![Lilienstein herbstabend](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Lilienstein_herbstabend.jpeg)
Saxon Switzerland (german: Sächsische Schweiz) is a hilly
climbing area
A climbing area is a small geographical region with a concentration of opportunities for climbing. The term is most commonly used of rock climbing areas, but there are also ice climbing areas that have the right combination of steepness and wat ...
and
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
around the
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Repu ...
valley south-east of
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
in
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
,
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 member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Together with the
Bohemian Switzerland
Bohemian Switzerland ( cs, České Švýcarsko; german: Böhmische Schweiz), also known as Czech Switzerland, is a picturesque region in the north-western Czech Republic.
It has been a protected area (as Elbe Sandstone Mountains Protected Landscap ...
in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
it forms the
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (german: Elbsandsteingebirge; cs, Děčinská vrchovina), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemia ...
.
Saxon Switzerland alone has some 1,000 climbing peaks, as well as several hollows. The area is popular with local and international climbers.
The administrative district for the area is
Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge
Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains (german: Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge) is a district ('' Kreis'') in Saxony, Germany. It is named after the mountain ranges Saxon Switzerland and Eastern Ore Mountains.
History
The district was estab ...
. The fortress of
Königstein is a well-known landmark.
Etymology
The German name for Saxon Switzerland, ''Sächsische Schweiz'', appeared in the 18th century. Two
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
s,
Adrian Zingg
Adrian Zingg (April 15, 1734, St.Gallen – May 26, 1816, Leipzig) was a Swiss painter.
Life
Adrian Zingg received his professional training with his father, the steel cutter Bartolomäus Zingg, then became an apprentice with the engra ...
and
Anton Graff
Anton Graff (18 November 1736 – 22 June 1813) was an eminent Swiss portrait artist. Among his famous subjects were Friedrich Schiller, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Heinrich von Kleist, Frederick the Great, Friederike Sophie Seyler, Johann Go ...
, were appointed in 1766 to the
Dresden Academy of Art
The Dresden Academy of Fine Arts (German ''Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden''), often abbreviated HfBK Dresden or simply HfBK, is a vocational university of visual arts located in Dresden, Germany. The present institution is the product o ...
.
They felt the landscape was reminiscent of their homeland, the
Swiss Jura
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internatio ...
, and reported in their exchange of letters on the difference between their homeland and "Saxon Switzerland". Previously, the Saxon part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains had merely been referred to as the Meissen Highlands (''Meißner Hochland''), Meissen Oberland (''Meißen Oberland'') or Heath above Schandau (''Heide über Schandau'').
The description became popular through the publication of the name by Wilhelm Lebrecht Götzinger. In his books he described the area as Saxon Switzerland and made the term known to a wide audience.
In English the usual translation is "Saxon Switzerland". However other sources call it "Saxony Switzerland" or even "Swiss Saxony".
Geography
![Carolafelsen2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Carolafelsen2.jpg)
To the east, Saxon Switzerland transitions into the Lusatian Highlands and, to the west, into the
Ore Mountains. The adjacent
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
part of the
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (german: Elbsandsteingebirge; cs, Děčinská vrchovina), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemia ...
is known as the
Bohemian Switzerland
Bohemian Switzerland ( cs, České Švýcarsko; german: Böhmische Schweiz), also known as Czech Switzerland, is a picturesque region in the north-western Czech Republic.
It has been a protected area (as Elbe Sandstone Mountains Protected Landscap ...
.
The highest elevation in Saxon Switzerland is the
Großer Zschirnstein
The Großer Zschirnstein () is the highest hill in the Saxon and German part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
Origin of the name
The name appears to be derived from the Slavic root word for "black".
Location and area
There are two climbing peaks ...
at 562 m
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
.
Natural region classification
In the classification of
natural region
A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate.
