Bastei

Why go

The Saxon Switzerland National Park administration describes the Bastei as a rock massif near Rathen whose main rock, 305 metres high, rises vertically 194 metres above the Elbe, with views across the table mountains of Saxon Switzerland. It says the Bastei area was declared a nature reserve in 1938 and is now part of the national park, and that a stone bridge connects the Bastei with the Neurathen rock castle, a 13th-century fortress; today's Bastei Bridge was built in 1850/51. The administration also says the Free State of Saxony opened a new viewing platform in spring 2023, and that the Bastei has an extensive tourist infrastructure with hotels and restaurants. The national park's published rules say access is permitted only on the existing paths. This record is the rock formation, not the bridge alone or the national park; it is in the municipality of Lohmen, outside Dresden.