The Sächsische Schweiz region (Sachsen) is one of Germany’s most popular holiday destinations. Bizarre sandstone rocks above the Elbe valley – the Bastei, fortresses and via ferratas. Find hotels, guesthouses, holiday apartments and holiday homes here – booked directly with the host, with no agency fees.
Places in this region
Sights & attractions
Sächsische Schweiz: Felsenwelt an der Elbe
Saxon Switzerland is Germany's only rock national park: sandstone towers, table mountains and gorges rise from the forests on both sides of the Elbe, drawing painters, hikers and climbers for two centuries. The Bastei bridge high above Rathen is the most famous postcard view, Königstein Fortress the country's largest hilltop stronghold, and the Malerweg trail links the finest stages into a week of hiking happiness.
Bad Schandau is the classic base: houses like the Elbhotel and the Lindenhof line the river here, joined by family-run guesthouses such as Haus Grit and the Hönel-Hof. In Hohnstein above the Polenz valley you stay at the Waldhaus surrounded by green, and the Kirnitzschtal tram has been carrying hikers to the Lichtenhain waterfall since 1898.
It pays to leave the beaten track too: the Schrammsteine in morning light, the Barbarine pinnacle at Pfaffenstein, a boat ride on the Obere Schleuse. On GastNest you book directly with the host – commission-free, and with the tip on the hour when the Bastei still belongs to the photographers.