Pegontheroad

I want to see the Saxon Switzerland, Age is catching up (has caught up!) with me, so that I can't walk more than a couple of miles without stopping for a rest.

Is there a combination of strategies that I'll be able to use so that I can get and up close look at the rock formations? That is, can I take a taxi part of the way and walk part of the way. As I look at the photos, it seems possible, but I'm not sure.

PalenQ

Bad Schandau itself is not in Saxon Switzerland - at least does not have any cliffs in it when I visited- but it does have an antique tram that takes you effortlessly into the forests surrounding it - B Schandau, on the Czech border is fairly flat and easy to get around - now your question is about getting to the the Basteii fortress or other cliff-top castles - the main ones have buses or lifts to them - if you take the train north from B Schandau you will see the cliffs from close up but to get on top of the cliffs and as always in Germany there is some non-walking way to get to the most famous of them - I did them years ago but do not remember the exact conveyances but have no fear...

others will current info will give the current status - take boats along the area is a neat way to go.

Cowboy1968

The most famous viewpoint should be the Bastei.

You find info on how to access this and other destination by public transport on the website of the National Park service
http://www.nationalpark-saechsische-...sicht/?lang=en

If you want to avoid lots of walking (or save that for the destination) it looks best to take the S-Bahn to Pirna and change to bus #237 there.
http://www.ovps.de/downloads/237.pdf

The bus connection from Bad Schandau does not depart from the train station but requires a longer walk compared with the option via Pirna.

Keep in mind that bus lines are targeted at weekend tourists, so you can find more connections SAT/SUN/holidays than during the week.

Ingo

Bad Schandau is in Saxon Switzerland, but outside the National Park. If you stay in town, you will use the central bus station "Elbkai" or take the ferry (or bus) to the railway station "Nationalparkbahnhof". Other options are the mentioned tram "Kirnitzschtalbahn" (but it runs through the Kirnitzsch valley, not up to a plateau closer to the mountains) or the elevator (takes you only half way up to the Ostrau plateau).

For schedules see www.vvo-online.de (English version available.)

To get to Bastei either do as Cowboy wrote or go via Sebnitz (first bus #260, then #237) Not all the buses #237 run right to the viewpoint Bastei, some serve only the bus stop at the P+R Bastei (park and ride), from there take the shuttle, which runs twice an hour.

Other options to get to the sandstone rock formations:
- Schrammsteine: Take bus #252 to Ostrau, Ortsanfang - from there walk (quite flat) along Malerweg trail to the foot of Schrammstein massif. The village Ostrau itself is picturesque, the plateau offers panoramic views also.

- Kaiserkrone and Zirkelstein: Two small flat-top mountains on the opposite side of the river. Take bus #252 to Schöna (final stop), from there it's just a few minutes walk to either.

- Papststein: Also on the opposite (left) side of the river, a larger flat-top mountain with restaurant on top. Well maintained steps up there (not too many, hardly a 10 minutes walk) from the bus stop "Papststein", bus line #244a and #244b. Connections usually via Königstein, where you change from bus #241 (coming from Bad Schandau) to #244.

- Fortress Königstein: Take bus #241 to "Am Königstein (zur Festung)" From there it's a 15 minutes walk to the fortress. Or take the red double decker buses from Königstein plus the little tourist train to the fortress.

- Bus lines #242 and #245 run from Königstein to the sandstone rock formations in Bielatal. Either get off at Bielatal, Schweizermühle and walk along the valley ground, or walk from higher up on the plateau ("Am Berg" or somewhere in Rosenthal) to the rock formations, this trail runs between them. On weekends bus #217 does a sort of loop, continues through the Czech Republic via the rock formations "Tisa walls" to Pirna. Very scenic route!

Should keep you busy for a while

Pegontheroad

Thanks for all the information. I'll print it and take it with me. Maybe I should have asked whether Bad Schandau is the most convenient town/village from which to see the rock formations.

What do you think? Is it the best destination from which to explore them--keeping in mind that my walking will have to be limited to a couple of miles?

Ingo

Yes, it is. Bad Schandau is *the* hub for seeing the rock formations and everything else in Saxon Switzerland. If you want to stay for one night only, however, you could stay at Hotel Bastei e.g.