Pirna Round Trip - 3 Postal Monuments, 4 Castles

This 38km ride heads from Pirna along the Elbe through the heart of Saxony Switzerland. From Königstein, with its mighty fortress, the ride heads inland over some hills to the old spa town of Berggieshübel. Then it's downhill back to Pirna, past Zehista castle along the way.

7 Royal Postal Monuments Around Dresden

We start in Dresden and ride on the Elberradweg to Pirna. From there it's up to Dohna and up some hills to Dippoldiswalde. Then Rabenau, through the forest to Tharandt and through Wilsdruff on the way back to Dresden.

Berggieshübel - Pirna

From Berggieshübel it's a downhill ride back to the main town of Pirna.

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Pirna - Dohna

An uphill ride past the old postal station at Zehista, the Baroque castle and garden and onto Dohna, along the Dresden-Teplitzer Poststrasse.

92m

Dresden - Pirna

A beautiful ride along the Elbe river, past Pillnitz Castle and onto Pirna

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Pirna - Dippoldiswalde

From Dohna through beautiful Maxen and Reinhardtsgrimma on a relatively hilly ride to Dippoldiswalde.

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Altenberg - Geising

From Altenberg it's a long downhill to Geising.

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Dippoldiswalde - Rabenau

Through the Dippoldiswalder forest to Rabenau.

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Geising - Altenberg

It's up a big hill to Altenberg

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Pirna - Königstein

An easy ride along the Elbe River in picturesque Saxony Switzerland.

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Dohna - Dippoldiswalde

Dohna to Dippoldiswalde via Maxen.

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Königstein - Berggieshübel

This route heads inland from Königstein away from the Elbe into the hinterland. Expect a few hills on the way to Berggieshübel.

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Rabenau - Tharandt

A pleasant ride through the forest to Tharandt.

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Tharandt - Wilsdruff

Slight uphill out of Tharandt then relatively flat to Wilsdruff.

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Wilsdruff - Dresden

From Wilsdruff its a flat and a bit downhill to Dresden.

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Altenberg

Altenberg developed from tin mining in the 1400s, now a local ski and hiking spot. Altenberg is located on top of the Ore Mountains, thus a long climb to get there from Dresden. The column dates from 1722 and was restored in 1900. It is located in the center of town at its original location, along the B170 road.

Kurort Altenberg Bahnhof

Dippoldiswalder Str. 3, 01773 Altenberg

Berggieshübel

Berggießhübel was originally a mining town where natural springs were discovered and spas opened in the late 1800s. It is located on the way from Pirna up into the Ore mountains. The postal column is easily missed, since it is located along the road, across the street from the town's castle. The original column was located on the town square but moved to its current location after being damaged by flooding in 1927.

Berggießhübel Kurhaus

Talstrasse, 01819 Bad Gottleuba-Berggießhübel

Geising

Geising is a quiet but picturesque town situated in the Ore Mountains. It is near the Czech border in the valley below Altenberg. The postal column dates from 1727 and was placed at its current location on Geising's 525th anniversary in 1987.

Geising Bahnhof

Parkplatz

Pirna

Pirna is a beautiful small city along the Elbe river, a short distance from Dresden. It has an historic old town and a castle overlooking the city. Pirna is known as the gateway to Saxony Switzerland. Pirna's postal monument dates from 1722 and is one of three original monuments in town.

Pirna

P&R Bahnhof, Brückenstraße, 01796 Pirna

Dohna

Dohna is the second oldest town in Saxony due to its strategic location along the ancient trade routes. It is located along the Dresden-Teplitzer Poststrasse between Dresden and Pirna. The postal column dates from 1732 and is located in a picturesque location on the market square. The town museum is located across from the column and includes a section dedicated to the royal postal roads.

Bahnhof Dohna, Müglitztalstrasse

Parking is available at the train station

Bärenstein

Bärenstein is a quiet town located in the eastern Ore mountains with attractive timber frame architecture. It is located in the hills above Glaßhütte on the way to Altenberg. The distance column was placed on the market square in 1734 and moved under an oak tree in 1934.

Bus only! Bärenstein (bei Dippoldiswalde) Huthaus

By the bus stop in Bärenstein

Königstein

Königstein is a town on the Elbe river in Saxony Switzerland. It is situated below the Königstein Fortress between Dresden and the Czech Republic. The postal marker is located one block up from the town square.

