Elbe Sandstone forest trail opened: Trekking season in Saxon Switzerland begins

Overnight stays are once again permitted in Saxon Switzerland. The opening of the Elbe Sandstone Forest Trail on Tuesday marked the start of the trekking season in the rugged rocky world of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. According to the national park and forest administration in Bad Schandau, all overnight forest stops - six bivouac sites and five huts - can be used. The route is marked throughout and infrastructure such as composting toilets have been prepared.

The cross-border Elbe Sandstone Forest Trail has been running for 105 kilometers through Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland on the Czech side since 2018. The challenging route starts at Schöna on the Elbe and runs in seven stages via Ostrov back to the spa town of Bad Schandau - over twelve table mountains and 17 viewpoints. It is accessible from April to October. The multi-day hike is said to bring people closer to nature and raise awareness of integrative, nature-friendly forest management.