Malerweg, stage 5: From Neumannmühle to Schmilka (official version TV Sächsische Schweiz)

The fifth stage takes you upstream along the Kirnitzschtal valley to the Buschmühle mill. Turn left towards Arnstein (archaeological remains of a medieval rock castle). Then follow the Neuer Weg and Kleinstein with a view and Sturmbauers Eck to the road towards Räumichtmühle, which you follow to the Mühlschlüchte junction. A natural, steep path leads you up to the Großer Pohlshorn. You hike down to the Kirnitzsch and then through old spruce and silver fir stands to the Zeughaus. From here, the trail climbs up through the Wolfsschlüchte, over the Rosssteig and the Katzstein to the summit of the Großer Winterberg, the second highest mountain in Saxon Switzerland. This 556-metre-high basalt outcrop is crowned by the slab of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains with a mountain restaurant and a viewing tower; next to it, another national park information point invites you to visit the former "Ice House". The Malerweg trail then leads down into the Elbe valley to the village of Schmilka. Here you come directly to the Schmilka watermill. Based on the copperplate engraving by A. L. Richter, the mill was reconstructed in 2007 and has been fully functional again ever since.

GPS data updated 2021