Stone bridge
Between the rocks.
Jens Strauß — CC BY 3.0 · Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de — CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernd Thaller from Graz, Austria — CC BY 2.0 · Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Bastei is a rock formation rising 194 metres above the River Elbe in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of eastern Germany, near the village of Rathen, about 25 km southeast of Dresden in a straight line. It is the chief landmark of Saxon Switzerland National Park and part of a climbing and hiking area that crosses the border into Bohemian Switzerland in Czechia. The jagged rocks were shaped by water erosion over more than a million years and reach 305 metres above sea level. The site has drawn visitors for over 200 years: in 1824 a wooden bridge was built to link several rocks, and in 1851 it was replaced by today's sandstone Bastei Bridge. The rocks have inspired many artists, among them the painter Caspar David Friedrich. The stone bridge runs on seven arches between towering grey and pink rock pillars above a deep wooded ravine, and from the viewpoints the eye drops to the winding Elbe and small villages. In the early morning mist often fills the valley, with the rock peaks rising above it. Visitors walk from the car park along a short path to the bridge and viewpoints, or climb up from Rathen on the riverbank in about 45 minutes. Arrive early to beat the crowds; longer trails into the national park start here.
Between the rocks.
Below the cliff.
Peaks above the cloud.
Near Rathen, Saxon Switzerland National Park, Saxony, Germany
From the Bastei car park, or on foot from Rathen.
Yes, from Dresden.