Elberadweg - Dresden Elbland section

124.49 km long

Difficulty: difficult

Condition: very difficult

Great panorama

Cycling

Schloss Hartenfels Torgau — CC0 | Stephan Böhlig, Dresden Elbland, Stephan Boehlig

Rathaus Pirna — CC0 | Stephan Böhlig, Dresden Elbland, Stephan Boehlig

Stadtmuseum Pirna — CC0 | Stephan Böhlig, Dresden Elbland, Stephan Boehlig

8:30 h
124.49 km
158 m
196 m
79 m
126 m
47 m
Start: Pirna
Destination: Torgau

On the left-Elbe section of the long-distance cycle route, you cycle through idyllic landscapes of the Dresden Elbland region over 125 kilometers, experience regional history, and encounter many cultural highlights, especially in the towns of Pirna, Dresden, Meissen, and Torgau.

The starting point is in Pirna, where the old town with its historic market square, town hall, St. Mary's Church, and the city museum provides an impressive backdrop right at the start. From here, it goes on a very well-developed cycle path through Heidenau towards Dresden, where a wealth of sights await.

In Dresden, the “Blue Wonder,” the Loschwitz Elbe Bridge, impresses first, before the path leads to the highlights of the Dresden old town. The baroque Church of Our Lady, the Zwinger, the Semper Opera House, and the Royal Palace are equally worth seeing as the Transport Museum and the City Museum. The varied gastronomy of the city center also invites you to linger, while the Dresden Neustadt on the opposite Elbe side attracts with a lively scene district, creative art projects, and nightlife.

A little further out of town, after already cycling along the green Elbe meadows, the Gohlis Windmill offers another opportunity for a break and exploration.

The route continues through Klipphausen, where the Schulzemühle miniature mill is open in summer every first Sunday of the month. A short detour to Scharfenberg is worthwhile to visit the former Güte Gottes mine and take a look down the Hoffnung shaft. Then you roll on to Meissen, famous for its porcelain tradition and wine growing. Here the historic old town, the Albrechtsburg Meissen, the impressive Cathedral, and the Healing and Herb Garden of the Soziale Projekte Meißen foundation attract visitors. The Erlebniswelt HAUS MEISSEN offers insights into the art of porcelain manufacturing and the winemakers of the Rothen Gut Meissen invite you on the left side of the Elbe to their winery.

From Meissen, the route continues through the postcard-perfect landscape to Zehren and Hirschstein, where idyllic villages and wide fields line the path. In Riesa visitors can see the Riesa noodle center, the city museum, the monastery, and the animal park. The town also offers an exciting mix of industrial history and leisure opportunities. Further north, the cycle path leads to Strehla to the legendary Nixstein. Here stories revolve around the “Nix”, which is embedded in the landscape and stimulates the imagination. A little further on you reach the guesthouse “Am Nixstein”, the ideal place for a stopover. The Nixenbad with campsite also invites relaxation. The Strehla ferry connects the left bank of the Elbe with Lorenzkirch on the right side and is the only crossing option here for cyclists between Riesa and Mühlberg.

The final section runs along the Elbe to Torgau, the northernmost point of the route. The 1,000-year history of the Renaissance town can be discovered at numerous historic sites. The Renaissance market square forms the heart of the old town and Hartenfels Castle, the most important castle of early Renaissance in Germany, is a highlight worth seeing. From the houseman tower of the castle, you get an exciting view over the landscape and the green meadows along the Elbe. Torgau marks the end of this impressive stretch before you can take the right-Elbe route back to Pirna.

All current information on detours on the cycle path can be found on the official Elberadweg website:

https://www.elberadweg.de/news-service/aktuelle-informationen-und-news/

Start

Pirna

Dom zu Meißen — CC-BY | Philipp Herfort, Dresden Elbland

Cathedral of Meissen

Church

Destination

Torgau

Pavements

Unknown

Asphalt

Best to visit

suitable

Depends on weather

Directions

The route starts in Pirna on the old town side, at the ferry terminal on the Elbe. It runs for large parts directly along the Elbe and is very well signed with the "Elberadweg" symbol.

The start is located below the old town of Pirna at the roundabout on the Elbe. Here the route turns right off the road and runs directly along the Elbe via Heidenau to Dresden.

Opposite Pillnitz Palace, the route continues past the Elbe meadows on the cycle path before in Dresden-Laubegast it makes a short curve left at the Kleinzschachwitzer shore or Austrian Street, then after Laubegast shipyard again turns right onto Coselgasse and then leads along the shore to the Blue Wonder bridge.

