Hiking in Königstein

Königstein, Germany

In New Zealand, Mac & I developed a great fondness for hiking. So much so that we hiked over 300km in just a few months. We tried to keep up our new found hobby when we were back in Canada last year, but not nearly as much as we would have liked. Now that we’re travelling, we wanted to make hiking much more of a priority. We’ve gone on quite a few big day walks on our travels so far, but they’ve mostly been in cities. We wanted to go hiking in nature. So, after Berlin, we headed south to a small border town near Czech Republic called Königstein. All of the cities we’ve been to so far have been flat, so we were pretty excited to finally see some hills!!! This was our chance, we were going hiking in Königstein!!

The city of Königstein is at the footsteps of Sächsischen Schweiz – or, Saxon Switzerland – a National Park that hugs the Elbe River and spreads east towards the border. It’s a teeny town – population, less than 3000 – but it receives hoards of outdoor enthusiasts who take advantage of the abundance of trails and routes that blanket the area. One such trail is called the Malerweg (aka Painter’s Way). This almost 120km trek is quite popular and is usually completed in 8 days.

During our hiking in Königstein extravaganza, we tackled two of the main attractions – Lilienstein and Pfeffenstein – both of which are on the Malerweg route. They are also both are tabletop mountains (or hills, depending how you want to look at it), and are surrounded by a huge network of paths to explore.

Hiking in Königstein

Lilienstein & Basteibrücke

Lilienstein is north of the Elbe River – so to start hiking, you need to take a ferry to the other side. From the banks of the river, you’re immediately rewarded with a fantastic view of the Königstein Fortress. This huge imposing structure towers over the town and is a great foreshadow for some more amazing views to follow.

The path to Lilienstein starts almost as soon as you get off the boat. It ascends pretty rapidly, and before you know it, you’ll be at the top! On top of the rock you’ll have a near 360 degree view of the landscape below. There are heaps of paths at the top and each one will lead to another, equally incredible view point. You’ll be able to see not only the fortress & city, but also all of the surrounding fields and the seemingly endless countryside. You’ll also get a glimpse of another tabletop mountain to the north. That’s where you’ll be heading next!

After leaving the top of Lilienstien, head north through the forest, past some giant boulders, and eventually along the river towards the town of Kurort Rathen. There’s a pretty epic spot to stop for lunch along the way (a place called Lottersteighutte). You’ll eat at some top notch picnic tables with an incredible view of the river beyond.

This town is super touristy, with souvenir shops, ice cream stalls, and fancy restaurants lining the streets. Fortunately the crowds die down a little bit as you start ascending the hill towards Amselsfalls. If you’re fortunate enough to go during not the dry season, you’ll be rewarded with a glorious, breath taking waterfall. If, however, you go during the middle of a dry summer, the water will be no more than a trickle. Whomp whomp. You can make yourself feel better by getting a soft serve ice cream cone from a vending machine (true story!) before continuing on with the hike.

From Amselsfalls, backtrack a little and follow the signs for Basteibrücke. Bask in the beauty of the forest hiking, because once you get to the top, you’ll be joining hoards of people who drove to the parking lot and/or are staying at the hotel on the tabletop summit. If you can look past the crowds however, you’ll be rewarded with some more incredible landscape views.

As with Lilienstein, be sure to wander along all the trails at the top. Many will lead you to a place to view the pièce de résistance, Basteibrücke. Originally constructed out of wood in 1824, the Bastei Bridge connected large sandstone formations. The bridge was converted to stone in 1851 and has served as one of the most popular attractions in the area ever since.

Tip: If you want to avoid (some) of the crowds, go early! We arrived around 2-3pm and the place was swarming. Fellow hikers we met went at 10am and said there were only about three other people on the bridge.

A path from the bridge leads all the way down back to Kurort Rathen where you can take a different (much bigger) ferry back across the river. From here, it’s a mere 6km hike back to Königstein. Or, if your legs aren’t feeling the extra mileage, you can take the train one stop back to town. Mac and I did this and did not have a single regret.

Practical Info

Ferry from Konigstein: 1.50

Ferry from Kurort Rathen: 1.20

Distance: 13.6km

Vertical Climb: 490m

Route 3,568,677 – powered by www.wandermap.net

Pfaffenstein

While it’s easy to get distracted by the many tabletop mountains across the river from town, there is another equally impressive mountain to the south. Just beyond the small village of Pfaffendorf is Pfaffenstein. The hike up the mountain begins with an epic accent of stairs. Not only are there typical wooden stairs, there are stairs carved in rocks, ladders placed against rocks, and even some rungs secured into the mountain! Now that’s what I call hiking!

Again, once you get to the top, you’ll almost immediately be rewarded with some incredible views of the surrounding landscape. You’ll even be able to see Lilienstein & the Fortress! As with Lilienstein, there are numerous trails at the top which lead to more sandstone formations and more vistas. There’s even a cafe and WC at the top, should you need some refreshments or to use the facilities.

At the top you can follow the signs for Barbarine – a unique-looking sandstone formation that is often featured on the cover of guidebooks. Or, you can descend some more epic stairways through rock and forest and spend some time on the mountainside. The map I was using didn’t have topo lines on it, so I was convinced the path that led me down the mountain would again lead me up, rather than around. I was wrong. If you’re wondering, this is what Barbarine looks like from below!!

There are several trails that will lead you back down the mountain and into Pfaffendorf. From there, it’s an easier downhill jaunt back to Königstein.

Practical Info

Distance: 10.6km

Vertical Climb: 290m

Route 3,568,680 – powered by www.wandermap.net

Hiking in Königstein is just what the doctor ordered for us nature lovers. There are so many trails around this charming city that we easily could have spent many more days there. I’ve heard the hike up to the Königstein Fortresss is also pretty amazing.

Have you gone hiking lately? How are your navigational skills??

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