Dresdner Heide (Dresden Heath)

The Dresdner Heide (Dresden Heath) is the large forest northeast of central Dresden: roughly 50 square kilometers of pine and mixed woodland with streams, meadows and a dense network of hiking trails. Despite its English nickname it is a forest, not open moorland. If you are looking for things to do in Dresden that get you outdoors, it makes an easy half-day hike or bike ride, reachable by tram, bus or suburban train from the center.

Where it is and how to get there

The forest lies mostly in the Loschwitz district, northeast of the Old Town. Dresden is about two hours from Berlin by train. Trailheads include Klotzsche station on the S2 suburban line (Airport to Hauptbahnhof; Regional-Express trains toward Görlitz and Zittau also stop), the Ullersdorfer Platz tram stop in Bühlau, and the Heidemühle bus stop on Radeberger Landstraße. I could not confirm parking details.

History and nature

The area was an electoral hunting ground. A forest office is documented in 1484, and the Saugärten (wild boar enclosures) served court hunts until the 1820s. Around 1832 forester Johann Heinrich Cotta laid out the grid of straight forest lanes that still shapes the trail network. About 6,133 hectares are protected as a landscape conservation area. Pine makes up about 58% of the stand, and the highest point, the Dachsenberg, is about 281 meters. A wolf pack was again documented here in 2019.

What to see

• Prießnitz valley and waterfall: a small cascade near Klotzsche
• Hofewiese: the largest clearing in the forest, with a traditional country inn
• Saugarten: historic hunting site with a moor and shelter
• Heidefriedhof: a large cemetery from the 1930s where more than 10,000 victims of the 1945 air raids are buried

Visiting (as of October 2026)

There is no admission fee, and the forest is open year-round. A popular loop of about 10.6 kilometers starts at Klotzsche station and takes a little over two hours at an easy pace, passing the Prießnitz waterfall, Hofewiese and Silbersee (according to a hiking portal). Shorter walks start at the Heidemühle or Ullersdorfer Platz. Hofewiese inn reportedly opens on weekends and holidays in season, so confirm before counting on a meal. Rules for dogs and bikes are set by local forest regulations, so follow posted signs.

Nearby

The Weißer Hirsch and Bühlau districts border the southern edge, and Albrechtsberg Palace and the other Elbe palaces lie just south, making the heath a good pairing with a Dresden city visit.