Gravel tour 3: Right Elbe tour via Diesbar-Seußlitz to Glaubitz

The starting point is Meissen. From the parking lot on the banks of the Elbe, you can enjoy your first view of the city's landmarks, Meissen Cathedral and Albrechtsburg Castle, before heading north through the outskirts of the city. The trail leads past the idyllic fields and ponds of the "Heiliger Grund" hiking area. The first ascent is rewarded with the sight of Proschwitz Castle, the oldest private vineyard in Saxony. A short stop here is not only worthwhile for the architecture, but also for the adjoining game reserve, where native wild animals can be observed.

The route continues on sporty gravel passages through the Golkwald forest, where the heath graves and the Nonnenstein viewpoint are well worth a detour. The route winds its way through the Seußlitzer Grund, a nature reserve that delights with its diverse flora and fauna. Here you also have the opportunity to enjoy the "Most beautiful wine view in Saxony 2020". In Seußlitz, the picturesque castle park, which was laid out as a pleasure garden between 1722 and 1733 and impresses with its combination of French and English garden styles, invites you to linger. Also worth seeing are the castle church and the "Haus des Gastes" with its adjoining café. Above the park sits Heinrichsburg Castle, a garden house built in 1728 by the then lord of the castle Heinrich von Bünau according to plans by George Bähr, from where you also have a fantastic view over the Elbland.

The route continues across extensive fields towards Kleinraschützer Heide near Großenhain. Information boards along the way tell you about the eventful history of this landscape, which once served as a military training ground. In Großenhain itself, the town park invites you to take a relaxing break. A real highlight along the route is the impressive baroque garden in Zabeltitz, which, together with the palace and the "Old Castle", forms a charming ensemble of baroque and renaissance architecture.

Via the romantic Röderauwald forest, past the Große Gabelwehr, the route continues on low-traffic side roads and agricultural paths through Bauda and Colmnitz to Glaubitz. Small villages, country lanes lined with avenues and gentle gradients make this section particularly relaxing for gravel cyclists. The Glaubitz forest with the natural birch pond and donkey pond directly on the route and the popular forest pool is another highlight for gravel enthusiasts. In Glaubitz itself, it is worth taking a short detour to Glaubitz Castle, which impresses with its historic architecture. The historic railroad facilities also bear witness to the town's industrial past.

The return journey is a relaxed ride along the Elbe cycle path to Diesbar-Seußlitz. The route then continues through the Seußlitzer Grund and the Golkwald forest before returning to Meißen via Zadel and Diera. The final view of the cathedral and Albrechtsburg castle rounds off this impressive gravel tour.

Road conditions

34.2 km asphalt, 17.8 km gravel path, 14.7 km natural path, 8.8 km road, 0.7 km path

Undulating tour profile with moderate to steep climbs