From the ecology, ecological point of view, the naturally occurring fl ...
s by Emil Meynen, Saxon Switzerland was a major unit (430) within the
Saxon-Bohemian Chalk Sandstone Region (main unit group 43), whose only other major unit on German soil was the
Zittau Mountains
The Zittau Mountains (german: Zittauer Gebirge, cs, Žitavské hory), formerly also called the Lusatian Ridge (''Lausitzer Kamm''), refer to the German part of the Lusatian Mountains that straddle the Saxon-Bohemian border in the extreme sout ...
. The boundary between the two mountain ranges, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the
Lusatian Mountains
The Lusatian Mountains ( cs, Lužické hory; german: Lausitzer Gebirge; pl, Góry Łużyckie) are a mountain range of the Western Sudetes on the southeastern border of Germany with the Czech Republic. They are a continuation of the Ore Mountains ...
, is located on Czech territory, which is why these natural regions are geographically separated from one another.
The Ecosystem and Regional Character working group of the
Saxon Academy of Sciences
The Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig (german: Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig) is an institute which was founded in 1846 under the name ''Royal Saxon Society for the Sciences'' (german: Königlich Sächsische G ...
in
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
has now, at the beginning of the 21st century, grouped all ranges in the Saxon-Bohemian border region into the super unit
Saxon Highlands and Uplands (''Sächsisches Bergland und Mittelgebirge''). The
Lusatian Mountains
The Lusatian Mountains ( cs, Lužické hory; german: Lausitzer Gebirge; pl, Góry Łużyckie) are a mountain range of the Western Sudetes on the southeastern border of Germany with the Czech Republic. They are a continuation of the Ore Mountains ...
between Saxon Switzerland and the Zittau Mountains also belong to it, whereas Meynen had grouped it with the
loess
Loess (, ; from german: Löss ) is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loess or similar deposits.
Loess is a periglacial or aeolian ...
hill country to the north and east into the major unit of Upper Lusatia (''Oberlausitz''); to the west the new super unit is continued by the main unit groups of the
Ore Mountains and
Vogtland
Vogtland (; cz, Fojtsko) is a region spanning the German states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia and north-western Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It overlaps with and is largely contained within Euregio Egrensis. The name alludes to the former ...
.
[Map of natural regions in Saxony](_blank)
at www.umwelt.sachsen.de (pdf, 859 kB)
Geological formation
See ''
Elbe Sandstone Mountains (Geology section)''
Hills
As a rule, two types of hill may be distinguished.
Numerous rock formations in the
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (german: Elbsandsteingebirge; cs, Děčinská vrchovina), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemia ...
, in both Saxon Switzerland and
Bohemian Switzerland
Bohemian Switzerland ( cs, České Švýcarsko; german: Böhmische Schweiz), also known as Czech Switzerland, is a picturesque region in the north-western Czech Republic.
It has been a protected area (as Elbe Sandstone Mountains Protected Landscap ...
, are known locally in this region as ''Steine'' ("rocks"). Prominent examples are the
Königstein, the
Lilienstein, the Gohrisch and the Papststein. This description does not, however, include the dome-shaped ''Kuppen'' such as the Waitzdorfer Höhe or the
Großer Winterberg
Großer Winterberg is a mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany. It is the second highest mountain of the Saxon Switzerland and is located on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is ...
, whose bedrock is made of
volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
or
granitic
A granitoid is a generic term for a diverse category of coarse-grained igneous rocks that consist predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and alkali feldspar. Granitoids range from plagioclase-rich tonalites to alkali-rich syenites and from quart ...
material.
The
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
formations soar above the so-called "levels" of their surrounding area, the former level of the River Elbe, and represent the remains of an old
peneplain
390px, Sketch of a hypothetical peneplain formation after an orogeny.
In geomorphology and geology, a peneplain is a low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion. This is the definition in the broadest of terms, albeit with frequency the usage ...
. In the course of the Late
Tertiary
Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago.
