Some visitors and even locals assume that the Saxon Wine Route and the Saxon Wine Trail begin in Dresden-Pillnitz, as this is where the first large vineyards appear. But the town of Pirna is the starting point for both wine routes for good reason: On the one hand, the wine-growing area extended as far as Pirna in its heyday in the 18th century, and on the other, industrious amateur winegrowers also painstakingly replanted some old terraces here in the 1990s.
The exact starting point for the 1st stage and thus for the entire Saxon Wine Trail is the hikers' parking lot on the Elbe on Postaer Straße at the entrance to Mockethaler Grund in the district of Oberposta, where there are some well-preserved winegrowers' houses and other evidence of historical viticulture (including sandstone steps through the vineyards). Sandstone steps through terraced vineyards; not far from the wine trail: original winegrower's plaque in the wall of a former winegrower's farm (Oberposta 27) and plaque on the Posta wine cultural landscape on the vineyard (near the Niederposta 3 property)).
The hiking parking lot can be reached on foot from Pirna railroad station either via the Pirna town bridge, Fährstraße, Hauptplatz, Oberer Platz, Postaer Straße or by ferry F9 via Brückenstraße, Am Elbufer - take the ferry - turn left from the ferry landing stage towards Elbeparkplatz Copitz, Fährweg, Oberer Platz, Postaer Straße (approx. 30 minutes each way).
From the hikers' parking lot, take Grundstraße up the Mockethaler Grund, then a serpentine path with yellow dot markings to the Burglehnpfad. Past the Ehrenhain, the trail continues northwards (Burglehnstr., Karl-Büttner-Str., Albert-Barthel-Str., Liebethaler Str., Tannenweg, Fichtenweg, Altjessen) until we come to the Weinbergweg and walk along it to a crossroads (wayside column), then turn left and continue along Grundmühlenweg, bridge over Radeberger Straße (S177), Meiereiweg (former dairy with pretty pond) to Lindenallee (Protestant parish church from 1902).
This leads uphill to the right, after 600 m the Weinwanderweg branches off (Lochmühlenweg) and takes us to the Graupa hunting lodge. To mark the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner's birth, a modern and multimedia permanent exhibition on Wagner's work was opened here as part of the Richard Wagner Sites, which also include the nearby Lohengrin House. In this oldest museum residence in the world, the great German composer and Dresden court conductor worked on his opera "Lohengrin" in 1846. Opposite the parking lot of the Richard Wagner Museum, an ice cream parlour and a playground invite you to linger.
According to the signposts, we reach Richard-Wagner-Str, Badstraße, Lindengrundstraße to the Kleingraupa village square with its beautifully restored farmhouses and finally via Kreuzerbergstraße and Weinbergsweg to the district of Oberpoyritz, which already belongs to Dresden.
We then come to Rysselkuppe, a vineyard that is organically farmed by the Klaus Zimmerling winery.
We continue along the mountain path and reach the Pillnitz Royal Vineyard, along the upper edge of which leads the Leitenweg with its magnificent views of the Elbe valley with its orchards, the vineyard terraces and the small baroque Pillnitz vineyard church. Here on the Leitenweg with its old caretaker's and winegrower's cottages, Pillnitz winegrowers have also created an 800 m long educational wine trail with interesting information on winegrowing.
We reach Wünschendorfer Straße and follow it to An der Schäferei and the former village square Am Rathaus in Pillnitz.
This is the end of the first stage. If you have time, you should definitely take a stroll through Pillnitz Park with its dendrological features - or come back again. The entire park and palace complex with its museums is worth a visit lasting several hours. The Schlosshotel Pillnitz with its restaurant invites you to stop for a bite to eat and stay overnight. Not far from the park, you can purchase a wide range of locally produced chocolates from the region at the Chocolaterie am Fliederhof and round off the day with coffee and cake at the Wippler bakery.
