The Bastei

The Bastei is a rock formation in Saxon Switzerland. It is located on the right bank of the Elbe, in the municipality of Lohmen. The Bastei is 305 meters high. There is an observation platform offering a wonderful view of the Elbe and the Elbe Valley. The cliff drops steeply about 190 meters from the Bastei to the Elbe. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Saxon Switzerland.

Saxon Switzerland is part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It lies southeast of Dresden in the state of Saxony. The only national park in Saxony was established here. The name Bastei is said to have come from two Swiss artists who taught at the Dresden Academy of Art in the 18th century. The landscape reminded them of their Swiss homeland, and in their letters they referred to Saxon Switzerland.

From the Bastei, the Bastei Bridge leads to Neurathen Castle, the largest rock castle in Saxon Switzerland. The remains of the castle can be explored on a self-guided tour. You can reach the Bastei on foot, but you will have to climb about 700 steps. The climb to the Bastei from the spa town of Rathen also passes near an open-air theater.

In Saxon Switzerland stands one of Europe’s largest mountain fortresses: Königstein Fortress. In times of unrest, the Saxon princes and their families once sought refuge behind its thick walls. They kept their art treasures and the state treasury here. But up to 1,500 other people also lived here, mainly soldiers and their families. The fortress is home to Germany’s oldest surviving barracks. It also has Saxony’s deepest well, the first Saxon garrison church and a replica of a giant wine barrel. The barrel is said to have been used during the reign of Augustus the Strong. It was about ten metres high, nine metres long and seven metres wide, and held 238,600 litres of wine.