The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
, uplifting of the
Ore Mountains and sideways pressure from the
Lusatian Highlands
The Lusatian Highlands[''Upper Lusatia''](_blank)
at www.silvaportal.info. Accessed on 10 July 20 ...
shattered the sandstone plate along lines that intersected like a grid and this, combined with the simultaneously increasing stream velocity of the Elbe and regressive erosion in its side valleys, offered new lines of attack and new routes for the destructive power of water. Initially the larger
table hills (''Lilienstein''), or those already deeply fissured like ''
Zirkelstein
The Zirkelstein is the smallest table hill of Saxon Switzerland, in Germany. It is a wooded, cone-shaped hill with a striking summit block of sandstone rock.
Location and area
The Zirkelstein is located five kilometres southeast of Bad Schanda ...
'',
''Kaiserkrone'' or already forested (''
Kohlbornstein''), remained, but these too broke up later as a result of erosive destruction into long ridges (''Schrammsteine'') or even into individual
rock pinnacle
A pinnacle, tower, spire, needle or natural tower (german: Felsnadel, ''Felsturm'' or ''Felszinne'') in geology is an individual column of rock, isolated from other rocks or groups of rocks, in the shape of a vertical shaft or spire.
Examples ar ...
s (''Torwächter''). Morphologically harder sections of strata, that resisted
karstification
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
longer and more successfully, generally form the uppermost layers. The collapse of rock structures is usually therefore a result of erosion from below or from the flanks.
History
![Ansicht Saechsische Schweiz um 1850](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Ansicht_Saechsische_Schweiz_um_1850.jpg)
During the Dark Ages, the region was settled by
Slavs
Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...
and was part of the Kingdom of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. About 1000 years ago
Bohemian
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
-Saxon Switzerland was the borderland of three Slavic tribes. The Nisane tribe (east of the Elbe from Dresden to Pirna), the Milzane tribe (from today's Upper Lusatia) and in the south the Dacine tribe shaped the political and economic landscape at that time.
It was not until the 15th century that the area now called Saxon Switzerland came under
Saxon hegemony when it became part of the
Margraviate of Meissen with boundaries roughly corresponding to those of today.
The development of the area for tourism began in earnest in the 19th century. This was greatly helped by the building of one of the first
trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
lines in the world: the
Biela Valley Trolleybus, which was in operation from 1901 to 1904 and was operated from Königstein.
Romantic artists were inspired by the beauty of wilderness, like the
painter
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
Ludwig Richter or the
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 17865 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic who was one of the first significant composers of the Romantic era. Best known for his opera ...
, who set his famous
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
''
Der Freischütz
' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 181 ...
'' with its Wolfsschlucht ("Wolf's Gorge") scene set near the town of
Rathen
Rathen is a village in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in Saxony, Germany, about southeast of Dresden. The village occupies both banks of the river Elbe and, as of 2020, has 339 inhabitants. Rathen is a popular tourist destination, the main sigh ...
.
In the
Nazi era
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
the description of German territories as ''Schweiz'' ("Switzerland") was officially banned. For that reason, with effect from 19 October 1938, the official term "Sächsische Schweiz" was replaced by "Amtshauptmannschaft Pirna" and from January 1939 by "Kreis Pirna" in the names of the local places of
Königstein,
Obervogelgesang,
Ottendorf,
Porschdorf,
Rathen
Rathen is a village in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in Saxony, Germany, about southeast of Dresden. The village occupies both banks of the river Elbe and, as of 2020, has 339 inhabitants. Rathen is a popular tourist destination, the main sigh ...
,
Rathewalde,
Rathmannsdorf and
Reinhardtsdorf.
[Statistik des Deutschen Reichs, Band 450: Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis für das Deutsche Reich, Teil I, Berlin 1939; page 272]
Medieval castles
When Germans began to settle in the 13th century, there was a systematic banishment of Bohemian influence and numerous local military conflicts erupted around strategically important fortifications. These fortifications primarily serve to protect the border and trading routes. Due to a lack of central power this protective function was left to local knights. The progressive division of the area due to the hereditary distribution of estates upset the economic balance of the region and many castles degenerated into bases for
robber barons.
