Germany, Saxon Switzerland: The World Famous Königstein Fortress

The Fortress Lies at the Heart of Saxon Switzerland leží v srdci Saského Švýcarska

If you travel from Usti nad Labem it takes you about an hour and 50 kilometers. You mostry travel in beautiful landscape so it feels like it passes shortly. Dresden is only 25 kilometers from Königstein.

Königstein Is Larger than 13 Football Fields

Easy to see, impressive – these are the adjectives one can link to fortress Königstein. A bizzare rock compound rises 247 meters above the ground. Once this was an unconquerable stronghold. It offers an amazing vista over the Bohemian Switzerland park, the Elbe and Labske Sandstones protected landscape. The trail following the walls is about 2 kilometers long. The vistas you may see here are worth the trip. At the fortress, you may see the chapel, treasury, dungeon, the oldest barracks in Germany (1589–1590) or Saxony's deepest well.

Charles' Stone

The first documented evidence of Königstein fortress comes from the year 1233. The entire compound consisted of three buildings in the 14th century: Kaiserburg today known as Goergenburg. Then there was the burgrave residence (Kommandantenhaus plus there was a castle chapel (Garnisonskirche), a garrison chapel.

Aboluste Focus, 250 Meters above the Elbe, Adrenaline in the Air

Various events take place at the fortress including treasure hunts, concerts, exhibition,  slackline featuring world famous Lukas Huber, or highline 250 meters above the ground featuring vista over Lilienstein. Tree stumps are getting hit by Supertrail Show including Dustyn Alt with his BMX bike and great line of tricks. Also, there are permanent exhibitions which you can see throughout the year.

Bakery in Fortress: Baked Goods, Desserts, Cakes

Don't forget to visit the fortress bakery where you can smell traditional bread made according to the oldest recipes. Huge walls surround the entire compound and you can walk easily around it. There are many Czech tourists. Therefore, all information materials, leaflets, guide books and even an audio guide are all in Czech. Adult tickets: 10 euros in summer, 8 euros in winter.

Nowadays, there is the extra exhibition "The Walls of Nanking – Ming Dynasty Fortifications". The exhibition ends in November 2017. It focuses on the longest city wall in the world: the Great Wall of China.

GPS: 50°55'07.1"N 14°03'25.4"E

Text: Šárka Vacková

Photos: Šárka Vacková, Wikimedia Commons: Fritz-Gerald Schröder