Hiking through the Niederlößnitz region
Your walk begins at the Tourist Information Center, located at the "Landesbühnen Sachsen" tram stop (Line 4). Head uphill along Schuchstraße, and at the next junction turn left into Paradiesstraße. Follow this road past a number of smaller and larger estates, some of which will delight you with their Mediterranean charm.
At the end of Paradiesstraße cross Lößnitzgrundstraße. On the right hand side you will see the Grundhof, an old wine-growing estate that is now the home for an art school for young people. The main building with its large hipped roof was built in the latter half of the 17th century. In 1801 a garden hall was added with ridge turrets and two pavilions. The garden hall served as a studio for artists such as Wilhelm Claus, Karl Kröner and nowadays for Gunter Herrmann. Continue along Paradiesstraße as it becomes narrower and at the end of the road turn right and then follow the road as it curves to the left. After about 100 m turn left onto the "Auf den Bergen" hiking trail.
On your right you will see the "Paradies" vineyard which is run by the Schloss Wackerbarth State Winery. Following the path uphill you are rewarded with delightful views before reaching high ground. Once at the top, turn left and follow the trail along Höhenweg, cross Obere Burgstraße and continue your walk alongside the high vineyard walls in the direction of the water tower. The water tower was built from designs by the architects Richard Müller and Richard Schleinitz of the Dresden firm Johann Odorico, and today, it continues to dominate the silhouette of the Lößnitz hills for miles around. French prisoners-of-war were also involved in building the tower in 1916/17, a fact which has resulted in the tower being known locally as the "French tower."
On the left you will come to König-Friedrich-August-Höhe, a vantage point. From here you can enjoy the view across the Elbe valley.
To the left of the vantage point you will see Friedensburg Castle, originally built in the 17th century as a wine estate. The Ziller brothers converted it to a restaurant in 1869. Friedensburg has since undergone many structural alterations, taking on the appearance of a hilltop castle dominating the Radebeul skyline.
You can now continue on your way into the valley via the well-constructed hiking trail that leads into the forest park. In the northern part of the park is the "Black pond" (Schwarzer Teich), a site where the choirs of Radebeul give an annual concert at the time of Pentecost. A set of stairs leads you to Moritzburger Straße on the south-west side of the park, which will bring you back to Meißner Straße.
The path leads past Mohrenhaus, a 19th century manor house with three hectares of parkland that is now maintained by the German Child Protection Agency as a center for children and young people. The house was completely renovated in 2007, with special attention to the historical preservation value of the building. A visit to the park is always popular with younger hikers! Walk down Moritzburger Straße until you come to the former Bussard sparkling wine cellars. Bussard was founded in 1836 as a "factory for sparkling wines", and from 1897 onwards it traded under the name "Sektkellerei Bussard" (sparkling wine production using the vibration method).
The walk ends at the tram stop (Line 4) on Meißner Straße with the option of traveling to Dresden or Weinböhla, or alternatively at the Radebeul-West railway station where you can catch the S1 suburban railway to Dresden or Meißen.
Distance: approx. 4.5 km
Duration: 2.5 h
Difference in elevation: 100 - 120 m
Level of difficulty: Medium / difficult