Not until the middle of the 16th century, when the
Wettins captured many of the castles did the situation stabilise.
Today, these the castles and ruins, some of which are well preserved, are popular with tourists, who make their way to these sites up steep climbing paths.
These castles include:
Saxony:
Hohnstein
Hohnstein () is a town located in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony, Germany. As of 2020, its population numbered a total of 3,262.
Geography
It is situated in Saxon Switzerland, 12 km east of Pirna, and 28 km so ...
,
Hockstein,
Neurathen,
Altrathen,
Königstein,
Lilienstein,
Falkenstein,
Frienstein,
Rauschenstein
Bohemia:
Schauenstein,
Falkenstein,
Kreibitzer Burg,
Tollenstein,
Khaaer Burg,
Schönbuche
National park
![Rathen LC0154](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Rathen_LC0154.jpg)
In September 1990, even before the
reunification of Germany, a
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
was created in Saxon Switzerland in order to protect the unique natural character of the hill range. The 93 km
2 area covers two physically separate regions: one near
Rathen
Rathen is a village in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, in Saxony, Germany, about southeast of Dresden. The village occupies both banks of the river Elbe and, as of 2020, has 339 inhabitants. Rathen is a popular tourist destination, the main sigh ...
– the region of the
Bastei
The Bastei is a rock formation rising 194 metres above the Elbe River in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Germany. Reaching a height of 305 metres above sea level, the jagged rocks of the Bastei were formed by water erosion over one million years ...
,
Polenz valley,
Brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
and
Uttewalder Grund – and the other embracing the whole Saxon Switzerland Hinterland (''Hintere Sächsische Schweiz'') between the Elbe and the state border with the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
and including the
Schrammsteine
The Schrammsteine are a long, strung-out, very jagged group of rocks in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains located east of Bad Schandau in Saxon Switzerland in eastern Germany. To the north they are bordered by the Kirnitzsch valley, to the south by the ...
n,
Großer Winterberg
Großer Winterberg is a mountain of Saxony, southeastern Germany. It is the second highest mountain of the Saxon Switzerland and is located on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is ...
,
Großer Zschand and
Kirnitzsch
The Kirnitzsch (German), in Bohemia also called the Kirnischt,Messtischblatt Nr. 86 Hinterhermsdorf, published by the Reichsamt für Landesaufnahme, Landesaufnahme Sachsen 193Digitalised at www.fotothek.de/ref> cz, Křinice, is a right tributa ...
valley.
Rock climbing
Saxon Switzerland is characterized by its
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
rocks which draw many rock climbers. There are some 14,000 climbing routes on over 1,100 rock pinnacles. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Saxon Rules for
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
were established. They are considered to be one of the origins of
free climbing
Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber may use climbing equipment such as ropes and other means of climbing protection, but only to protect against injury during falls and not to assist vertical or horizontal progress. Th ...
. Ropes and
bolts may only be used for
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
but never as a means of climbing. The use of
chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Chalk ...
and common means of protection such as
nuts and
friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...
is also not permitted; instead knotted nylon slings are used. With a few exceptions, climbing is only practised and permitted at freestanding rock towers.
A Saxon oddity is the concept of a ''Baustelle'' (literally "building site") where climbers scale a difficult section by climbing on top of the shoulders of other climbers (sometimes several people on top of each other) with everybody involved only holding himself by holds the rock provides. Though this would normally be considered a form of
aid climbing
Aid climbing is a style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress.
The term contrasts with free climbing in which progress is made without using artifi ...
, it is here accepted as a form of
free climbing
Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber may use climbing equipment such as ropes and other means of climbing protection, but only to protect against injury during falls and not to assist vertical or horizontal progress. Th ...
. As the pinnacles are often very close to one other, jumping from one rock to another is also rather popular and this technique even has its own
grades of difficulty.
