The Großer Bärenstein (English: Great Bear Rock) is a high

table hill A table or tableland is a butte, flank of a mountain, or mountain, that has a flat top. This kind of landform has numerous names, including: * Butte * Mesa * * Potrero * Tepui * Terrace * Tuya A tuya is a flat-topped, steep-sided vol ...

in the German region of Saxon Switzerland in the

Free State of Saxony Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procure ...

. Close by is the

Kleiner Bärenstein The Kleiner Bärenstein (English: Little Bear Rock) is a high table hill in the German region of Saxon Switzerland in the Free State of Saxony. Close by is the Großer Bärenstein which, together with the Kleiner Bärenstein, forms the massif of ...

which, together with the Großer Bärenstein, forms the massif known as the

Bärensteine The Bärensteine is a massif in the state of Saxony in eastern Germany near Weißig (Struppen), Weißig. It comprises the two rock formations known as the Großer Bärenstein, Großer and Kleiner Bärenstein (the "Great" and "Little Bear Rock") i ...

Location and area

The Großer Bärenstein is located within a loop of the River Elbe near Rathen. Immediately at its foot is the woodland of the farms of Fleck from Weißig and the villages of Thürmsdorf and Naundorf, as well as the village of Pötzscha, part of

Stadt Wehlen Stadt Wehlen (also: Wehlen) is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western edge of Saxon Switzerland, on the right bank of the Elbe, 6 km east of Pirna, and 23 km southeast o ...

. There are several climbing rocks on the Großer Bärenstein. Its summit is divided into two, with a saddle in between. The northern side has a picturesque view of Stadt Wehlen and the Elbe valley looking towards Pirna, the south and east sides look towards Königstein Fortress and the hills between the

Papststein Papststein is a mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous ...

and Schrammsteine. It may be ascended from the western-located Naundorf (easy, no signposts) or from the north (Riegelhofstiege, difficult, '' Klettersteig'').Roland H. Winkelhöfer: ''Der Quirl ohne Zweiffel… Eine Heimatkunde der 20 linkselbischen Tafelberge der Sächsischen Schweiz.'' , Peter Rölke: ''Stiegen-Wanderführer Sächsische Schweiz'', Berg- & Naturverlag Rölke, 2012, , pp.54-60

Appearance

Unlike the Kleiner Bärenstein, the rock is almost entirely wooded and views are limited.

Notes and references

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barenstein, Grosser Rock formations of Saxon Switzerland Mountains of Saxon Switzerland