The hike starts at the bus stop at the Schmilka border crossing. Schmilka is a district of Bad Schandau, located directly on the Czech border.
From there, you cross to the other side of the road and climb uphill through the historic town center, following the Malerweg trail. The mountaineering village of Schmilka has been an official stage of the Malerweg since 2007 and the route here follows the classic ascent to the Großer Winterberg.
On leaving the village, the path first leads to the right for a short distance onto Winterbergstraße before turning left onto the steep mountain path. This path used to be an important access route for transporting wood and stone up the Winterberg.
At the top, you reach Winterbergstraße again. Here you leave the Malerweg, follow the signs to the Kipphorn viewpoint and keep right twice. The viewpoint is located at an altitude of around 460 meters on the south-western flank of the Großer Winterberg and offers a comprehensive view of the Elbe valley and the rocks of the Schrammsteine.
Return to the Winterberg road, which is marked with a red dot. This marked path leads leisurely downhill to the junction into the Erlsgrund.
Turn right here, follow the path downhill until it joins the mountain path again and return via Schmilka to the bus stop at the Schmilka border crossing.
