Dresden river tour: Elbe, Spree and Neiße

The Florence of the North

Rivers around Dresden.

This bike tour offers a worthwhile combination of nature and culture. Starting in Dresden, the so-called Florence on the Elbe, the route leads via Kamenz, town of Lessing, to the lakes of the Lausitz which once evolved through the influence of former mining activites. You will spend your nights in Bad Muskau, in Fürst Pückler Park (part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage), and in Görlitz, uniting different styles between Gothic and Jugendstil. Discover the thousand-year-old town of Bautzen and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains with its bizarre rock formations before finally returning to Dresden. The route leads through a flat landscape and over the Elbe and Oder-Neiße bike trail. Calm side streets can be accomplished in a relaxed pace, the only longer ascent of 1 kilometre challenges you already on the first day.

1. day Arrival in Dresden

Make sure to arrive early in Dresden where famous and imposing structures such as the Zwinger or the Semper Opera will be waiting to be visited. Thousands of visitors come to the Saxon kings’ former seat of royal power every year. In the late afternoon bike handover and briefing.

2. day Dresden - Kamenz 55 km

You will leave Dresden on the beautiful Elbe bike trail to cycle through the "Dresden Heath" to Radeberg, town of beer. For those who seek to learn more about the Pilsener from Radeberg, the brewery of the export beer. After this short break, Kamenz lies ahead of you. The historical town centre expresses a special charm. The market place, the Renaissance style town hall, the central St, Mary’s church and the Malzhaus are absolute must-sees. A final highlight is the fantastical view over Kamenz offered from the top of the Red Tower.

3. day Kamenz - Spremberg/Surroundings 50 km

Today’s route leads through the beautiful lake landscape of the Lausitz. A total of 23 lakes constitute the largest artificial water landscape in all of Europe. Pure nature and small Sorbian villages wait to be discovered here. The bilingual signage reveals that you find yourselves in the German-Sorbian region here. The fact that the Lausitz hosts two cultures with different languages and traditions contributes to the region’s unique flair. In the afternoon, you will reach Spremberg with its historical old town situated on an island in the Spree.

4. day Spremberg/Surroundings - Bad Muskau 40 km

The Neiße will accompany you today. The closer you get to Bad Muskau, the more beautiful it gets. Embedded in one of Europe’s most beautiful landscapes, the town awaits to be discovered. It has come to fame through the brilliant landscape designer Hermann von Püc kler-Muskau, who constructed a park of 830 hectars around the town. In July 2004, the park was nominated UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. This masterpiece of garden engineering with majestic trees, lakes and rivers makes your route a real experience.

5. day Bad Muskau - Görlitz 65 km

The impressive Oder-Neiße bike trail will be your host for today. Enjoy this beautiful landscape and take in the calmness of the river. On your way, you will discover Rothenburg, Germany’s easternmost small town. The day’s highlight will be Görlitz, proudly presenting itself in its richness of architectural styles ranging between Gothic and Jugendstil. A walk around the very well-preserved old town with its numerous Baroque, late Gothic and Renaissance style houses allows every visitor to discover the country’s largest-surface monument.

6. day Görlitz - Bautzen 55 km

The time to leave the Neiße has come today, but only in exchange for the Saxon towns’ bike trail. Impressively, the silhouette of the thousand-year-old town of Bautzen with its historical town centre sticks out of the varied landscape. Be looking forward to the lovely monuments, towers, medieval lanes and atmospheric pubs. Bautzen is the cultural and political centre of the Sorbs in the Oberlausitz. Anyone who does not fear climbing one of the town’s towers is rewarded with a fantastical view over the town and the surrounding landscape.

7. day Bautzen - Pirna/ Elbe 60 km

Forests, grasslands and, most importantly, the Saxon Switzerland National Park will dominate your day. Discover the historical town centre of Neustadt and enjoy the beauty of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. What is so characteristic about these rutted mountains is their exceptional wealth of forms on such little space. A special uniqueness is presented by the continuous alteration of lowlands, canyons, table mountains, rocky peaks and homogenous forest plains. Give your bike a break and walk up to the bastion with its spectacular rocky bridge. The scattered architecture of the rocks will impress you just as the fantastic view over the Elbe that you will come to enjoy here. On the level Elbe bike trail by the waterside, the final 12 kilometres to Pirna will be accomplished in no time.

