Exploring Saxon Switzerland (Bastei Bridge) on a Day Trip from Dresden or Prague

Sandstone Pinnacles on the Elbe River

Saxon Switzerland National Park (Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz) features dramatic sandstone rock spires that inspired 19th-century Romantic painters like Caspar David Friedrich. Its centerpiece is the Bastei Bridge, a sandstone bridge built across deep rock ravines 194 meters above the Elbe river.

How to Get There Cheaply from Dresden

1. Board S-Bahn Line S1 from Dresden Hauptbahnhof toward Schöna (€7.30 regional transit ticket).
2. Disembark at Kurort Rathen station (35 minutes).
3. Walk 2 minutes down to the riverbank and ride the historic passenger ferry across the Elbe (€2.50 return).
4. Follow the well-marked hiking trail uphill through the gorge to the Bastei Bridge (roughly 35 to 45 minutes).

• Cost: Admission to the Bastei Bridge and surrounding viewpoints is completely free.