 % or more (9°, 15 m of height per 100 m), measured in 200 m stretches: on this trail 3.6 km up and 4.2 km down, the darkest parts of the profile. Such stretches are slow going uphill and hard on the knees downhill.
- 7.8km
Surfaces
- Natural ground: 63%, 65.3 km. Earth, grass, rock and roots: footpaths and forest trails. Can be muddy after rain.
- Gravel: 28%, 29.1 km. Gravel, compacted and stony surfaces: mostly forest roads and farm tracks.
- Paved: 9%, 9.5 km. Asphalt, concrete and cobbles: roads and village streets.
Terrain along the route
Heights from the Copernicus terrain model (30 m grid, every 100 m along the main route); it measures the treetops in forests, so heights may differ from signposts by some metres.
The profile colours each 200 m by its gradient in walking direction: the steeper, the darker, climbs warm and descents violet, from level ground to ±30 % and beyond.
The strip under the profile shows the ground underfoot, from OpenStreetMap; for the 17% of the route without a surface tag, the type of way decides (footpaths natural, tracks gravel).
Landscape
Landscape along the route
Land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (10 m satellite map), every 100 m along the main route; each point takes the most common class within 30 m, so the path itself doesn't count as bare ground. Its eleven classes are folded into the six groups shown. It says what the landscape looks like, not which plants grow there.
Sleeping
Wild camping
Pitching a tent outside campsites. Whether it is allowed, restricted or prohibited depends on the land and the country; the rule for this trail is below the cards.
Restricted
Camping
Official campsites along the trail. Bring your own tent.
Available where the trail's own source lists it, or where OpenStreetMap maps at least 3 within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end.
Available
Campsites · 16 in OpenStreetMap
Huts
Mountain huts (often staffed, with meals) and unstaffed bivouac shelters, usually on the trail itself.
Available where the trail's own source lists it, or where OpenStreetMap maps at least 3 within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end.
Available
Bivouac shelters · 12 in OpenStreetMap
Hostels
Dormitory beds for walkers: hostels, hiker lodges and pilgrim hostels.
Available where the trail's own source lists it, or where OpenStreetMap maps at least 3 within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end.
Available
8 in OpenStreetMap
Rooms
Private rooms, usually in villages near the trail: B&Bs, guesthouses, hotels, farm stays and monastery guesthouses.
Available where the trail's own source lists it, or where OpenStreetMap maps at least 3 within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end.
Available
B&Bs and guesthouses · 65 in OpenStreetMap
Wild camping is restricted. Tents are allowed only at Sachsenforst's bivouac sites, from April to October: for one night, between 4 pm and 10 am, within 20 m of the site and at most five two-person tents, with a trekking ticket (€10 per adult and night, bought in advance and validated on arrival; no reservation). Neither the bivouac sites nor the trekking huts have drinking water.
Places to sleep along the route
One tick per place to sleep along the main route, from OpenStreetMap: 16 campsites, 12 huts, 8 hostels, 65 guest houses within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail). Hotels and day shelters are left out. The shaded column is the longest stretch without any, from km 51.4 to 59.6. The map may miss places or list ones that have closed, so book or check locally.
Water & Supply
Clean water
16 fountains, taps and springs marked as drinkable in OpenStreetMap within 500 m of the trail, and 2 places to sleep OpenStreetMap marks as having drinking water. Clean water also counts the 22 huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m where hikers usually fill a bottle: guests come first, and many close out of season, so ask, and carry a little more than the gaps need. Places OpenStreetMap marks as without drinking water are left out. The counts include the approach and variant; the chart shows the main route.
Rated by the longest stretch of the main route without clean water: frequent up to 10 km, regular up to 20 km, scarce beyond. Here: from km 79 to 93.5, stage 6.
- 14.5kmRegular
Any water
Clean water, and the 36 springs within 500 m of the trail whose water is of unknown quality: filter, boil or treat it, and expect some springs to run dry in late summer. Here the longest stretch without any water runs from km 34 to 42.6. Rated like clean water: frequent up to 10 km, regular up to 20 km, scarce beyond.
- 8.6kmFrequent
Shops
17 supermarkets, convenience and general stores and petrol stations with a shop in OpenStreetMap, within 1 km of the trail or 3 km of a stage's end (stage towns often lie off the trail). Small village shops are often missing, and opening hours vary: check before relying on one. Here the longest stretch without runs from km 0.6 to 31.1.
- 30.5km
Water and shops along the route
One tick per place along the main route, from OpenStreetMap: drinking water and springs within 500 m, refills at huts, hostels, guest houses and campsites within 500 m, shops within 1 km or 3 km of a stage's end. The shaded band in each lane is its longest stretch without; "Water" counts every kind, and opens into one lane per kind, each with its own. The map may miss places or list ones that have closed or run dry, so check locally.