Germany, Pirna – Gateway to Saxon Switzerland – VIDEO

The history of the town dates back to prehistoric times. Part of the Middle Ages, even Pirna, belonged to the lands of the Czech Crown. Due to its location on one of the most important trade routes in Europe, the city has experienced a lot of hard times, serving as a vast fortress for a long time. You can find a lot of interesting information from the history from the information materials in his streets.

The most important monuments include the Baroque Church of the Virgin Mary, the Renaissance Town Hall with the Baroque Tower, the castle and chateau Sonnestein, the Church of St. Henry and the Elbe promenade. In the streets of the historic center you will see a lot of beautiful historic houses, which over the last 30 years have managed to repair almost all of them and return to their lives.

The Church of Our Lady was built in the first half of the 16th century and fortunately he managed to survive all the pitfalls and struggles for the city without any harm. Typical for him is a massive stone tower, and a rich net vault inside.

Church of St Henry was no longer so lucky. It was created as part of the local Dominican monastery and, after the Lutheran Reformation, was abolished together with the monastery to function as a warehouse for a long time. Fortunately, however, in the 20th century it was gradually restored and today it serves its purpose again.

Even Sonnenstein Castle is interesting for its history. Thanks to its strategic position on the rock above Labem, it has long served as a fortress and guarded the trade route from the Czech lands to Saxony. He came to the official status of the fortress in 1746. In 1811 the castle was transformed into the first German mental health institution. Unfortunately, around 14,000 people, mostly mentally ill, lost their lives during World War II. This cruel part of history today is part of the chateau resembling a museum.

From Pirna you can continue along the Elbe River to Dresden or the other side to the Saxon Switzerland. Königstein Rock Fortress, table mountains such as Pfaffenstein, and of course the world-famous Bastei Bridge are nearby.

GPS: 50°57'44.9"N 13°56'32.9"E

Text, photos, and video: Matouš Vinš

Music: Ketsa