Buchmühle (Mill) - Hickelhöhle (Cave)- Großer Winterberg

This circular route through the rear section of the Saxon Switzerland National Park takes you through many of the typical landscapes of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. You’ll cross typical valleys such as the Kleiner Zschand, the Richterschlüchte and the idyllic Kirnitzschtal, climb the Großer Winterberg (the highest mountain in the national park, a basalt peak) and explore the Hickelhöhle, a fissure cave and the second-largest cave in Saxon Switzerland. You’ll also pass three historic mills in the Kirnitzschtal valley; the Neumannmühle can even be visited as a technical monument. Tip: Be sure to visit the Kipphorn viewpoint on the Großer Winterberg; it offers a wonderful view across the whole of the rear Saxon Switzerland, over the Schmilkaer Kessel to the Schrammsteine, across the Elbe Valley, the table mountains on the left bank of the Elbe, and right into Bohemian Switzerland. The tour is suitable for fit dogs, though there are steps to negotiate in places. Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times. You must not leave the paths within the National Park. All the rules can be found here: https://nationalpark-saechsische-schweiz.de/verhalten#nlp The tour starts at the Buschmühle, which is accessible by bus. Motorists should please use the pay-and-display car park at the Neumannmühle. Refreshments are available at the Buschmühle, the Neumannmühle and the Felsenmühle; during the summer season, there is also a snack bar on the Großer Winterberg.