8. day Pirna / Elbe - Dresden 25 km/ Departure or extension of the trip

A very beautiful route comes to end this tour. Marvel at the magnificent castles by the Elbe, visit the one in Pillnitz with its gorgeous park and discover the Blaue Wunder in front of the town gates of Dresden. This very diversified bike trip will end around noon in Dresden where you will be handed over your luggage (no further night stop). In case you wish to spend the day in Dresden, we will gladly book an additional night for you.

Worth knowing

Below you will find specific information about the bike trip on the Dresdner River Tour. If you have further questions about this trip, you simply call us: Phone 06421-886890.

Electric bikes

The electric bikes do not have a coaster brake!

Parking facilities

• underground parking in Dresden for 16 Euro per day, payable on site (no reservation necessary)
• parking longer than 5 nights 14 Euro per day

Information session

On the arrival day your travel guide will be at the hotel at 16:00 for an infomation session. He will also hand over the bikes. Please ask by arrival at the reception.

Condition of cycle paths

Easy to medium level.

Bikes

7-gear-unisex with pedal brake or 21-gear-unisex with free wheeling.

On every bike you will find a pannier. Also: repair kit, biycle pump, lock, acho (depending on availability).

Extra costs

A tourism tax is not part of the tour price and must therefore be paid on site at the hotel.

7 day hotline service

Just in case the bike chain breaks, flooding makes it impossible to continue your tour or any other nasty surpise: You can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help you as fast as possible.

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

Information on current decisions of the German Federal Government can be found here:
https://www.bundesregierung.de/corona-these-rules-and-restrictions-apply

Current information on entry requirements to Germany can be found here:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/coronavirus

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

Frauenkirche

Since October 30, 2005, the world-famous church has surpassed the city panorama. The reconstruction of the Frauenkirche is an impressive symbol of international reconciliation after the Second World War.

Frauenkirche Dresden

Semperoper

Dresden's opera tradition dates back to the Renaissance. It was initially closely linked to the Electoral Court, which used various venues. In 1838 the architect Gottfried Semper was commissioned to erect a representative opera house on the theater, which burned down in 1869.

Between 1871 and 1878, the second building under the leadership of Semper's son Manfred was built in the style of the Italien Renaissance. After its destruction in the Second World War, the opera was rebuilt in original faithful form between 1977 and 1985 and received its artistic decoration and ornamentation.

Semperoper

New Synagogue

The New Synagogue was built on the eastern edge of Dresden's Old Town, close to the river Elbe, designed by the architets Wandel, Höfer, Lorch and Hirsch. The festive synagogue consecration was on 9 Novemer 2001. The award-winning buildig is located at the site of the famous synagogue burned down in 1938, erected between 1838 and 1940 according to a design by Gottfried Semper.

Neue Synagoge

Kamenz

Still today the classicistic city centre symbolises the middle class pride of the Kamenzer. The city hall in the style of the Italian Neo-Renaissance rises majestically above the red brick roofs on the marketplace and is a centre of the architecture ensembl. Stroll in the arcade way of the butcher's stalls, slip like once the monks by the cloister gate, explore the secret of the old town wall, the Pischschuppen or the history of the red tower.

Kamenz

Spremberg

Mountain Sprem and the surroundings are rich in worth seeing constructions. To find churches in towns and villages, might not be ordinarily difficult. Their towers often tower above the other buildings. In the Middle Ages the building code prescribed that no other building may excel the churchin height.

Spremberg

Bad Muskau

With a unique scenery, an interesting history and a climate with a lot of sunny days in the year Bad Muskau owns the best conditions for varied leisure activities. The active tourist or nature lover can recover with a bicyle tour or a wandering on one of many thematic ways. Of the historically enthusiasts, however, the suitable experience finds with a walk on Pücklers tracks or a park guidance by the Muskauer park.

Bad Muskau

Görlitz

Nowhere is the sun rising sooner than here, in the eastern most city of the country. But this is not the only reason why you should definitely discover the surrounding of Görlitz. For nature related, cultural enthusiasts and families, the surrounding countryside offers many special treats.

Görlitz

Bautzen

Impressively, the silhouette of the 1000-year-old Bautzen with its historic city core stands out ot fhe profile of the multi-facetet landscape over the river Spree. Thousands of visitors annually discover the old town with its monuments, towers and medieval streets.

Bautzen

Pirna

Whether in Marienkirche, Devil's or Engelserker, in Prina there is much to discover. Take a tour of the old town and learn about the city.

Pirna