Saxon Wine Route

Vines have been grown on the Elbe slopes here since the twelfth century, and the Saxon wine region covers only about five hundred hectares, among the smallest in Europe and one of the most northerly, producing mostly dry whites, including Goldriesling, a crossing grown almost nowhere else. The route runs about fifty-five kilometres from Pirna through Dresden and Radebeul to Diesbar-Seusslitz, past terraced slopes with dry-stone walls, vineyard cottages and the Wackerbarth estate, which makes sparkling wine by traditional method. The Elbe paddle steamer fleet, the oldest of its kind, runs along the same stretch.

What you actually see

• The terraced slopes - dry-stone terraces above the Elbe.
• Goldriesling - a grape grown almost exclusively in this region.
• The Wackerbarth estate - a baroque estate making sparkling wine.
• The paddle steamers - a historic fleet running the same stretch of river.

When to go

May to October; harvest and wine festivals run in September. The paddle steamers operate seasonally and depend on Elbe water levels, which fall in dry summers.

Honest expectations

The region is tiny and its wines are rarely exported. Paddle steamers stop when the Elbe is too low. Estates need booking for tastings.

Nearby

Dresden and Meissen anchor the route; Moritzburg lies north.