Königstein

Königstein is a town of 2,100 people (2019) in the Saxon Switzerland near Dresden in Germany. It is home to the Königsstein Fortress, one of the largest mountain fortresses in Europe.

Königstein viewed from Königstein Fortress

Tourist information

• 1 Touristinformation im Treff-Punkt, Pirnaer Str. 2, ☏ +49 35021 68261. May to October: M-F 10:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-12:00, Sunday 10:00-13:00; November to April: M-F 10:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-12:00. 

Get in

Königstein Fortress can be reached by Dresden by the train line S1 (in the direction of Schöna). The station is Königstein. From the station you can trek up to the castle or take a toy train and bus for €5.60.

Königstein can also be reached by boat on the river Elbe from Dresden by Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt.

See

• Festung Königstein (Fortress Königstein). Opening hours April - October: 09:00-18:00, November - March: 09:00-17:00. The fortress has many permanent and some temporary exhibitions. It sits on a rock plateau that rises 240 m above the Elbe. There are over 50 buildings up to 400 years old on it. The rampart of the fortress is 1.8 km long and has walls and sandstone walls up to 42 m high. It is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the parking garage to the entrance of the fortress. As a car, a tourist "train" also drives to the entrance. Parking: up to 30 minutes free, up to 4 hours €5.50, up to 5 hours €6.50, day ticket €7.50. Admission fees includes the use of the lift and admission to all exhibitions: €8, concessions: €6, family ticket: €21. 

Do

The fortress is a getaway for the whole day and a good spot for picnics. You can walk up the old (and steep) pathway into the fortress or take an elevator to the top.

• The Schifferfastnacht festival takes place at the end of winter. There is a parade through the streets, during which traditional Elbe ship models are carried through the city and a chapel serenades long-established shipowning families. The Fleckelmann uses his gossip to distribute blows of order to disobedient and alcoholic husbands and quarrelsome wives. The sutlers give plenty of thumbs' breadth when moving .
• The Schonrsteinfeger "Abratzky" does a city tour every Thursday in summer for a small donation from Sebastian Abratzky.

Hiking

There are several well-described hikes:

• Walk from the city centre to the fortress via the stairway with (entry at the church) you walk uphill for about 45 minutes to the entrance of the fortress.
• Lilienstein: Sunrise with a view towards Bad Schandau. A short but strenuous hiking tour that leads to the most striking table mountain in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. The secluded location of Table Mountain in the Elbe loop opens up views in all directions. Walking time: around 3½ to 4 hours (possibly a little longer depending on your stay on the rock). Route: First take the ferry across and then it goes steeply up to the Elbe loop plateau. Then the stairway up to the actual rock plateau becomes really interesting. In the ascent, the detour to the particularly steep one is worthwhile.

Eat

• Restauration Festung Königstein, Fortress 1. Tel .: +49 35021 64444 . Experience gastronomy with its own bakery and much more.
• Kaffeehaus & Backshop Zimmerman, Dresdner Str. 3. Tel .: +49 35021 68490. Huge selection of cakes, pastries, tarts and of course stollen.
• Gaststätte & Pension Amtshof, Pirnaer Strasse 30. Tel .: +49 35021 68511. W-M 11:00-14:30, 17:00-22:00. Tuesdays are closed. Price: in the accompanying guesthouse: double room from €55 (including breakfast).
• Landgasthof-Müller, Halbestadt 17. Tel .: +49 35022 92929. Cozy restaurant with a beautiful view of the Elbe. Panorama terrace, sunbathing lawn and beer garden available. Price: the inn also has 4 rooms, overnight stays from €38 possible.

Drink

Any of the great beers brewed in Saxony.

Sleep

The town website provides a list of accommodation.

• Hotel Lindenhof, Gohrischer Straße 2, ☏ +49 35021 68243. 
• Panoramahotel Lilienstein, Ebenheit 7, ☏ +49 35022 53100. 
• Schrägers Gasthaus, Kirchgasse 1, ☏ +49 35021 68352. 
• Hotel-Pension Vogelsberg, Elbhäuserweg 20, ☏ +49 35021 7650. 
• Gasthaus "Zum Pfaffenstein", Pfaffensteinweg 1, ☏ +49 35021 67951. 
• Natur- und FamilienOase, Halbestadt 13, ☏ +49 35022 99480. 
• Sachsenstübel, Amtsgasse 16, ☏ +49 35021 68332. 
• Landgasthof Neue Schänke, Am Königstein, ☏ +49 35021 99960. 
• Pension Lachmann, Pfaffendorfer Str. 44, ☏ +49 35021 597307. 
• Pension & Panoramagaststätte Bomätscher, Schandauer Straße 49, ☏ +49 35021 9908200. 

Go next

• Bad Schandau
• Rathen and Bastei