Trails of Saxony: Cycle & Explore

DAY 1

Travelling by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, then onwards to Erfurt and our base for one night, the InterCity Hotel, where we check in and enjoy our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast this morning, we continue our journey to Dresden, the "Florence on the Elbe", beautifully located in the Elbe Valley. We enjoy a guided walking tour of the city marvelling at the world-famous architecture and exploring the Semper Opera House, Zwinger Palace, Royal Palace, and Frauenkirche Church. We return to our hotel, the InterCity Hotel in Dresden, for our six-night stay where we enjoy our evening meal together.

DAY 3

Today, we enjoy a wonderful extended bicycle tour through the Elbland to Meissen, a town inextricably linked with the theme of porcelain. Here, we enjoy a guided tour of the city which takes us to Albrechtsburg Castle, Germany's oldest castle, plus a visit to the Meissen Cathedral and the famous Burgberg. We return to Dresden by bike travelling along the other side of the Elbe River passing beautiful vineyards.

Cycling Activity: Approx. 50km

DAY 4

After breakfast, we travel by rail to Rathen and begin our day with an ascent to the famous Bastei Bridge, one of Germany's most unique landscapes, offering magnificent views of the Elbe River. We continue along forest trails through Höllengrund and Wehlener Grund to the picturesque town of Wehlen where we cross the Elbe River by ferry and continue to the summit of the remarkable Rauenstein rock where we enjoy panoramic views. Afterwards, we return to Dresden by train in time for our evening meal together.

Hiking Activity: Approx. 17km

DAY 5

Today, we enjoy time at leisure to explore the region as you wish. You could visit Dresden's many fascinating museums, perhaps take a boat trip along the Elbe River, explore the quaint shops and boutiques, or simply relax in a café.

DAY 6

After breakfast this morning, we cycle to Radebeul for a ride behind steam on the traditional narrow-gauge Lössnitzgrundbahn taking us on the scenic route to Moritzburg. Here, we can visit the magnificent Moritzburg Castle with its fantastic collections of hunting trophies and ornate tapestries. After touring through the pond landscape, we retrace our steps to Radebeul and cycle back to the hotel in time for our evening meal.

Cycling Activity: Approx. 50km

DAY 7

Today, we cycle along the banks of the Elbe to Bad Schandau where we ride the bucolic Kirnitzschtalbahn tramway running along country lanes and through the valley of the Kirnitzch River to the beautiful Lichtenhainer Wasserfall and back. Afterwards, we return by train for our last night in Dresden.

Cycling Activity: Approx. 45km

DAY 8

After breakfast, we journey by rail to Cologne and, on arrival, transfer to our hotel for the evening, the Wyndham Hotel. We enjoy free time to explore the city before meeting for our final evening meal together in a local restaurant.

DAY 9

We bid farewell to Cologne and to Germany, returning by rail to Brussels, where we will join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner