This stage runs mostly on asphalted, more or less trafficked roads and is more like a stroll than a hike, but it takes us past all the vineyards in the Dresden city area. We discover stately, lovingly restored villas, dreamlike views of the Elbe Valley, and some viticulture-related gems along the way. Therefore, this stage is a special recommendation for history and culture enthusiasts.
The starting point is the former village square at the town hall in Dresden-Pillnitz, which gained world fame through its palace with large Baroque and English gardens.
We head westwards into Dresdner Straße and follow it for a while.
Anyone not wanting to miss a beautiful view makes a detour and turns from Dresdner Straße into Hausbergstraße/Hoher Steig. The Hoher Steig leads us up stairs to the Hausberg, once probably the site of a medieval castle, later a vineyard and after the phylloxera disaster a high-value fruit plantation, now a residential area with a beautiful view. After climbing the stairs, we keep left on Copitzer Straße, past old vineyard walls, then descend back to Dresdner Straße (turn right at a trail column) to continue along the route.
We pass the Catholic chapel "Maria am Wege" and the Royal Villa, both built for Prince Georg of Saxony in 1877 and 1864 respectively.
A few meters further we stand before the Carl-Maria-von-Weber memorial, a vintner’s house where the composer stayed as Kapellmeister of the Dresden Court Chapel in 1818/19 and 1822 to 1824. Today, the charming museum also invites you to concerts in the small hall and garden.
Shortly after the Carl-Maria-von-Weber Museum, we turn right into Keppgrundweg. Soon we pass the Keppschloss (residential house, not accessible), which has quite a different character than the museum, before continuing along the wooded Hosterwitzer Königsweg and then entering Pressgrund.
Following the trail markings (An der Kucksche, Rockauer Straße), we now reach Niederpoyritz, where there was wine growing from the mid-17th century to the late 19th century.
A detour into the ascending Helfenberger Grund with numerous walls of former vineyards up to the former manor with park and back via Pressallee (red dot trail marking) would take about 1 hour.
Otherwise, we continue hiking (Eugen-Dietrich-Straße, Staffelsteinstraße) until turning into Siedlungsstraße and enjoying views of the steep slopes down to the Elbe at a turning loop.
We descend an old vineyard stairway to Pillnitzer Landstraße and follow it to the junction with Wachwitzer Bergstraße, which we follow uphill and then turn into Königsweg.
On Oberwachwitzer Weg, the path steeply descends to Pillnitzer Landstraße and after a short section, we turn right into Am Steinberg and head to Altwachwitz, a former viticulture village recognizable by numerous vintner houses.
After the decline of viticulture due to the phylloxera disaster, magnificent villas were built here—testimony to a former residential area of scientific and artistic prominence—that we discover on Am Steinberg.
At its end, we climb a few steps and turn onto a path that leads through the Royal Wachwitzer Vineyard. This steep, heavily parceled vineyard slope has been cultivated since its revival in 1987 mainly by hobby winemakers, whom you may sometimes see working or engage in conversation. Meanwhile, parts of the royal vineyard at Wachwitz have been taken over by the vineyard of Alexandre Dupont de Ligonnès.
The small vineyard chapel is as inaccessible as the Royal Villa, which after extensive renovation now serves residential purposes—like all other historic and newly built houses at the Wachwitz Rhododendron Garden.
Above the Rhododendron Garden, we continue on Wachwitzer Weinberg street and Josef-Hegenbarth-Weg to Calberlastraße up to Robert-Diez-Straße.
On Veilchenweg, we arrive at Körnerplatz, where we pass under the Loschwitz Suspension Railway (built in 1901). Here a short walk through Altloschwitz (about 20 minutes) or round walks through Loschwitz (60 minutes) or the Körner circular route (45 minutes) are worthwhile.
From Körnerplatz we turn towards the Elbe into Körnerweg and now walk along the Elbe. The vineyards on the right belong to Dinglinger's Vineyard, which once belonged to the court jeweler of Augustus the Strong, Johann Melchior Dinglinger, and since 1999 has been revitalized by the new private owner (Gesellschaft Dinglingers Weinberg, Dr. Hollenders).
Now greet the three “Elbe Castles”: Schloss Eckberg (today hotel and restaurant), Lingnerschloss (also called Villa Stockhausen, gradually restored by the Förderverein Lingnerschloss e.V., used for events and weddings, restaurant and beer garden Lingnerterrassen), and Schloss Albrechtsberg with an impressive park and nearby Cavaliers’ house (wines with a view, vintner Lutz Müller). Some of the former vineyards have been revived.
A climb from Körnerweg and a subsequent walk through the park connecting all three castles is worthwhile—also because of the magnificent views of the Elbe and Dresden.
The actual hiking trail continues along the Elbe to below the Brauhaus am Waldschlösschen (gastronomy) and offers a view of the namesake bridge, which caused ignominious headlines for Dresden but now noticeably relieves traffic. Everyone may decide for themselves whether this bridge justifies the delisting of the Dresden Elbe Valley as a World Heritage Site.
We continue along Körnerweg by the Elbe and after leaving it via Diakonissenweg, the Saxon Wine Hiking Trail passes through a rather unattractive section through residential areas but also through the scene and pub district of Outer Neustadt (Bautzner Straße (Pfundsmolkerei), Pulsnitzer Straße (Old Jewish Cemetery), Louisenstraße, Kamenzer Straße, Alaunpark (playground, public WC), Alaunplatz, Tannenstraße, Königsbrücker Platz (Theater ruin St. Pauli), Schanzenstraße (playground), Buchen-, Hechtstraße, Maxim-Gorki-Straße, Döbelner Straße, corner Trachenberger Straße (playground, café) turn right, Weinberg-, A.-Hensel-, Kändlerstraße, Döbelner Straße). However, until the phylloxera disaster, there was wine growing everywhere here, which can today only be guessed from mighty rubble walls, old vintner houses, and viticulture-related names and architectural details.
Finally, we end the 2nd stage of the Wine Hiking Trail at the "Wilder Mann" stop on Großenhainer Straße with a connection to public transport. For refreshment after the hike, there is a bakery with a café directly opposite. About 500 meters up Großenhainer Straße, we reach the Hotel Bergwirtschaft Wilder Mann.
