A couple of weeks ago, I discovered an impressive piece of nature only a night train away from Brussels—perfect for a long weekend trip immersed in breathtaking landscapes.

Have you ever heard about the National Park Sächsische Schweiz?

It’s a vast, mountainous forest filled with dramatic rock formations and stunning views at the German-Czech border. Let me take you there for a moment!

Family-Friendly Adventures and Thrilling Hikes

Visiting with Kids: There are plenty of charming, family-friendly routes to enjoy with the little ones. However, for those who crave adventure, I took a more challenging trail featuring metal ladders, narrow passages, and dramatic cliffs. No climbing gear is required! Here’s the GPX track I followed: Komoot Track

Safety Tips: If you choose one of the family routes, always keep your kids close, especially at the viewpoints. There are no fences, so hand-holding is essential.

Another great way to explore the park is by cycling—just remember to park your bike and take small hikes to reach those breathtaking viewpoints.

I took the walk during a Tuesday in June and was hoping to refill my water at a bar in the park… but found a closed door. Quite a disappointment since I finished my water at noon and did a detour of an hour hoping to refill at the refuge that was closed.

My 3-Day Ecological Travel Itinerary

Day 1: Departure from Brussels

• 19:22: Board the European Sleeper night train, heading to Bad Schandau.
• Accommodation: I stayed in a 5-bed couchette for around €125-€150 one way.

Day 2: Arrival and Hiking

• 08:30: Arrive in Bad Schandau and grab picnic supplies at the railway station or supermarket accross the water.
• Hike: An 8-hour hike through stunning spots like Carolafelsen, Panorama Heringsgrund and Goldsteinaussicht.
• Accommodation: Found a cozy €35 cabin including breakfast at Zur alten Schule. Cancelled my €150 hotel room—great value for money!
• Dinner: Enjoyed a vegetarian 4-course menu at Bio-Restaurant StrandGut.
• Swim: After dinner I took a swim in the Elbe a couple of meters downstream from where the little ferry leaves. Beware there’s quite some current, which can be dangerous… but also nice so you can swim against the current and stay in the same spot for as long as you want.

Day 3: More Adventures & Travel to Prague

• Hiking: Explored more of the park, with options including hiking, canoeing on the Elbe, and the tram ride into the forest. I took the ferry to cross the Elbe and hiked for an hour and a half from Schmilka to Bad Schandau’s railway station where I started the journey.
• Swim: To cool down before getting into the train, I took another swim at the small Canoe beach just in front of the railway station.
• Travel: Took the train to Prague, but you can also return to Brussels at 19:59, arriving at 9:30 the next day.

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Schmilka is a tiny but beautiful village positioning itself as eco-village. There are multiple biological hotels and restaurants, a biological educational garden along the Elbe, eco-sauna, and hot-tubs, … we found the concept to be very appealing. Nevertheless, most of the initiative is driven by one entrepreneur that supposedly owns 40 of the 80 houses in the village, where he made hotel rooms or houses for tourism purposes. Still, its inspiring to see the business model seems to work.