Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [149]
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Bastei
The open fields and rolling hills surrounding the Bastei region, on the Elbe, give little clue as to the drama that lies beyond. Truly one of the most breathtaking spots in Germany, this is a wonderland of fluted pinnacles (up to 305m high) and panoramic views of the surrounding forests, cliffs and mountains – not to mention a magnificent sightline along the river itself. This is the single most popular spot in the national park, so crowds are pretty much guaranteed unless you get here very early or late in the day.
Bastei is an old-fashioned word meaning ‘bastion’ or ‘fortress’, in this case the Felsenburg (adult/concession €1.50/0.50; 9am-6pm), a wooden castle occupying this strategic spot from the early 13th century until 1469. These days, a series of footbridges links the crags on which the castle was built, but its remnants are so few that it requires a lot of imagination to picture the place. A highlight is the replica of a catapult once used by castle residents to pelt attackers with ball-shaped rocks. During sieges they would simply destroy the wooden bridges, sending their enemies plummeting to their deaths. Fortunately, these days the much-photographed Basteibrücke leading to the castle grounds is made of stone. Assembled in 1850, locals claim the bridge was Europe’s first purpose-built tourist attraction.
SLEEPING & EATING
The only sleeping option up here is Berghotel Bastei ( 035024-7790; www.bastei-berghotel.de; s €49-55, d €82-122; ), a nicely spruced-up GDR-era hotel with well-appointed rooms, a tourist-plagued restaurant with fantastic views, plus extras like bowling and a sauna.
Otherwise, you can find rooms from about €12 per person in the convenient but non-descript village of Lohmen ( tourist office 03501-581 024; Schloss Lohmen 1), a couple of kilometres due northeast, or in nearby Rathen ( 035024-704 22; Füllhölzelweg 1), a tiny but postcard-pretty resort right on the Elbe. A characterful, good-value option here is Burg Altrathen ( 035024-7600; www.burg-altrathen.de; Am Grünbach 10-11; s €55-58, d €70-86, tower ste €120; ) in a medieval castle above town.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
The nearest train station is in Rathen, where you need to catch the ferry across the Elbe, then follow a sweat-raising 30-minute trail to the top of the Bastei. En route you’ll pass the lovely Felsenbühne ( 035024-7770), an open-air summer theatre that stages light-hearted fare beneath a spectacular rocky backdrop.
To get there by bus, Click here. Public bus 237 also makes the trip to the Bastei from Pirna or Lohmen.
Drivers should arrive before 10am to snag a spot in the inner Bastei car park (€3 for four hours, €5.50 all day), from where it’s only a 10-minute walk to the viewpoints. Otherwise, you need to park in the outer lot (€2.50 all day) and catch the frequent shuttle bus (€1 each way) or walk for at least half an hour.
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Königstein
South of Rathen, the Elbe has carved an S-curve ending at Königstein 6km away. The town would be unremarkable were it not for the massive citadel built right on a tabletop mountain some 260m above the river. Festung Königstein ( 035021-646 07; adult/concession/family €5/3/12, audioguide €2.50; 9am-8pm Apr-Sep, 9am-6pm Oct, 9am-5pm Nov-Mar) is the largest intact fortress in the country, and so imposing and formidable that no-one ever bothered to attack it. Begun in the 13th century, it was repeatedly enlarged and is now a veritable textbook in military architecture, with 30 buildings spread across 9.5 hectares. Highlights include the Brunnenhaus, with its seemingly bottomless well, a prickling array of German weaponry from across the centuries, and the Georgenburg, once Saxony’s most feared prison, whose famous inmates included Meissen porcelain inventor Johann Friedrich Böttger. During WWII, it served as a POW camp and a refuge for art treasures from Dresden. The biggest draw, however, is the widescreen view deep