Saxony Hosts Germany's 2025 Most Scenic Hiking Path
The Caspar-David-Friedrich Trail in Saxony, Germany, has been awarded the title of "Germany's Most Beautiful Hiking Trail" for the year 2025. This prestigious accolade was bestowed upon the trail in a public vote organized by the specialist magazine "Wandermagazin".
The trail, which is located between Krippen and Schôna, is a tribute to the 19th-century artist Caspar David Friedrich. It is known for its unique connection of nature and art in the wild romantic rock world. The trail invites hikers to walk in the footsteps of the master, stopping where he stopped and perhaps even drawing where he drew.
The Caspar-David-Friedrich Trail is approximately 15 kilometers long and leads from Krippen along the Elbe up to Schôna with the Kaiserkrone, then back via the Wolfsberg and through Reinhardtsdorf to the starting point. The cities and municipalities that jointly realized the project for the comprehensive redesign and modernization of the trail are the city of Bad Schandau, the municipality of Reinhardtsdorf-Schöna, the State Forestry Administration of Sachsenforst, and the Tourism Association Sächsische Schweiz, among other supporters.
The redesign and modernization of the Caspar-David-Friedrich-Weg was one of the most expensive projects celebrating the 250th birthday of the painter in the Saxon Switzerland region. The trail has been redesigned for the Caspar-David-Friedrich anniversary last year.
The Caspar-David-Friedrich Trail is closely linked to the life and work of the artist. Some of his most famous works, such as "Zwei Männer in Betrachtung des Mondes" and "Felsige Kuppe", can be found in the Albertinum of the State Art Collections Dresden.
Saxony's Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Barbara Klepsch, expressed pride over the achievement, while the head of the Saxon Switzerland National Park and Forest Administration, Uwe Borrmeister, believes the award is a gain for the region.
In a memorable event this year, the COMOEDIE Dresden presented the first musical about Caspar David Friedrich at its summer open-air event at the Elbschloss Übigau. The musical, titled "The Wanderer over the Sea of Fog", composed by COMOEDIE's artistic director and director Christian Kühn, with music from the album "Light Luggage" by the successful Saxon band Silbermond, will return for a second season in August 2026.
This is the second time a trail in Saxony has received the title "Germany's most beautiful hiking trail." The last time was in 2007, when the Malerweg Elbsandsteingebirge won in a different category (multi-day tours). The Caspar-David-Friedrich Trail won in the category of day tours in the public vote.
The Caspar-David-Friedrich Trail is a testament to the enduring appeal of nature and art, and a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the works of Caspar David Friedrich or simply seeking a beautiful hiking experience. Based on the drawings made at that time, his standpoints and motifs can still be found today on the trail, with information boards showing the respective nature studies created at the corresponding locations.
