Spuren am Körnerplatz
Achim Jannasch
A childhood in Dresden-Loschwitz. Achim Jannasch recalls growing up around Körnerplatz.
View on AmazonWalks in Loschwitz
Loschwitz is best understood on foot. Down below lies the old village on the Elbe, up above the crest of the slope with Weißer Hirsch and Oberloschwitz, and in between almost a hundred metres of climb, steps, side valleys and two hill railways. The four walks on this page all start at Körnerplatz and can be combined.
The short loop through the village
Holger Friebel, publisher of the Elbhang-Kurier, described his favourite route to Dresden Magazin. It leads from Körnerplatz along Veilchenweg past the Ludwig Richter house, under the suspension railway and along the old vineyard estate to the Hegenbarth-Weg. At the top the view opens over the village. Going down you pass through the small arched bridge to the Künstlerhaus on Pillnitzer Landstraße and from there walk back towards town along the Elbe.
The loop is short but not flat. On Veilchenweg a vintner's column recalls the wine-growing past, and the Hegenbarth Archive and the Künstlerhaus lie right on the route. Anyone with time left can sit down in the Körnergarten or cross the Blaues Wunder bridge to Blasewitz.
Up and down with the hill railways
The easiest loop uses both railways. The funicular climbs from Körnerplatz through the Burgberg tunnel to the Luisenhof, known as Dresden's balcony. At the top you walk along the crest to Oberloschwitz and the upper station of the suspension railway. Its viewing platform is worth the stop; according to the Dresden transport company the view reaches the table mountains of Saxon Switzerland. You ride down on the suspension railway. With breaks for the view this takes about an hour and a half.
If you only want to pay for one ride, take the railway up and walk down. The transport company describes a descent via the Oberer Ziegengrundweg, which leads over steps and a woodland path into the valley. In the other direction it is 180 steps from Grundstraße up to Bergbahnstraße.
Weißer Hirsch, Mordgrund and the Elbe castles
The long loop comes from the Dresden transport company's "Streifzüge" series and takes about three hours. The main route runs from Körnerplatz by funicular to the Luisenhof, through the old spa quarter of Weißer Hirsch and into the Dresden Heath, down into the Stechgrund and across the Mordgrund brook. Shortly afterwards come the Degele and Schwestern springs, tapped when the spa was founded. Over the Wolfshügel the route continues to the three Elbe castles and finally back to Körnerplatz.
On the way you pass the observatory on Plattleite and the Mordgrund bridge of 1828. Dresden Magazin suggests a variant that starts at the "Senfbüchse", the Joseph Herrmann monument, and after the ride up leads through the Mordgrund towards town to the castles.
Along the Körnerweg by the Elbe
The Ortsverein Loschwitz-Wachwitz has described several waymarked circular walks on the Elbe slope; they form part of the Saxon Wine Route. The Körner loop, marked in red, starts at Körnerplatz on the Körnerweg, the old link between the village of Loschwitz and the city of Dresden. On the left lies the boat harbour that once sheltered the ships of the White Fleet in winter. Past the summer house of the court actress Pauline Ulrich, Körnerweg 12, you reach the riverbank.
From there the path follows the old towpath, where the "Bomätscher" hauled ships upstream when there was no wind. Past the old water works it reaches the mouth of the Stechgrund brook. A memorial stone with a sandstone ball recalls the chief state architect Wolf Caspar von Klengel, who owned a vineyard nearby. The loop climbs via Heilstättenweg, and a detour leads up to Schloss Eckberg.
Dresden city guides also offer guided wine walks on the same Körnerweg, through the parks of the Elbe castles up to the vineyard at Albrechtsberg.
Further upstream to Wachwitz and Pillnitz
East of Loschwitz the waymarked paths continue. The Ortsverein describes the Royal Vineyard route marked in blue and the Wachwitz loop marked in grey, as well as the Ludwig-Richter-Weg. If you want to go further, take the suspension railway up to Schöne Aussicht and follow the Königsweg to Pillnitz Castle. The Dichter-Maler-Musiker-Weg, marked with a yellow stripe, links Schillerplatz in Blasewitz with Pillnitz. You return by ferry across the Elbe and by bus or tram from Laubegast.
Good to know
- Almost every route has steps and steep sections. Sturdy shoes make more sense than a pushchair.
- The Keppgrund valley between Wachwitz and Hosterwitz has been closed since 2010. Four Elbe slope associations are campaigning to reopen it.
- During floods the Körnerweg and towpath are impassable and the ferries stop.
- Timetables for the hill railways and ferries change with the season. Current times are published by the Dresden transport company.
Frequently asked questions about walks in Loschwitz
Where is the best place to start a walk in Loschwitz?
At Körnerplatz at the foot of the Blaues Wunder bridge. The buses stop there, both hill railways start there, and all walks on this page begin there.
How long does the loop with both hill railways take?
About an hour and a half with breaks for the view: funicular up, along the crest of the slope, suspension railway down.
Are there waymarked trails in Loschwitz?
Yes. The Ortsverein Loschwitz-Wachwitz describes several waymarked Elbe slope walks, including the Körner loop marked in red and the Wachwitz loop marked in grey.
Can you walk from Loschwitz to Pillnitz?
Yes, for example by suspension railway to Schöne Aussicht and on along the Königsweg, or on the Dichter-Maler-Musiker-Weg from Schillerplatz. You return by ferry and bus.
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Further reading on Loschwitz
Two books for anyone who wants to read more about Loschwitz and Dresden. Both are in German.
Dresden Reiseführer 2026–2027
Kevin R. Hoff
A full-colour travel guide to the whole city, for everything beyond Loschwitz.
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