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

This loop through the back section of Saxon Switzerland National Park takes you through many of the typical landscapes of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. You’ll traverse characteristic 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 joint-fissure cave and the second-largest cave in Saxon Switzerland. You’ll also pass three historic mills in the Kirnitzschtal; the Neumannmühle can even be toured as a technical monument. Tip: Be sure to check out the Kipphorn viewpoint on the Großer Winterberg; it offers a stunning view across the entire rear part of Saxon Switzerland, over the Schmilkaer Kessel to the Schrammsteine, across the Elbe Valley, the table mountains on the left bank of the Elbe, and all the way into Bohemian Switzerland. The tour is suitable for fit dogs, though there are steps to navigate in some places. Dogs must remain on a leash at all times. You must not leave the trails within the national park. All rules can be found here: https://nationalpark-saechsische-schweiz.de/verhalten#nlp The tour starts at the Buschmühle, which is accessible by bus. Drivers should use the paid hiking parking lot 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.