The Bilzweg follows in the footsteps of the naturopath Eduard Bilz and is designed as an educational trail with many information boards and audio tracks.
The Bilzweg stretches over ten kilometers and takes around three hours to walk. It overcomes a difference in altitude of 287 meters and is marked throughout with the green "Bilzweg" sign. What sets this trail apart is its great variety of landscapes: it leads through forests, past tranquil ponds, through the deeply incised Lößnitzgrund and up to the vineyards of the Lößnitz with their sweeping views of the Elbe Valley.
The starting and finishing point of the circular route is Eduard-Bilz-Platz in Oberlößnitz. Inaugurated by the Bilzbund in 2002 and redesigned in 2017, the decorative square with its water feature and drinking fountain marks the intersection of Eduard-Bilz-Straße and Augustusweg . From here, the route first leads towards Hoflößnitz - the former electoral vineyard and now the Museum of Saxon Wine History.
From here, the route continues along Eduard-Bilz-Straße and past the former Bilz-Naturheilanstalt (house numbers 53-57), which Bilz developed into one of the largest naturopathic clinics of its kind from 1890. Via Weinbergstraße, you reach the Bennoschlößchen, the oldest preserved manor house in Lößnitz dating back to 1570. The path continues through the vineyards - past historic winegrowers' houses from the 17th century - via Weberstraße and Eggersweg up to the Spitzhaus.
The Spitzhaus is one of the scenic highlights of the tour. The view of the Elbe valley from here is breathtaking - the valley lies at your feet, the vineyards stagger down in terraces. Right next to it is the Bismarck Tower, from whose plateau the view is also worthwhile. The legendary Spitzhaustreppe staircase with its many steps takes you back down into the valley to the Hoflößnitz, the mountain and pleasure house built by Elector Johann Georg I from 1649. Here, the winery invites you to take a break with a glass of Saxon wine. The trail leads into the Lößnitzgrund via Weinbergstraße and Lößnitzgrundstraße.
Here, the trail is accompanied by the Lößnitzgrundbahn, the famous narrow-gauge railroad that has been steaming through the valley since 1884 and is affectionately called the "Lößnitz Dachshund" by the locals. At the height of the "Hoher Stein" quarry, the trail turns west, up to the Jagdweg and onwards "Am Spittelholz" to the Buchholzweg. The wooded section offers close-to-nature experiences. At Buchholzweg, the trail turns north to Meiereiweg. The Bilzbad is located here. The Bilzbund has put together a small collection about Eduard Bilz in the former gatekeeper's cottage. This can be viewed on request. Via Meiereiweg, the path leads back into the Lößnitzgrund, past small ponds and always along the Lößnitzbach stream. From Lößnitzgrundstraße, the path turns further east. The Unterer Langenwiesenweg takes you to the historic Altwahnsdorf village green. Children will love the idyllic playground here. Thirsty hikers can enjoy a glass of Radebeul wine at the ZiegenWein wine tavern, which also offers delicious cheese products. The Graue Presse Weg and the Straken take you back to the starting point at Eduard Bilz-Platz.
Information on site
QR codes on the signposts at various stations provide information about the eventful life and work of the naturopath and life reformer
They tell of his beginnings in a grocery store, of his friendship with Karl May, with whom Bilz shares his final resting place in the Radebeul-Ost cemetery, and of the bold utopia of his science fiction novel "In a Hundred Years", in which he outlined his vision of a natural state. The picture trail makes this complex history tangible on site - as an invitation to discover the principles of a natural way of life for yourself.
Friedrich Eduard Bilz
Friedrich Eduard Bilz, born on June 12, 1842 in Arnsdorf, came to the central realization that a consistently healthy lifestyle not only alleviates illness, but actively prevents it. As a young journeyman weaver, he suffered from the miserable working conditions of industrialization - 14 hours a day in closed rooms, plus artificial light and a lack of exercise - which led to stomach cramps and a serious lung condition. These experiences shaped his life and led him to become an autodidact in naturopathy.
His main work "Das neue Naturheilverfahren" (The new natural healing method), affectionately known as the Bilz book, became a bestseller. The encyclopaedia with simple, vivid explanations of medical facts sold millions of copies - by 1938, around 3.5 million copies had been distributed in twelve languages. From 1905, Bilz used the considerable proceeds to create a light and air bath in Radebeul, a public health center that was also intended to be accessible to the general public. The facility initially comprised 50 air bathing cells, several water basins and later one of the first wave machines in Germany - an Undosa wave machine presented at the International Hygiene Exhibition in Dresden in 1911, which Bilz purchased immediately and had installed in 1912. This oldest still-operating wave machine of its type is now a technical monument and can still be used today. He also developed and produced "reform foods" such as Bilz nutritional salt, nutritional cocoa and malt coffee, as well as the non-alcoholic Bilz fizzy drink, which was created in collaboration with drinks expert Franz Hartmann and is now known worldwide under the name Sinalco.
