I’ll be honest. At first sight, Bad Schandau doesn’t have the same pretty, slightly spooky, charm of some other olde worlde towns in Saxon Switzerland- one of Germany’s lesser known mountain-strewn national parks. But what it lacks in medieval charm, it makes up for in its proximity to so much natural beauty. And not only is it a hikers’ paradise, but there are several hidden gems to be found around Bad Schandau if you look hard enough. From surreal Wes Anderson-esque settings to storybook cottages and abandoned crumbling mansions, a true guide to Bad Schandau deserves to contain it all.
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We hadn’t expected to be spending a day in Bad Schandau at all- in fact the original plan was to hop on a ferry from there up the river to Bohemian Switzerland. (Which, believe it or not, is a real place. Who knew?) The problem with catching a ferry in Bad Schandau though, is that the train station is on the opposite side of the river to the ferry stop. So a very short cross-river-distance can end up taking a fairly long time to cover, when you factor in waiting for a ferry to cross the river, and a half-jog from one jetty to another. Just as we made it on to the jetty where the Wanderschiff was waiting to head up river, we smiled and waved at the ticket-man in relief. He waved back at us from the deck of the boat, promptly shut the gate, and away the boat pushed from the river bank.
It was a devastating moment, because the next ferry to Bohemian Switzerland wasn’t for several hours.
We chose to accept our fate: today was not the day for visiting the Czech Republic and its magical national park over the border. Instead, we would explore Bad Schandau and its surroundings. What followed was a twelve mile hike, past quirky houses, through open fields, and up actual mountains- often without realising that was the case until we reached the top. Without further ado, here are the best things to see and do in Bad Schandau.
Just in case you, too, find yourself stranded on the jetty one day. Because, stranger things have happened.
The best things to see in Bad Schandau
The old lift
Although the town started life as a trading post in the 1400s, Bad Schandau really started to develop a reputation when tourism was developing in the 1800s. It became a popular spa resort town, perfect for Germans needing a little bit of R&R by the riverside, and there were grand plans for developing Bad Schandau into a massive entertainment destination.
Alas, the majority of the plans actually fell through. But the one thing that did get the go ahead was the art nouveau elevator jutting out from a cliffside above the town. This rickety looking lift is made of a stainless steel framework- in the style of a very spindly version of the Eiffel Tower- and it connects the lower town of Bad Schandau with the houses above, in Ostrau.
The lift has a very Wes Anderson vibe about it, which makes sense- it appears in The Grand Budapest Hotel. In fact, there are several Grand Budapest Hotel filming locations in Saxony; very nearby is the Bastei Bridge which appears at the end of the film and is just a short train ride away from Bad Schandau.
If you’re interested, have a read of this article about the locations that inspired Wes Anderson for the film.
The abandoned hotel
We arrived at the top of the hill overlooking the River Elbe purely by accident, having followed a sign post pointing up a path away from the main town. There are so many signposts to hiking paths dotted around Bad Schandau, that this really was complete pot luck.
We were at a glossy platform jutting out into the sky, looking mildly futuristic and very out of place compared to the rickety elevator. This was the Skywalk, a viewpoint from where we could see all the way across the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the River Elbe running like a silvery thread through velvet green trees. Humans love to whack a mildly out-of-place viewing platform on high vantage points, don’t they?
I wasn’t particularly fussed about this half-bridge- it seemed like it was a piece of a motorway service station which had got lost in transit- but what I was interested in was the abandoned building directly behind it. The faded timber made it look almost like a massive barn, but the signs outside gave the impression that it had once been a hotel. We could see in some dirty windows to a carpeted lounge with a damp 1970s air to it. From the outside, I was intrigued; I wish I’d been brave enough to step in. Abandoned building hunters of Saxony, make note of this place! (And if anyone finds out what it is, please let me know.)
Talking of abandoned buildings: Exploring An Abandoned Hotel in the Azores
Sieben-Brüder-Häuser
A little way out of town, on a road running parallel with the Elbe, is a row of colourful half-timbered houses which wouldn’t look out of place in the pages of a Hans Christian Anderson book.
Although there are houses and guesthouses running all along this road, it’s the seven most colourful ones which are the also the most interesting. Legend has it that the so-called Sieben-Brüder-Häuser were built by a boatman hundreds of years ago for his seven sons. The houses aren’t just super pretty, but look out for the marks on some of their walls. These are here to show how high up the river has flooded over the years; and I’m telling you now, it is high.
Hiking from Bad Schandau
Our hike: to Hohe Liebe
After we’d left the main town of Bad Schandau- without any real idea of where we were, and definitely not a clue where we were going- we found ourselves walking on a road past orchards on one side, and bright green fields on the other. In the distance was the strange blocky silhouettes of Schrammsteine, part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. This mountain range isn’t like the jagged peaks of Norway or the rolling slopes of Iceland; the silhouettes looked more like black blocks of clay against the solid blue sky.
We naturally decided that those distant mountains would be our goal, and continued across the farmland past brightly coloured pensions and guesthouses, all painted in story book reds and browns, burnt oranges and mustard yellows. Eventually we made it into the forest and continued walking upwards, thinking that we were following a particular set of markings on the trees but realising before long that we definitely weren’t.