Königstein (Sächs Schw)

Königstein, Reißiger Platz

Bad Gottleuba

Bad Gottleuba, with its mineral springs, has been a spa town since 1828. The distance column from 1731 is located on the market square and posts 65 destinations. It is located between the eastern Ore mountains and Saxony Switzerland.

Bad Gottleuba Gesundheitspark

Markt, 01816 Bad Gottleuba-Berggießhübel

Sebnitz

Sebnitz is a somewhat forgotten town located in a valley on the border to the Czech Republic. The original postal monument was destroyed in the mid 1800s and a replica was placed in the market square in 2000.

Sebnitz, Bahnhofstrasse 01855 Sebnitz

P&R at the Bahnhof Sebnitz

Rabenau

Rabenau is a sleepy but attractive town known for its historic chair building factory. A distance column was erected on the town market in 1730. On the occasion of the 525th anniversary of the granting of the town charter, a replica of the historical distance column was inaugurated at the original location on May 18, 2013.

Rabenau Bahnhof, Bahnhofstrasse, Rabenau

Parkplatz am Rathaus, Oststraße, 01734 Rabenau

Neustadt in Sachsen

Neustadt in Sachsen is a town located between Stolpen and the Czech border. Its impressive postal monument dates from 1727 and is located in the town's market square.

Neustadt, Dr. Otto-Nuschke Strasse

At the train station, Dr.-Otto-Nuschke-Straße 1, 01844 Neustadt in Sachsen

Tharandt

Tharandt is a town situated in the heart of the forest that bears its name. It is famous for its forestry academy, the oldest in Germany, founded by Heinrich Cotta, the father of European forestry studies. The postal monument is located on the market square below the town's castle.

Bahnhof - Tharandt, Dresdner Strasse

P&R Tharandt, Dresdner Strasse next to the train station

Liebstadt

Liebstadt is the smallest city in Saxony (it's a small town, really). It lies below the impressive castle Kuckuckstein, where Napolean once spent the night, just off the Dresden-Teplitzer Postrasse. Sadly, there are no restaurants or other services available here.

Bus stop only, directly on the town square

On the town square

Wilsdruff

Wilsdruff is a town located 14km from Dresden on the way to Tharandt. The postal monument from 1731 is located in the town's market square.

Bahnhof Wilsdruff, Freibergerstrasse, 01723 Wilsdruff

Free parking, Landbergweg 10, 01723 Wilsdruff

Dippoldiswalde

Dippoldiswalde is a larger town centrally located between Dresden and the Czech border, heading into the Ore Mountains. The postal column is a replica of the 1724 original and is located at the Obertorplatz, one of the old gates entering the city in the Middle Ages, a few blocks from the town square.

Bahnhof Dippoldiswalde, Reichstädterstrasse

Parksäle, Weißeritzstraße, 01744 Dippoldiswalde

Stolpen

Stolpen is an impressive hilltop town with castle overlooking the historic town square. The Saxon King, August the Strong, famously had his mistress Gräfen Kosel banished to the Stolpen castle tower, where she stayed for 40 years. The postal monument, located on the market square, dates from 1728.

Stolpen, Bahnhofstrasse, 01833 Stolpen, outside of the old town

P&R Stolpen, across from the train station

Glaßhütte

Glaßhütte is a town famous for its watch making industry, home to some of the finest luxury watch making brands like A. Lange & Söhne. It is located in the Müglitz river valley between Pirna and Dippoldiswalde.

Glashütte (Sachs), Altenbergerstrasse

Hauptstrasse, across the street from the Postsäule

Dresden

Dresden is Saxony's capital, home to the Saxon kings and layers of history. The city is located on the Elbe river and lies between Berlin to the north and Prague to the south. The postal monument is sadly placed in an empty corner of a modern building and not in the center of the Postplatz.

Dresden Haupbahnhof, Wiener Platz 4, 01069 Dresden

https://www.dresden.de/de/rathaus/dienstleistungen/parken.php

Sonnenstein Castle

Sonnenstein castle, located at Pirna near Dresden, above the river Elbe, was built after 1460 on the site of a former medieval castle. Sonnenstein castle was used as a mental home since 1811.

Zehista Castle

Castle Zehista was built in the 1500's and converted to a palace around 1651. The tower was added in 1736. Today it has been converted into residential homes.

Friedrichsthal Castle

Two-story Baroque building with rectangular ground plan and mansard roof, residential and farm building with gateway attached at an angle to the manor house.