The Kleiner Bärenstein (English: Little 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
Großer Bärenstein
The Großer Bärenstein (English: Great Bear Rock) is a high table hill in the German region of Saxon Switzerland in the Free State of Saxony. Close by is the Kleiner Bärenstein which, together with the Großer Bärenstein, forms the massif know ...
which, together with the Kleiner Bärenstein, forms the massif of 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 Kleiner Bärenstein is located within a loop of the
River Elbe at
Rathen. The Bärensteine peaks form part of the parish boundary of
Weißig. At the foot of the Bärenstein are the woodlands of the farms of Fleck from Weißig. Also nearby are the villages of Thürmsdorf and Naundorf. On the Kleiner Bärenstein there are several
climbing rocks, the most important being the ''Thürmsdorfer Stein''.
History
The Kleiner Bärenstein was first recorded in 1548 as "''im Behrenstein''". Earlier descriptions also talked of the "''Thürmsdorfer Bärenstein''". In the 19th century the district forester (''Revierförster''), Wilhelm Mahn, made the Bärenstein accessible to hikers.
From 1851 until 1943 there was a small day-trippers pub on the Kleiner Bärenstein.
[Peter Rölke: ''Stiegen-Wanderführer Sächsische Schweiz'', Berg- & Naturverlag Rölke, 2012, , pp.54-60 ] As a result of the Second World War it was not possible to renovate and maintain it, so the restaurant fell into decay. Its foundations are still visible today.
In 2004 the woods around the Bärensteine were bought by private individuals.
''Diebskeller''
At the southwestern foot of the Kleiner Bärenstein there is a small
collapse cave, caused by a
rockfall and
erosion, that is known locally as the Thieves' Cellar (''Diebskeller'').
Wilhelm Leberecht Götzinger
Wilhelm may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm"
* Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
Other uses
* Mount ...
, who grew up in nearby
Struppen
Struppen is a municipality in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany.
References
Populated places in Saxon Switzerland
{{SächsischeSchweizOsterzgebirge-geo-stub ...
, was apparently inspired to research the nature of Saxon Switzerland when walking to the Kleiner Bärenstein as a child. Götzinger later published the first comprehensive descriptions of Saxon Switzerland. In 1886 the Saxon Switzerland Alpine Club erected a memorial tablet in the ''Diebskeller'' in honour of Götzinger.
Views
There is a viewing point on the summit of the Kleiner Bärenstein with views over large parts of Saxon Switzerland.
Gallery
File:Kleiner Barenstein.jpg, The Kleiner Bärenstein seen from Weißig
File:Kleiner Barenstein1.jpg, View from the Kleiner Bärenstein to the nearby Großer Bärenstein
File:Kleiner Barenstein2.jpg, View from the Kleiner Bärenstein to Königstein Fortress and the Pfaffenstein
Notes and references
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barenstein, Kleiner
Rock formations of Saxon Switzerland
Mountains of Saxon Switzerland