Gravel tour 1: Through the Friedewald forest to Moritzburg

The tour starts at one of the centrally located parking lots in Meissen and offers an impressive view of Meissen Cathedral and Albrechtsburg Castle right from the start. As you leave the town, an extensive open landscape opens up, which is part of the Nassau nature reserve. After crossing the protected area, you reach the first foothills of Weinböhla with a wide view over the fields. At the Grutschenteich pond, the route branches off onto a beautiful, natural path until you finally reach Weinböhla.

The route continues through Weinböhla and passes the VELOCIUM, the Saxon Bicycle Adventure World. Among other things, a pump track awaits those who want to improve their riding technique. The route then continues across the town hall square towards the train station and the north-eastern outskirts of Weinböhla. At this point, the landscape opens up again and offers a view of the rolling hills and vineyards that are typical of the region.

The tour now leads along a light forest path through the Friedewald, one of the largest forest areas in Saxony. The route continues along a stream to the Gellertberg on varied path surfaces. Here you will find a small former hunting lodge, today's "Gellerthäuschen", an artificial ruin of a tower built in 1824 and the open-air stage, which is still the venue for various events today. From here, there is a magnificent view far to the south and west over the vineyards, the Nassau and the Spaargebirge mountains.

The route continues to the Oberau forest swimming pool, where you can cool off in summer. The route now leads past the campsite into the open forest and meadow landscapes of the Moritzburg pond area. The Heidehofteich, Köckritzteich and Silberteich ponds are particularly tranquil here. This section is very scenic and offers some short, flowing passages - a real highlight for anyone who wants to experience nature in the saddle and enjoy technical challenges at the same time.

Finally, the route leads to Moritzburg, famous for its imposing hunting lodge and baroque castle. The route winds its way through the forest, passing numerous sights such as the charming little pheasant castle, Saxony's only historic lighthouse and the game reserve, a gem for native animals.

If you want to take a break, you can make a detour to the impressive castle or discover other cultural highlights, such as the historic Saxon State Stud, the Käthe Kollwitz House, the Red House or the signposted BRÜCKE trail. Moritzburg therefore not only offers a break for body and soul, but also numerous opportunities to experience the rich history and culture of the region.

The route then continues along forest and farm tracks through the Friedewald forest. Here you pass the wolf monument, which commemorates a hunt by Elector Johann Georg I in 1618. You pass the Dippelsdorf pond landscape, where you circle the Dippelsdorf pond of the same name.

The route now leads through the forest and on directly through the town of Coswig, past sights such as the Folprecht blue printing works, the "Old Church", one of the most beautiful preserved Saxon village churches dating back to 1497, and the Karrasburg Museum, a gem full of historical treasures.

The last few kilometers back to Meißen run along the Elbe cycle path, past the bathing lake in Coswig-Kötitz, which also offers a refreshing dip on warm days and is therefore the perfect reward after a beautiful and varied tour.

Road conditions:

28.0 km asphalt, 3.1 km road, 15.3 km gravel path, 26.1 km natural path

moderate and asphalted climbs, forest paths perfectly prepared