Königstein (Saxony) Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Königstein (Saxony) Overview
Königstein is a town in the Free State of Saxony in Germany. Königstein lies in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge District and has a population of 2,898 as of 2005. Near Königstein is the Festung Königstein fortress.
Königstein is located in the geographic region known as the Saxon Switzerland. The town lies in between Pirna (Pirna vacation rentals | Pirna travel guide) and the Czech border at the confluence of the Biela with the Elbe. Königstein was damaged during the flooding of the Elbe in 2002.
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Things to See in Königstein (Saxony)
The four Steine of Königstein: Königstein, Lilienstein, Pfaffenstein, and Whorl
Heimatstube Leupoldishain
Schiffer Carnival
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Königstein (Saxony)
Ortsansicht
[ source: Wikipedia]
Popular Points of Interest in and near Königstein (Saxony)
Königstein Fortress
[ source: Fortress website ]
Königstein Fortress (German: Festung Königstein), the Saxon Bastille
, is a famous historic mountaintop fortress near the town of Königstein. The fortress, which for centuries was used as a state prison and which is still intact, is one of Saxony's foremost tourist attractions, with 700,000 visitors per year. A castle since the mid-13th century situated on a prominent isolated rock, it originally belonged to the Kings of Bohemia, passing in 1408 to the Dukes of Saxony. Between 1516 and 1524, it included a monastery (Celestines), but it always remained a stronghold and a fortress with its own garrison; the fortifications were always updated and enlarged to meet the latest requirements of arms technology.
Because Königstein Fortress was regarded as unconquerable, the Saxon monarchs retreated to it from Wittenberg and later Dresden during times of crisis and also deposited the state treasure and many works of art from the famous Zwinger here; it was also used as a country retreat due to its lovely surroundings.
The imposing mountain fortress is not only a magnet for people interested in military history, but also for nature-lovers, who have a fantastic view of the picturesque Elbsandsteingebirge (Elbe Sandstone Mountains) and the foothills of the Osterzgebirge (East Ore Mountains) from the mile-and-a-half long fortified walls.
Hours: Open daily, April - September 9am - 8pm. October 9am - 6pm. November - March 9am - 5pm.
Admission: (including use of the lift and entrance to all exhibitions) Adults 6 €, Concessions 4 €. Guided tours are available.
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Königstein (Saxony). If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Königstein (Saxony): Königstein (Saxony) (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Königstein (Saxony)
More about the History of Königstein (Saxony)
The town of Königstein was first mentioned in 1379 as a settlement near the castle of Königstein. It was named after a King of Bohemia, but eventually passed to the Saxon Margraves of Meißen. However, Königstein still retains the double-tailed lion of Bohemia in its coat of arms. During World War II the prisoner-of-war camp for Allied officers, Oflag IV-B, was located in the castle.
[ source: wikipedia ]
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This Königstein (Saxony) travel guide provides you with an overview of Königstein (Saxony), Königstein (Saxony) pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
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