Where to stay in Saxon Switzerland: the 5 areas to know in 2026
In Saxon Switzerland almost everything happens along the Elbe, where the train serves every village every half hour. Bad Schandau and Königstein put the great trails, the boats and the fortress on your doorstep. Rathen lets you sleep at the foot of the Bastei, Pirna in an old town. Up on the plateaus, Hohnstein offers the silence of the gorges.
A village guesthouse can be found from $79*. A good hotel on the Elbe is around $124*, and the spa hotel in Bad Schandau, with its pools, often goes over $230*. Come on weekdays: at weekends, places near the big sights fill up fast.
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One base or several?
The valley takes half an hour by train: one base is enough, two if you also want the quiet of the plateaus.
- A weekend: A single base, in Rathen: the Bastei at sunrise, then Königstein fortress by train.
- Four or five days: A single base, in Bad Schandau: the Schrammsteine, the Kirnitzsch, the fortress and a day by boat.
- One week: Two bases: four nights in Bad Schandau, then three in Hohnstein for the gorges and the Brand.
How much driving between two bases?
Times by train along the Elbe, by tram, or by car up to the plateaus.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Dresden → Pirna | 20 min | by train |
| Pirna → Rathen | 15 min | by train, then ferry |
| Rathen → Königstein | 10 min | by train |
| Königstein → Bad Schandau | 10 min | by train |
| Bad Schandau → Schmilka | 10 min | by train |
| Bad Schandau → Lichtenhainer Wasserfall | 25 min | by tram |
| Bad Schandau → Hohnstein | 20 min | by car |
| Hohnstein → Stolpen | 20 min | by car |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in Saxon Switzerland
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Pirna Pirna's old town, Sonnenstein castle and the banks of the Elbe
for a real town, the train and gentle prices
The gateway to the region. Pirna's old town lines its Renaissance houses around the market square, painted by Canaletto, below Sonnenstein castle. Dresden is twenty minutes away, and the train runs up the valley to every sight. The downside: the rocks only start fifteen minutes further upstream.
Where to stay in this area
Pirnscher Hof - Hotel Garni Mid-range
A hotel in Pirna's old town, a few steps from the market square.
Pros
- A real town and its restaurants
- Dresden twenty minutes away
Cons
- The rocks fifteen minutes away
- Less nature on the doorstep
Rathen and the Bastei Kurort Rathen, Stadt Wehlen, Lohmen and the Bastei plateau
for the Bastei and the open-air theatre
The foot of the Bastei. The little village of Rathen has no cars in its lanes: you arrive by train, then by ferry. From there a stepped path climbs to the stone bridge, and the Felsenbühne stages its shows between the rock walls. The downside: crowds of day-trippers, and very few restaurants in the evening.
The path to get there is pretty easy, and once you are there, the views of the landscape are magnificent. You can even spot climbers scaling the rocks if you squint hard enough.
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel STEIGER Kurort Rathen Mid-range
A hotel on the Elbe in Rathen, at the start of the Bastei trail.
Pros
- The Bastei before the crowds
- A car-free village
Cons
- Crowds of day-trippers
- Few restaurants in the evening
Königstein Königstein, its fortress, the Lilienstein, Gohrisch, Struppen and Rathmannsdorf
for the fortress and the sandstone table mountains
In the middle of the massif. Königstein nestles on the Elbe below its fortress, perched on a stone table, with the Lilienstein facing it across the river. Gohrisch and the plateau offer quiet paths between the rocks. The downside: a small town that goes quiet early in the evening.
Where to stay in this area
Alte Bäckerei Königstein Aparthotel und Café Mid-range
Apartments in a former bakery in Königstein, with a café on the ground floor.
Pros
- The fortress above you
- The middle of the valley
Cons
- A small town
- Quiet in the evening
Bad Schandau and the Kirnitzsch Bad Schandau, Postelwitz, Schmilka, Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna and the Kirnitzsch valley
for having everything to hand, from the spa to the ridges
The hikers' little capital. Bad Schandau has its spa, its boats and the station for trains to Dresden and Prague. Above it, the Schrammsteine raise their ridges, and the old tram climbs the Kirnitzsch valley towards the Kuhstall. The downside: the busiest resort, and higher prices.
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme Luxury
A large hotel on the Elbe in Bad Schandau, linked to the spa and its pools.
Hotel Lindenhof Bad Schandau Mid-range
A family-run hotel in the centre of Bad Schandau, a few minutes from the Kirnitzsch tram.
Pros
- The great trails on your doorstep
- Station, boats and spa
Cons
- The busiest resort
- Higher prices
Hohnstein and the plateaus Hohnstein, the Polenz valley, Sebnitz, Neustadt in Sachsen and Stolpen
for peace, gorges and hilltop villages
The quieter north. Hohnstein clings to its rock above the Polenz valley, where trails set off for the viewpoints of the Brand. Further on, Stolpen keeps its basalt castle and Sebnitz its silk flowers. The downside: far from the Elbe train, and a car almost essential.
Where to stay in this area
Rittergut Zeschnig Budget
Apartments in a former manor estate at Zeschnig, near Hohnstein, surrounded by fields.
Pros
- The calm of the plateaus
- Gentler prices
Cons
- Far from the Elbe train
- A car almost essential
Our tips for booking the right place
- Sleep near a station: The Elbe train serves all the major sights. Staying near a station, you set off on foot for a hike and come back by train from another village.
- Book for weekdays: At weekends, Dresden locals come walking in large numbers, and hotels near the big sights are full. On weekdays you'll have more choice.
- Ask for the guest card: In several towns, the tourist tax gives you a guest card with discounts on transport or sights. Ask for it on arrival.
- Staying in Dresden and coming for just one day: you'll see the Bastei in the middle of the crowds, and nothing of the ridges.
- Arriving on a summer weekend without a booking: hotels in Rathen and Bad Schandau are full.
- Staying on the plateaus without a car: buses are rare there in the evening.
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