In addition to the climbing summits there are also various steep paths, on which hikers with
sure-footedness
Sure-footedness is the ability, especially when hiking or mountain climbing, to negotiate difficult or rough terrain safely. Such situations place demands on a person's coordination and reserves of strength as well as requiring sufficient appreciat ...
and a
head for heights
To have a head for heights means that one has no acrophobia, an irrational fear of heights, and is not particularly prone to fear of falling or suffering from vertigo, the spinning sensation that can be triggered, for example, by looking down fro ...
can climb, in places, great heights with the aid of steps, ladders, metal rungs and railings at various points. Amongst the most popular of these climbing paths are the
Häntzschelstiege in the ''Affensteinen'', as well as the
Heilige Stiege, the
Rübezahlstiege and the
Rotkehlchenstiege north of
Schmilka
Bad Schandau (; hsb, Žandow) is a spa town in Germany, in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, at the mouth of the valley of the Kirnitzsch and in the area often described as S ...
.
''Boofen''
A ''Boofe'' (plural: ''Boofen'') is local slang for sleeping out overnight in the open under a rock overhang and has a long tradition in Saxon Switzerland. Many young people travel to Saxon Switzerland at weekends in order to ''boofen''. Today it is only permitted by the National Park Authority at designated sites. However the growing number of ''Boofers'' and the bad conduct of individuals (e.g. who light illegal campfires, tear up saplings or cause soil erosion) has led to repeated altercations.
Points of interest
![Rapsfeld1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Rapsfeld1.jpg)
*
Bastei
The Bastei is a rock formation rising 194 metres above the Elbe River in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Germany. Reaching a height of 305 metres above sea level, the jagged rocks of the Bastei were formed by water erosion over one million years ...
and
Neurathen Castle
Neurathen Castle (german: Felsenburg Neurathen), which was first mentioned by this name in 1755,http://www.raubschlösser.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84&Itemid=64 is located near the famous Bastei rocks near Rathen in Saxon Sw ...
*
Bärensteine and
Rauenstein near
Weißig
*
Biela Valley
*
Stolpen Castle
Stolpen ( hsb, Stołpin) is a town in the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge, in Saxony, Germany. It is a historical town, that grew at the foot of the ''Schloßberg'' with the castle ''Burg Stolpen''.
Burg Stolpen
Burg Stolpen is ...
* Ruins of
Wehlen Castle
* Rock arch near
Wehlen
*
Frienstein and the Ida Grotto
* Mount
Gohrisch with its refuge hut
*
Kaiserkrone and
Zirkelstein
The Zirkelstein is the smallest table hill of Saxon Switzerland, in Germany. It is a wooded, cone-shaped hill with a striking summit block of sandstone rock.
Location and area
The Zirkelstein is located five kilometres southeast of Bad Schanda ...
*
Kirnitzschtal Tramway
The Kirnitzschtal tramway, also known as the ''Kirnitzschtalbahn'', is an electric tramway in Saxony, Germany. The line runs through the valley of the Kirnitzsch river in Saxon Switzerland, from the town of Bad Schandau up to the Lichtenhain W ...
, an historic
interurban
The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...
in the Kirnitzsch valley
*
Little Saxon Switzerland, a miniature park layout in the village of Wehlen
*
Königstein Fortress
Königstein Fortress (german: Festung Königstein), the " Saxon Bastille", is a hilltop fortress near Dresden, in Saxon Switzerland, Germany, above the town of Königstein on the left bank of the River Elbe. It is one of the largest hilltop fo ...
, the largest hill fortress in Europe
*
Kuhstall on the
New Wildenstein
*
Lilienstein,
Schrammsteine
The Schrammsteine are a long, strung-out, very jagged group of rocks in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains located east of Bad Schandau in Saxon Switzerland in eastern Germany. To the north they are bordered by the Kirnitzsch valley, to the south by the ...
*
Obere Schleuse
The Obere Schleuse in Hinterhermsdorf is a barrage system on the German-Czech border river of Kirnitzsch and impounds the water over a length of 700 metres. It was originally a facility for timber rafting. There are boat rides on the reservoir toda ...
