Coswig's KARRAS-Rundweg – hiking favourites in Dresden Elbland

A route you'll probably only do once. Hardly any people, beautiful greenery all around, and easy to manage even with a stroller. But it lacks any worthwhile points. The water lily pond and the high rock are beautiful, but there's not much more to it.

Official Karras circular trail 17 km ... Can be walked in both directions. 👣

Today we stayed in the nearby region and hiked a loop through the Moritzburg forests on the Karras Trail. We started in Moritzburg (free parking at the train station) and from there we headed towards Dippelsdorf across horse paddocks to Friedewald. The forest around Moritzburg is currently undergoing reconstruction, away from diseased conifers and towards deciduous trees (which are already predominant in some areas). The path led past the water lily pond with a view of the water lilies that are not yet in bloom, up to the Hohen Stein. From there you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Elbe valley and the Albrechtsburg in Meissen. We continued into the Spitzgrund and then the Lockwitzbach along its meander, past the historic Kreyern forester's house over the Auer back to Moritzburg. All the paths were in top condition. Because the loop is almost flat, it does not require much effort to complete the tour 😉.

I'd come across the Karras hiking trail a few times on Komoot, so it was quite fitting that today's tour parameters were "Nearby and lots of local greenery." To prepare, you can find out more on the beautifully designed website at https://www.karras-rundweg.de/, which will give you plenty of exciting information before you even begin your hike. We decided to start at the small, but free, parking lot on the S81, right next to the "Red Deer" sculpture, which is also part of the loop. Right from the start, you're immersed in the gloriously green forest and hike past fun spots like the Brummochsenwiese meadow. The Diebsteig trail leads directly to the water lily pond, which we walked around immediately, even though that wasn't part of the actual tour. But the path above the pond is quite rustic and offers a completely different view of the water. We then continued along the Gabelweg, from which we turned onto a narrow path that led us slightly uphill to the Hoher Stein. This rocky cliff above the Pfarrgrund offers a good view, and in the distance you can even see Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen. The following forest nature trail, "Spitzgrund," passes various interesting spots, each one very informative and lovingly described with hand-painted signage. Once you reach Spitzgrund, the trail continues along wonderful paths alongside the Lockwitzbach stream, which meanders through the valley. This trail is truly enjoyable, and despite the adjacent road, it is wonderfully quiet and, above all, wonderfully green. Past the Kreyern forester's lodge, you reach the Kapellenteich pond and shortly after the much larger Ilschenteich pond with its striking "Two in a Boat" sculpture. Here we treated ourselves to a short rest, but were besieged by a greedy swan and two greylag geese. From there, we crossed the Auer river, crossed two traffic lights, and then continued along wide forest paths, which are also part of the Saxon Way of St. James, always heading towards Moritzburg. Here we briefly deviated from the route to walk through the always exciting Hohburg Tunnel and then continued on the main path. This took us to the castle pond and even though we've probably photographed Moritzburg Castle a thousand times, we had to take some photos again today. Past Adam's Inn, the route continues on a side road through the Moritzburg district of "Eisenberg", before climbing up a field path to the horse-drawn vantage point. If you turn around up there, you can get a completely different view of Moritzburg Castle. The Dippelsdorf Ponds are then reached via a beautiful field path, although you won't get to see the ponds on the actual tour; you would have to deviate from the loop a bit. We skipped that today and continued the last bit through the forest and then passed under the S81 in the St. Ullrich Tunnel. Okay, the name of the tunnel sounds better than it looks, because it's actually nothing more than a simple road underpass. This brought to a close a truly beautiful hike that took us to familiar places along partially unfamiliar paths. The trail is excellently signposted, and the trail builders put a lot of effort into providing information panels at each waypoint. So, if you're looking for a relaxing hike, this loop, which is also available in a 9km shorter version, is highly recommended. There simply isn't a more beautiful way to hike around my immediate hometown. Home 💚

...so, without shoes, at least as far as possible. I had completely forgotten that the hiking trails around Moritzburg are too well-developed. It's safe to say that Moritzburg isn't barefoot-friendly. The sharp gravel made me quickly put my toe shoes back on. I'm a big fan of uneven ground, but this was just too much for me. In principle, the Karras circular trail is a nice loop, but sunscreen is recommended in strong sunshine, and a hat isn't a bad idea either, as you're often exposed to the sun. I walked directly from Coswig train station, but you can also come by car. Along the trail, you'll find parking spaces where you can start your hike. The trail itself is well signposted, so it's virtually impossible to get lost. There are various highlights such as the Spitzgrundteich, Moritzburg Castle, the Water Lily Pond, and the Hohe Stein. The Karras circular trail is definitely worth recommending.

The rain stopped just in time, and a fantastic skate awaited. At Spitzgrund Pond, the fog hung over the ice as we began our walk. The bright green moss against the sea of brown and gray leaves was a beautiful contrast, even on the roofs of the rest huts. And I hadn't seen the sculpture "Two in a Boat" before, even though I've seen several sections of it in the Moritzburg area. It was wonderful.

Today I heard it for the first time this year...the cuckoo...and it accompanied me almost the entire way along the "Karras Circular Trail." Luckily, I had a few coins in my wallet. I took the S-Bahn to Coswig and joined the circular trail at Spitzgrundteich in Neucoswig, as recommended on the website. It had a bit of everything: forests, fields, ponds, distant views, Moritzburg Castle, very interesting information boards, and the trail is very well signposted. And once you register and scan the 10 GPS points, you can print out a certificate. https://www.karras-rundweg.de/

The half-tour is highly recommended. The short version is about 9 km. The long version includes Moritzburg Castle. While it's worth seeing, from Auer you walk 4 km on a bike path, and from Moritzburg onwards, the same thing happens on a bridle path. Without any highlights, it's pretty boring. I wouldn't choose this tour as the most beautiful hiking route in 2025. 😊🍀