Trail Name: Saxon Wine Trail (Saechsische Weinwanderweg)
Trail Type: Long distance trail; varied surfaces, but mostly paved or hard parked earth, well maintained, and well-marked.
Length:
Total: 88.5 kilometers/55 miles
Last (my) stage: Meissen to Diesbar-Seusslitz: @18 kilometers
Convenient to: Meissen, or Dresden, Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
Marking: Red grapes within a red-lined circle on a white background
Trail Description: A hiking trail through wine villages and vineyards, often along the Elbe River, sometimes along its bluffs. Beginning in the dramatic Saechsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland, so called for its mountains), it begins in and ends in rather rural settings. However, it passes through Dresden (and its suburbs), one of Germany’s largest cities, and the famous porcelain town of Meissen.
Trailheads:
Pirna: Oberpost, by the train station
Pillnitz/Niederpoyritz: by the bus stops on Staffelsteinstrasse
Dresden Wilder Mann: Intersection Grosshainerstr and Neulaenderstr
Radebeul Zitzschwig: Intersection Hohensteinstrasse and Spitzgrundstrasse
Niederau/Oberau: Am Muehlhuebel
Meissen center: Altstadtbrucke, on the right bank (east side) of the river
(Mine: Meissen-Zaschendorf: Oberspaarer Strasse, by the bus stop and parking lot)
Diesbar-Seusslitz: An der Weinstrasse, by Schloss (Palace) Seusslitz
Parking (for this segment only):
Meissen: P4, off Bahnhofstrasse and Elbberg, very large lot by the Altstadtbrucke bridgehead, on the right bank (east side) of the river
Public Transportation Options:
Bus (my stage only): Verkehrsgesellshchaft Meissen (VG Meissen), buses link Meissen with surrounding towns and villages. In particular bus 407 routes link Meissen with the end of the trail at Diesbar-Seusslitz, and Golk and Zadel.
Rail: S- Bahn Line 1 passes from Meissen, through Coswig, to Dresden, then to Pirna
Suggested Stages:
1 Pirna – Dresden Pillnitz (Niederpoyritz)(16 km)
2 Dresden Pillnitz (Niederpoyritz) – Dresden Wilder Mann (18 km)
3 Dresden Wilder Mann – Radebeul Zitzschwig (14 km)
4 Radebeul Zitzschwig – Niederau/Oberau (@15 km)
5 Oberau/Niederau – Meissen (13 km)
6 Meissen – Golk – Seusslitz (17 km)
Trail Itinerary-Reference Points: (Meissen to Golk only)
Meissen: Intersection Rodelandweg (Path)-Oberspaarer Str-Alte Spaargasse-Dresdenerstr-Leinpfad (riverside walking path), Grossenhainer Strasse, Ludwig-Richter-Str, Ratsweinberg-Weinberggasse-Hafenstr, river path, Katzenstufen stairs, vineyards, Proschwitz: Proschwitzerstr, Thomas-Muentzer-Str; Winkwitz: Schulgasse, Winkwitzerstr, Rottewitzerstr, path through small copse, fields; Diera (outskirts): Eisenackerstr; vineyards and fields above the river; Zadel: Kirchstr, Dorfanger, Schulstr, Hohlweg; Golk
Representative Trail Photos:
Restrooms:
None observed in this segment -and I saw no open cafes to go into once beyond Meissen!
Attractions on or near Trail: (for this segment only)
Meissen: Some wine-related items on display at the Stadtmuseum on Heinrichsplatz; great views of the vineyards and surrounding countryside from the cathedral (“Dom”), on Domplatz
Tasting along the Trail: (for this segment only)
Meissen: Weingut Mariaberg, An der Spaargasse, is on the trail. Winzer Meissen, and Weinguts Haensch and Richter are both off the trail.
Proschwitz: a Schloss Proschwitz winebar, with variable hours
Zadel: Schloss Proschwitz winery
Alternative Options:
Hiking: Vom Wein und von Wilden Trauben, a 10.3 kilometer circuit trail in Coswig, between Dresden and Meissen.
Car: Saechsische Weinstrasse, a 60-something kilometer-long car route following the vineyards and wine villages (and the city of Dresden) along the Elbe River.
Additional Information:
Regional: http://www.elbland.de/reisethemen/wein-verfuehrungen/orte-an-der-weinstrasse/
Trail (segment) specific: https://www.outdooractive.com/de/fernwanderweg/saechsische-schweiz/saechsischer-weinwanderweg/2806221/#dm=1
Comments:
Meissen, a city much smaller than Dresden, is nevertheless well-known for its important regional role throughout history, and for its porcelain. Even if neither appeal, a visit to the cathedral and castle area is worth making, and a visit to the Porzellan Manufaktur Meissen visitor center is fascinating.