, ''boat trip'' near
Hinterhermsdorf
Sebnitz (; hsb, Zebnica) is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in Saxony, Germany.
Geography
The town of Sebnitz lies in the valley of the river Sebnitz and its side valleys between 251 and 460 m above sea level betwee ...
*
Rathen Open-Air Stage, an open-air theatre
*
Papststein with observation tower and restaurant
*
Pfaffenstein
The Pfaffenstein, formerly called the ''Jungfernstein'', is a table hill,[''"Der Pfaffenste ...](_blank)
and the
Barbarine
The Barbarine is the best-known free-standing rock formation in the German part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. It is a rock pinnacle, high, and is the symbol of Saxon Switzerland. It was first climbed on 19 September 1905.
Location
The Barb ...
*
Wolfsberg
*
Bad Schandau
Bad Schandau (; hsb, Žandow) is a spa town in Germany, in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district of Saxony. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, at the mouth of the valley of the Kirnitzsch and in the area often described as S ...
Botanical Gardens, a regional
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
Panorama
See also
*
Saxon Switzerland National Park
Saxon Switzerland National Park (german: Nationalpark Sächsische Schweiz), is a national park in the German Free State of Saxony, near the Saxon capital Dresden. It covers two areas of 93.5 km² (36.1 mi²) in the heart of the German ...
*
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (german: Elbsandsteingebirge; cs, Děčinská vrchovina), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemia ...
*
List of regions of Saxony
A classification of the various regions of Saxony cannot be achieved in any uniform or standard way, as the commonly used names usually represent a mixture of historical regions and geographical features. Many well-known names of regions, such as ...
Photos
File:SaxonBastei6.JPG, View from the Bastei
File:SaxonBastei1.JPG, View of the Elbe River from Bastei
File:Fortress Koenigstein (js).jpg, View from Königstein fortress to Lilienstein and Elbe
File:Falkenstein.jpg, Falkenstein
File:Fotothek_df_ps_0001726_Landschaften_^_Hügellandschaften_-_Gebirgslandschaften_^.jpg, Climbing in the Biela
Biela may refer to:
* Biela, Bohemia, former name of a town in eastern Bohemia, now Luže
* Biela, Greater Poland Voivodeship (west-central Poland)
*Biela (river), a river in eastern Germany.
* Wilhelm Freiherr von Biela, an Austrian military offi ...
valley
File:Schild der Nationalparkregion Sächsische Schweiz 060704 1.jpg, National Park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
sign
References
Sources
* Autorenkollektiv: ''Brockhaus Reisehandbuch Sächsische Schweiz – Osterzgebirge.'' Leipzig 1970.
* Wilhelm Lebrecht Götzinger: ''Schandau und seine Umgebungen, oder Beschreibung der Sächsischen Schweiz.'' Begersche Buch- und Kunsthandlung, Dresden 1812.
* Heinz Klemm: ''Die Entdeckung der Sächsischen Schweiz.'' Sachsenverlag, Dresden 1953.
* Alfred Meiche: ''Die Burgen und vorgeschichtlichen Wohnstätten der Sächsischen Schweiz.'' Wilhelm Baensch Verlagsbuchhandlung, Dresden 1907. (Reprint Leipzig 1979)
* Alfred Meiche: ''Historisch-topographische Beschreibung der Amtshauptmannschaft Pirna.'' Dresden 1927.
* Michael Bellmann: ''Der Klettersteigführer: Klettersteige und Stiegen in der Sächsischen Schweiz.'' Dresden 2019.
External links
Saxony Switzerland(en)
Sächsische Schweiz(in German)
Official portal of the destination Saxon Switzerland(in English)
Tourism Portal Saxon Switzerland Info-Portal Saxon Switzerland (en)
{{Authority control
Climbing areas of Germany
Regions of Saxony
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
Protected landscapes in Germany
Natural regions of Saxony