Bastei View looking into Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland / Photo: Holm Riebe
Hiking recommendation: from Wehlen – Schwarzberg View – Schanzenweg – Schwarzbergweg – Steinerner Tisch – Fremdenweg Steinerner Tisch / Bastei – Bastei – Gansweg – Detour from Gansweg – Schwedenlöcher – Amselgrund – Amselfall – Rathewalde – Rathewalder Walkway – Reingrund – Kohlgrund – Zscherregrund – Wehlener Grund – Wehlen City (approx. 10 km)
This rock massif near Rathen is one of the most famous natural monuments of Saxon Switzerland. The actual Bastion, the 305 m high rock pulpit, reaches 194 m above the Elbe river and offers impressive views of the scenery. From numerous other viewpoints a panorama with all the great mesas (eg. Lilienstein, Königstein) is exposed, the Schrammstein range, the Great Winterberg and other important lookout and rock climbing summits all the way to Bohemia. In 1938, the Bastion area in the Saxon Switzerland was put under protection and is now part of the Saxon Switzerland National Park. Today’s so-called Painter’s Path (Malerweg) dates back to the Romantic painters. The Bastei was part of it between the Liebethaler Grund and Prebischtor in Bohemia. In 1812 the first modest inn catering to travelers was established here.
Getting there:
Finding public transport connections: (Link German railway)
- S-Bahn to Rathen and to Wehlen
- Hike up to Bastei: Bus 237 from Pirna to Bastei, from Sebnitz to Bastei Bus 238 from Pirna to Wehlen, hike to Bastei Bus 253 on weekends from Bad Schandau to Bastei on Bastion shuttle bus (Bastei-Pendelbus) between the parking lot Rathewalde and Bastei
Historical notes: A stone bridge connects the bastion with the rock castle Neurathen, a castle from the 13th century. Today’s bastion bridge was built in 1850/51 in connection with the opening of the railway line in the Elbe Valley. A wooden bridge already existed around 1820.
