The ultimate rugged, rocky landscape awaits keen hikers, mountain climbers and nature lovers just a short train ride south from Dresden, on the border with the Czech Republic.

The Saxon Switzerland National Park is the birthplace of free climbing and it's easy to see why! More than 1,000 free-standing sandstone peaks and over 20,000 rock climbing routes make this the most diverse outdoor climbing location in the whole of Germany. Traditional regulations ensure that recreational climbing and nature conservation can go on side by side, without this stunning natural paradise being harmed in any way. Germany's only rocky national park also happens to be one of the most spectacular walking regions in Europe, with the 112-kilometre Painter's Way offering visitors spectacular views, for example. Cyclists can also explore the bizarre rock formations along the Elbe Cycle Route.

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