Further along the Elbe meadows, under the Waldschlösschen Bridge to the terrace shore below Dresden's old town. Before the Marien Bridge, the route turns left, goes straight through the Ostra sports park and past Alberthafen before finally running again directly along the shore.

A few meters after the Gohlis windmill, the Elberadweg turns left via Windmühlenstraße into the village of Gohlis. Here, immediately hold right again to travel Elbstraße and Dorfstraße. Then continue cycling through the fields and meadows to the Elbe bridge in Niederwartha. Here, after the ferry house, keep right and go under the bridge, then turn right again to continue along the Elbe.

In Wildberg, the path leads straight through the village and over Alte Dorfstraße to Constappel. Here turn right and cycle close to the river Wilde Sau again near the Elbe via Gauernitz and Scharfenberg straight to Meissen. The town is crossed parallel on the cycle path between Hochuferstraße and the river. The route then continues via Keilbusch and Mischwitz to Zehren, where it turns right shortly before the village and runs on Leipziger Straße, which is left again after a few meters. For about 200 meters, the cycle path runs over Niedermuschützer Straße but then also turns right towards the shore and winds further to the Göhrischgärtnerei.

Here turn right again and follow the path via Hebelei to Niederlommatzsch. At the ferry, turn left onto Fähregasse, then immediately right onto Hirschsteiner Weg and continue on Elbstraße to Neuhirschstein. Before the castle turn right onto the Elberadweg to Althirschstein. Here turn left over Alte Försterei, then immediately right over Fährstraße and after the village turn left again onto the Elberadweg. In Boritz turn left over Leckwitzer Straße and then right onto Schänitzer Straße at Zum Kreuzstein.

In the following Schänitz, the path runs over Leutewitzer Straße, then again right to the Elbe and left over the fields to Riesa. The town is always bypassed along the Elbe. Via Elbstraße, Breite Straße and Bahnhofstraße, you get back directly to the river and cross the two Elbe bridges of the town. Then follow the path over a small bridge, turn left into Kirchstraße, and immediately before the church turn right into Flurenstraße, then continue right on Steinstraße and across the fields to Oppitzsch. In Oppitzsch turn left over Altoppitzscher Straße and immediately right again to Strehla.

In Strehla turn right over Oppitzscher Weg onto Riesaer Straße and after about 800 m turn right again onto Hauptstraße. After a few meters, also leave it to the right and continue left along the Elbe towards Görzig.

At the guesthouse "Am Nixstein", first turn right onto Trebnitzer Weg and after about 300 m turn left onto Görziger Straße. At the next intersection, turn right and leave the village towards Lößnig.

Before Lößnig, turn sharply left towards Paußnitz, go through Paußnitz via Lößniger Straße and Dorfstraße and then follow B182/Strehlaer Straße to Schirmenitz on the right.

In Schirmenitz turn right into Schulstraße, follow it to Aussig and bypass the village along the tributary Dahle or via B182 to Seydewitz. Here the route turns left into Strehlaer Straße. After Burkhardtshof, keep right at the rest area, then cycle over fields and, after crossing B182, via Lindenplatz to Plotha. Continue here along the Kiessee to reach Döschkau.

In Döschkau turn right after the manor onto Brautweg and continue through the landscape to Ammelgosswitz, keep left there, pass the old Schlenker estate and follow the cycle path to Belgern.

Before Belgern, keep left, follow the path along the harbour and bypass the village east directly along the Elbe. Cycle left once more via Triftweg towards Belgern and at the next intersection turn right to leave the village towards Döbeltitz.

Continue over the fields and left across the "Elbaue" floodplain through Döbeltitz to the next village Kranichau. Also pass this on Elbstraße left, sharply right and then left again towards Weißnig.

In Weißnig turn left into Lindenstraße, continue straight ahead, cross B182 and drive along Dorfstraße to Bennewitz. Before the ponds turn right onto the street "Am Schinderbusch" which then follows the Flößengraben for a while and from there straight to Loßwig. B182 is crossed again.

Via Kirchweg, you arrive in Loßwig, turn right after the cemetery into the street "An den Linden" and after 400 m turn left again to leave the village towards Torgau via the path "Zur Loßwiger Lünette".

In Torgau, it continues straight along the Elbe, past the harbour castle and over the harbour bridge, then turns right into Fischerdörfchen path, turns left at the next bend and follows the path straight ahead to B87. Here turn right into Fischerstraße and follow it straight to the market. This marks the end of this stage in the centre of Torgau.

Tour information