A Hike to Bastei Bridge from Dresden | Schwedenlöcher, Rathen, Saxon Switzerland Germany | 4K

On my trip to Dresden, I had decided to hike to the Bastei Bridge (a.k.a. Basteibrucke). It is about 50 kilometres south of Dresden and is a beautiful collection of needle-like rock formations that were formed due to weathering. Later, a bridge was built connecting some of these rocks and now it exists in stone so that people can walk over it.

It is a popular destination in Saxony, in fact, the region is so beautiful and almost resembles the Swiss landscapes, that it is called Saxon Switzerland. The hike up the bridge is of intermediate difficulty. The best time to visit is early in the morning, or late in the evening. The middle hours are the most crowded ones. I went there super early and it was completely empty, you can do that if you like silence :)

If you continue walking across the bridge, you will get closer to Schwedenlöcher, a must addition to your hike. This is a pathway consisting of beautiful gorges and goes downhill towards the other side. You can then walk back to Rathen, thus completing a loop.

How to reach Bastei?
Take S Bahn from Dresden Neustadt (S1 to Schöna). It runs every hour.
Get down at Kurort Rathen, a small countryside station
Cross the railway and walk a bit and you'll see the ferry
Hop on the ferry and it'll take you to the other side. Ask for a return ticket.
Once off the ferry, follow the board signs to Bastei, or follow other hikers!

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