Elbwiesen, Natural landscape along Elbe River in Dresden, Germany

Elbwiesen is a natural landscape extending on both sides of the Elbe River with varying widths across its length. The terrain consists of open meadow areas managed through regular maintenance and grazing activities.

The meadows were named a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Dresden Elbe Valley in 2004. The title was withdrawn in 2009 after the Waldschlösschen Bridge was built across the valley. From 1952 to 1979, the left-bank meadows served as a gliding airfield.

The meadows host the annual Filmnächte am Elbufer open-air film festival. Sheep graze on fenced pasture sections, often right in front of the Altstadt skyline, as part of meadow maintenance. Most of the area is hay meadow, mown twice a year to keep it from overgrowing with tall herbs and shrubs.

The meadows are accessible for walking and cycling with clear pathways along the river. During wet periods, some sections may become muddy, so sturdy footwear is recommended for comfortable exploration.

Most of the meadows are not grazed but worked as fodder grassland, with hay cut usually twice a year. Mowing keeps the open cultural landscape from being overgrown by tall herbs and shrubs. Parts of the meadows also serve drinking-water production, for example at the Hosterwitz and Tolkewitz waterworks.