Elberadweg - Dresden Elbland section - left side of the Elbe

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/