From Schöna, it runs along the Elbe on the Elbe Valley Railway through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, through Bad Schandau and past  Königstein Fortress to Pirna. There it leaves the immediate bank of the Elbe and runs through Heidenau and southeastern Dresden almost straight to Dresden Hauptbahnhof.
The route begins in Schöna and follows the Elbe River along the Elbe Valley Railway, traversing the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, passing Bad Schandau and Königstein Fortress before reaching Pirna. It then deviates from the riverbank and travels through Heidenau and southeastern Dresden, ultimately arriving at Dresden Hauptbahnhof.