But it didn’t really matter. It was peaceful, we had all day, and once we got a bit higher we knew we’d get our bearings. After about an hour or so of walking through thick trees and up sloping forest pathways, we were seeing more and more sandstone rocks in bulbous clusters. Rounding a tight bend which corkscrewed even steeper uphill, we were faced with a series of steps built into the ground. Higher up, fixed into the actual rock face, were the iron rungs of a ladder to pull yourself up.
This was awesome. Kind of like a massive, slightly-more-dangerous-than-your-average assault course.
Having scaled all that, we stood on a gigantic boulder and with one very slow 360º spin in the silence, realised that we’d reached the top. What a view- the vast expanse of trees and mountains was rather on the breathtaking side. There were a few other hikers around, either solo or in pairs, swigging from water bottles. It was early September and despite the cloud that had turned the sky from blue to white, it was muggy. And so silent that we felt like we needed to talk in hushed voices.
Until Rachel’s phone started to ring. Turned out, she’d butt dialled her mum in North Carolina, where it was the middle of the night- leading her naturally to presume that Rachel was in an Emergency Situation. Which was all pretty hilarious as Rachel frantically explained that she was up a mountain but totally fine, whilst attempting to keep her voice and laughter at a respectful volume for our fellow hikers on the mountaintop.
At least we knew that phone signal works up there.
We were at the top of Hohe Liebe- which is one of the smaller peaks in Saxon Switzerland but also a truly pretty one, which my photos could never do justice to. Right at the highest point, is a monument to members of the Saxon Mountaineering Association who died in the First World War, and on the rock face next to the ladder is a metal book containing names of fallen mountaineers. These days Hohe Liebe is a memorial to climbers who have died in mountaineering accidents as well as those 400 WW1 men.
How to get to Bad Schandau
The undoubtedly awesome thing about Saxon Switzerland (and Saxony in general), is that it’s so well-connected by public transport.
To get to Bad Schandau by train from Dresden, catch the S1 train from Dresden Hauptbanhof. The journey takes around 40 minutes in total, along a very scenic river route. Look out for the Bastei Bridge on the way, high up in the mountains. A single ticket from Dresden to Bad Schandau costs €6.80. Check train times and buy tickets here.
Trains between Prague and Berlin also stop in Bad Schandau- so Saxony makes a great stopping point on a trip through Central Europe. Check train times and tickets here.
Where to eat
Most of the restaurants in Bad Schandau are concentrated in the centre of town, just off of the main square. And as you’d expect from a little German spa town, these restaurant options include plenty of German options. In case you’re wondering, this generally doesn’t include any fancy Michelin-star type stuff; in Bad Schandau you’ll find simple, hearty and good traditional food.
Food you should try in Bad Schandau (and Saxony in general) include knoblauchsuppe (garlic soup), Sächsischer sauerbraten (Saxon roast beef), and quarkkeulchen (pancakes made with potatoes and quark). In early Autumn, there are wild mushrooms across the menus of Germany, and this is definitely something you should take advantage of.
I opted out of the tripe soup, but that’s another traditional Saxon dish to try if you’re brave enough.
Generally, German cuisine is very meat-and-salt heavy, and unless you find a vegetarian or vegan restaurant it’s unlikely that you’ll find many plant-based options on the menu- particularly in a small town like Bad Schandau. If you opt for fish from a German menu, it’s highly likely that it’ll to be breaded and fried.
German restaurants in Bad Schandau include the Gaststätte Schlemmer-Ecke, which has plenty of options on the menu and is super-popular; likewise Barthel’s restaurant is in an unassuming building in the centre of town, or Cafe Elbflorenz serves similar food from a great location overlooking the river. We, however, ended up at the Restaurant Zur Schlossbastei, really due to the fact that it was the only open restaurant which had space. The food was good, in a hearty German food kind of a way; but the red and white striped tape blocking chairs as if they were roadworks, didn’t do a lot for the general atmosphere. That’s what you get from 2020 though, I suppose.
Where to stay in Bad Schandau
There are plenty of guesthouses and pensions in Bad Schandau, as well as several hotels.
Popular guesthouses include the Pension Goldstück, and the Albergo-Toscana, both really close to the centre of town.
However, I liked the look of the villas in Ostrau- next to the Skywalk and the abandoned hotel. Haus Hohe Liebe is a historic villa with the air of the gingerbread house about it, with a beautiful garden and an outdoor pool available in summer time. This is my kind of place.
For something more luxurious and in keeping with the town’s ‘spa’ name, stay at the Hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme. This five star hotel on the river has a rooftop spa and is also mere footsteps away from the Toscana Therme thermal baths, which hotel guests can use completely free of charge. Just, be aware: in Germany, it’s de rigueur to be completely stark naked when using a spa. Swimwear is, generally, not an option.
So, Bad Schandau isn’t one of the ‘must-sees’ on Germany’s well-beaten tourist trail, but there is definitely more to see here than meets the eye. For those with an attraction to the quirky and the quaint, the town is a perfect hidden gem; and an amazing base for getting out into Saxon Switzerland’s incredible forests and mountains. Wes Anderson, eat your heart out.
More from Saxony:
Three Days in Dresden, the Jewel-Box of Germany
Off-the-beaten path in Königstein, a Spooky-but-Pretty Saxon Village
A Ski Resort in Summer: Exploring the Ore Mountains
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