Saxon Wine Hiking Trail - Stage 1 - From Pirna to Dresden-Pillnitz

Some guests and even locals suspect the beginning of the Saxon Wine Route and the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail in Dresden-Pillnitz, as the first large-scale vineyards appear there. But the city of Pirna is the starting point for both wine routes for good reason: on the one hand, the wine-growing area extended to Pirna at its peak in the 18th century, and on the other hand, diligent amateur winemakers also revived some old terraces here in the 1990s through painstaking work.

The exact starting point for the 1st stage and thus for the entire Saxon Wine Hiking Trail is the hiking parking lot on the Elbe at Postaer Straße at the entrance to Mockethaler Grund in the Oberposta district, where there are some well-preserved vintner houses and other testimonies of historical viticulture (including sandstone steps through terraced vineyards; near the wine hiking trail: original vintner sign in the wall of a former vintner's yard (Oberposta 27) and a panel on the wine cultural landscape Posta at the vineyard (near the property Niederposta 3)).
On foot, the hiking parking lot can be reached from Pirna station either via the Pirna city bridge, Fährstraße, main square, upper square, Postaer Straße or by ferry F9 via Brückenstraße, Am Elbufer - ferry ride - from the ferry dock to the left, direction Elbe parking lot Copitz, ferry path, upper square, Postaer Straße (each about 30 min).      
From the hiking parking lot, go up Grundstraße into the Mockethaler Grund, then a zigzag path with yellow dot marking to Burglehnpfad. Past the Ehrenhain, the route marking continues northward (Burglehnstr., Karl-Büttner-Str., Albert-Barthel-Str., Liebethaler Str., Tannenweg, Fichtenweg, Altjessen) until we reach Weinbergweg and follow this to a crossroads (waypost), then turn left and continue on Grundmühlenweg, bridge over Radeberger Straße (S177), Meiereiweg (former dairy with pretty pond) to Lindenallee (Evangelical parish church from 1902).
This leads uphill to the right; after 600 m the wine hiking trail branches off (Lochmühlenweg) and takes us to the Graupa Hunting Lodge. Here, on the occasion of Richard Wagner's 200th birthday, a modern and multimedia permanent exhibition on Wagner's work was opened, part of the Richard Wagner Sites, which also include the nearby Lohengrin House. In this oldest museum residence in the world, the great German composer and Dresden court music director worked on his opera "Lohengrin" in 1846. Opposite the parking lot of the Richard Wagner Museum, an ice cream parlor and a playground invite you to linger.
According to the route marking, we get to Kleingraupa village square via Richard-Wagner-Str., Badstraße, Lindengrundstraße with beautifully restored farmhouses and finally via Kreuzerbergstraße and Weinbergsweg to the district Oberpoyritz, which already belongs to Dresden.
Then we come to the Rysselkuppe, a vineyard ecologically managed by the Klaus Zimmerling winery.
We continue along Bergweg and reach the Pillnitz Royal Vineyard, at the upper edge of which the Leitenweg leads with magnificent views of the Elbe valley with its orchards, vineyard terraces, and the small baroque Pillnitz Vineyard Church. Here on Leitenweg, with its old watchmen's and vintner houses, amateur winemakers from Pillnitz have also created an 800 m long wine educational trail with interesting information about viticulture.
We reach Wünschendorfer Straße and follow it to An der Schäferei to the former village square Am Rathaus in Pillnitz.

There the destination of the 1st stage is reached. Those who have time should definitely take a stroll through the Pillnitz Park with its dendrological features afterwards – or come back. The entire park and castle complex with its museums is worth a several-hour visit. For dining and overnight stays, the Schlosshotel Pillnitz with restaurant invites you. Not far from the park, the Chocolaterie am Fliederhof offers a wide range of locally produced chocolates from the region, and in the Backwirtschaft of the Wippler bakery, you can end the day with coffee and cake.

Hiking parking lot on the Elbe at Postaer Straße at the entrance to Mockethaler Grund in the Pirna district of Oberposta

• Start: with S-Bahn S1, S2 to (H) Pirna, train station, then continue with ferry F9 (H Pirna, Ferry/Elbe parking lot or H Pirna Copitz, ferry terminal)
  VVO route information to Hiking parking lot on the Elbe at entrance of Mockethaler Grund, Pirna (Oberposta)
• Destination: with bus 63 from (H) Dresden, Rathaus Pillnitz.
  VVO route information from former village square Am Rathaus Pillnitz
• Stop along the way (Pirna-Copitz): with train RB 71 (Pirna - Neustadt (Sachsen) - Sebnitz), (H) Pirna, Copitz Nord (at BSZ for technology and economy Pirna)

Tourism Association Elbland Dresden e. V.
Dresdner Straße 7
01662 Meißen
Phone: +49 3521 76350
Fax: +49 3521 763540
www.visit-dresden-elbland.de/
www.facebook.com/Saechsisches.Elbland

There is a dedicated website for the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail with all information on the individual stages, maps, interesting sights, dining options, and much more:

https://weinwandern-sachsen.de/

Attention! Please check the opening hours of the different dining options here before starting the hike, so you do not face closed doors. Seasonal wine taverns are usually only open on weekends or in spring and autumn.

• Dine and taste Saxon wine in wineries, cozy seasonal wine taverns, and wine bars with the distinction "Highly recommended in the Wine Country Saxony"
• Enjoy wonderful viewpoints overlooking the Elbe valley
• Experience historic modes of transport
  - Weiße Flotte Sachsen GmbH www.saechsische-dampfschiffahrt.de
• Travel offers (hiking also without luggage)
  - AugustusTours
  - Corso Reisen

The route is not barrier-free. 

* 7-part hiking map set "Saxon Wine Hiking Trail" (€6.50) - order via bookstores (ISBN 978-3-86843-124-7) or via www.sachsen-kartographie.de (map shop, hiking tour guide) or via www.meierwerbung-dresden.de (map sets)

* Hiking and cycling map "Saxon Wine Hiking Trail", Dr. Barthel Verlag (€8.90) - order via bookstores (ISBN 978-3-89591-227-6) or via www.verlag-dr-barthel.de (cycling and hiking maps, zigzag folding)