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DAY TRIP OPTIONS
Drivers can base themselves in
Dresden to follow the cultural trail
left by Augustus the Strong, or
choose Bad Schandau to explore the
great outdoors of Saxon Switzerland.Grace and grandeur
In Dresden 5 , visit the Zwinger
and treasury, then drive to Schloss
Pillnitz 6 and Augustus’ beautiful
garden, Gross Sedlitz 7 – the idealway to work up an appetite for lunch
in Pirna 8. Walk it off with a tour of
the monarch’s hunting lodge,
Schloss Moritzburg 4 , then go west
to Meissen 3 to end the day with a
taste of local wines in a Weinstube.Follow the driving instructions to Pirna.
Return to the dual-highway and
continue north to Radeburg, across the
A4. Then follow signs to Moritzburg.
Follow instructions in reverse to Meissen.Mountains and valleys
From Bad Schandau 0 , drive to the
Bastei q with a packed picnic to
enjoy breathtaking views of this
landscape. Drive to Burg Stolpen w
then head south to Pirna 8 for lunch
and window-shopping along the
cobbled lanes of its Baroque grid.Follow the driving instructions to
Stolpen, return via the road to Lohmen,
then continue to Pirna.EAT AND DRINKBAD SCHANDAU
Elbterrasse moderate
Housed in the Elbresidenz hotel, this
restaurant has the best summer
terrace in the area, as well as classic
Saxon cooking with dishes such as
Sauerbraten (marinated pot roast).
Markt 1, 01814; 035022 91 90AROUND BASTEI
Landgasthaus zum Schwarzbachtal
moderate
The rustic ambience of this restaurant
belies the quality of the food that chef
Barbara Siebert prepares from the
freshest ingredients. Expect hand-
written menus of modern German and
regional dishes. It also has charmingly
simple, country-style rooms.
Niederdorfstrasse 3, 01848 Lohsdorf-
Hohnstein (6 miles/10 km east of
Bastei); 035975 803 45; closed ThuBAUTZEN
Monchshof inexpensive
Wine in earthenware jugs, waiters in
sackcloth and meaty recipes from
1560 make this popular medieval-
themed inn a fun place to dine.
Burglehn 1, 02625; 03591 49 01 41
Wjelbik moderate
Traditional specialities such as ox
fillet with local horseradish sauce
are served in this Sorbian restaurant
behind the Dom.
Kornstrasse 7, 02625; 03591 420 60;
Jan–Mar: closed Sun dinner & MonCourtiers, fearing her influence over
the besotted ruler, had plotted to have
the 36-year-old black-eyed beauty
incarcerated in what was already a
decaying castle. She died here at the
age of 84. Indeed, some say that the
countess still roams the castle – her
ghost is said to haunt a dark cellar.
ª Follow the one-way road from
Marktplatz to the T-junction, turn
left toward Dresden, then right after
2 miles (4 km) on to the B6 to Bautzen.
Park in the multi-story lot on
Lauengraben, 329 yards (300 m)
across the river.
Left Fortified town of Bautzen Below Burg
Stolpen, rising above the town of Stolpene Bautzen
Saxony; 02625
The view of tightly packed
medieval defense towers and
spires seen on the drive across
the Spree river is the finest
introduc tion pos sible to the
cultural capital of the Slavic
Sorbs, Germany’s only indige-
nous minority. Known mainly
for its top-security jail for poli-
tical prisoners during the
German Democratic Republic
era, today Bautzen enchants
visitors with its beautifully
reconstructed old town. The
winding streets with their
original houses, the city walls, the
curiously crooked Reichenturm
tower, and the Baroque town hall
in the town square, all form a very
attractive complex. Take a riverside
path past fortifi cations to see Slavic
folk crafts and costumes in the
Sorbisches Museum (open daily), loca-
ted beside the late-Gothic Schloss
Ortenburg. The Dom St. Petri’s
interior is curious – its nave bends to
gain extra space on the square, and
is divided and used by both Catholics
and Protestants. A cathedral treasury
(open Mon–Fri) is located behind in
the Baroque Bishopric.Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under €20; moderate, €20–€40; expensive, over €40DRIVE 11: On the Trail of the Sun King