Wheelchair-accessible Bohemian Switzerland

The romantic landscape of Bohemian Switzerland is as changeable as the souls of the artists who discovered it in the 18th century. Deep, quiet valleys give way to high rocky viewpoints; sandstone paths turn into winding forest trails, and occasionally you’ll find yourself climbing a ladder or ascending roughly hewn steps.

Not ideal for a wheelchair or a handbike. However, there are places – and there are quite a few of them – that you can reach on two, three or four wheels.

Let’s take a look at them together.

From Děčín to Bad Schandau

You can cycle along the cycle path from Děčín all the way to Dresden and beyond, perhaps even as far as Hamburg to reach the sea, but that’s for the extreme adventurers. Bad Schandau, a picturesque spa town just about 10 km across the German border, exudes a holiday atmosphere. There are shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels, a museum and the famous Toskana Therme spa complex, which is fully accessible and offers free parking for disabled visitors.

You can set off from the wheelchair-accessible Děčín Main Station along the riverfront towards Dolní Žleb (the first part of the route follows the pavement alongside the main road) or from a car parked in the small car park behind the railway bridge. From there, the route follows a smooth tarmac cycle path alongside the wide Elbe River, with views of the rock formations and forests of the Elbe Canyon above you.

In Dolní Žleb, you can grab a bite to eat at the stall by the ferry or at the Dolní Grund restaurant. If you’re on a handbike, you can cycle a short way uphill to enjoy some phenomenal burgers at Hospoda U Kosti. Then continue along the cycle path across the national border, wave to the throng of tourists in Hřensko on the other side of the river, and ride on until you reach Schmilka, the first German town on the opposite bank. You can get there by ferry, the boarding point for which is just below the Schmilka railway station. You’ll have no trouble crossing to the other side on a handbike, though bear in mind that the first few metres of the cycle path on the other side won’t be as smooth as before, and feel free to ask for a hand on the gentle slope from the ferry.

Schmilka is a tiny town, but it hides a gem in the form of a craft brewery, where you can sit back and enjoy local specialities in a traditional Biergarten in the courtyard of a former mill. There’s also an organic restaurant on the banks of the Elbe, with vegetarian and vegan delicacies on the menu.

The cycle path continues along the Elbe on one side and the main road on the other; high above you lie the rock formations, the Elbe flows below, and before you know it, you’ll see the first renovated guesthouses in Bad Schandau. Just before you reach the centre, you can turn right and, for a few euros, take the historic lift to enjoy the view of the Elbe Valley.

Immediately after the lift, you’ll come across the Křinice tributary; follow it to explore the spa park with its fountain, open-air amphitheatre and typical spa promenade.
Pay a visit to the easily accessible Saxon Switzerland National Park Centre, which features an interactive exhibition and a packed programme of events.

For the return journey by train, do not rely on the Elbe Bridge, as it was closed in 2024 for operational reasons; instead, use the ferry, whose landing stage is located on the promenade by the large car park.

It will take you across the river in less than a kilometre, straight to the main railway station.

Route length: 22 km there and back by train

Route on mapy.cz:

1. Děčín – Schmilka
2. Schmilka – Bad Schandau

Through the Kyjov Valley along the new nature trail

Park right by the turn-off into the Kyjov Valley, where the green bus 434 from Děčín or Krásná Lípa also stops.

The route along the Křinice River leads through a picturesque valley, which even in summer is quiet, babbling and as cool as a beer from the nearby Falkenštejn craft brewery in Krásná Lípa.

It also follows the newly created 6 km-long nature trail, subtitled ‘With All the Senses’. It has a total of 10 stops and allows you, for example, to explore the geology in the dark, encounter a life-size bear or smuggler, or listen to the river up close, all from the comfort of your own vehicle.

Although the tarmac road gets a bit rough in places, it’s manageable on a handbike or in a wheelchair. To your right, the little river Křinice murmurs below you, whilst to your left, sandstone cliffs rise up the slope above you; the path winds along the watercourse and takes you comfortably all the way to Zadní Doubice and the Border Bridge.

Head back along the same route and off you go for a beer in Krásná Lípa!

Route length: 6.5 km there and 6.5 km back the same way

Route on mapy.cz

Route through the Krásná Lípa region

From the square in Krásná Lípa, you can set off on a pleasant 10-kilometre trip through the surrounding countryside. Part of the route follows the road and the pavement, but for the most part you’ll be travelling along meadow, field and forest paths, which are firm enough for a wheelchair.

You’ll ride through Mločí Gorge, cross the little river Křinice, pass a former phyllite quarry and the Velký rybník nature reserve, and the whole way you’ll be gazing up at the sky and the treetops above you, surrounded by greenery, and you’ll probably not see a single other hiker.

Once you’ve returned to Krásná Lipa’s main square, you can easily make up for any social deficit, rehydrate and top up your blood sugar levels at, for example, the Falkenštejn Brewery or the nearby Café Nostalgie.

Route length: 10.6 km

Route on mapy.cz

Where else to go?

Why not try a walking loop around Děčín along the path beneath the castle, through the castle park and past the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, or a route along the Biela stream from the remote village of Ostrov u Tisé; a route around the Tisá Rocks; a route from Maxičky to Mlýnský Pond; or even a wheelchair trip with an escort to the famous Růžová vyhlídka viewpoint.

Do also take a look at the local and cross-border initiative Disway.cz; you can download their app onto your mobile, featuring routes and recommendations for wheelchair users exploring the countryside (not only) of Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland, all tried and tested first-hand.

Bohemian Switzerland is becoming increasingly accessible; businesses, restaurants and guesthouses that have opened here in recent years – and continue to do so – often now routinely provide barrier-free access and facilities, thus opening the doors to the rugged landscape of Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland to everyone, without exception.

And if you manage to map out any further routes yourself, please share them!

This article was produced as part of the project ‘Marketing Activities to Support Tourism in Bohemian Switzerland’, implemented with funding from the Czech Republic’s state budget under a programme run by the Ministry of Regional Development.