The river rises in the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains district. The source of the Triebisch is in the Tharandter Forest south of Grillenburg in Schneise 15. 50.933659 N, 13.512445 O (The X-Bach, the so-called "Alte Triebisch" with connection to Kroatenbach or Kroatenwasser has its source between Klingenberg-Colmnitz and Grillenburg)
In a narrow valley, it flows through the former municipality of Triebischtal, which was named after it. The valley section "Tanneberger Loch" is particularly well-known, since the Federal Motorway 4 used to run there. At Rothschönberg, the Triebisch takes in the mining waters of the Freiberg mining district through the Rothschönberger Stolln and, after flowing through the Triebischtal district of Meissen, it flows into the Elbe in Meissen in the Triebischvorstadt opposite of Cölln.
The Triebisch is not navigable; The largest tributary is the Kleine Triebisch, which flows in above Garsebach. On the left bank of the river, between Garsebach and the Buschbad, stretches the three and a half kilometer long obsidian rock formations of the Garsebacher Schweiz. Also there is the rock of the gods and the high zeal to find.