Bastei

The tower (305 m above sea level. NN ) is a rock formation with a viewing platform in the Saxon Switzerland on the right bank of the Elbe between the spa town of Rathen and Wehlen. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Saxon Switzerland. From the bastion of the narrow Felsriff about 194 m drops steeply to the river Elbe. It offers a wide view of the Elbe Valley and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. On the plateau behind the bastion there is a hotel with restaurant.

History

Even the name Bastion indicates the earlier involvement of the towering rock in the defensive ring of a rock castle Neurathen. 1592 the rock was first mentioned by Matthias Oeder in the wake of the First Electoral Saxony land survey as Pastey. In the course of discovery and tourist development of the Saxon Switzerland, the Bastion Rock became one of the first places to visit. In the travel literature of the viewpoint was first mentioned in 1798 in a paper by Christian August Gottlob Eberhard. One of the first guide, who led guests to the bastion was Carl Heinrich Nicolai, who wrote in 1801: Which high sensations pours into the soul! A long time it is without being finished with it (...) difficult to tear you from this point on.

Initially, the only bastion of Wehlen and Lohmen was relatively easy to reach. About the Malerweg reached many artists the Bastion. Caspar David Friedrich painted by Bastion motives be known Rocks game in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. Ludwig Richter also recorded at the Bastion. From Rathen from the access was difficult, since 1814 was a stairway with 487 steps from here to the Wehlgrund about the " bird Telle " on the rock.

At Pentecost 1812 Lohmener Fleischer Pietzsch began with the first gastronomic supply the bastion visitors. In two cattle huts bread, butter, beer, spirits, coffee and milk was offered. Two years later beneath a rock overhang, a kitchen and a basement, the observation deck was a balustrade. In February 1816 Pietzsch received a liquor license, but erected by him humble buildings were destroyed in the September of that year in a fire. In June 1819 reported August von Goethe: ". Freundl huts and good Bewirthung with Caffe double beer liquer and fresh bread and butter were refreshing the weary traveler a very ... ". In 1820 the liquor license over to the Rathener Erblehnrichter Schedlich.

Ultimate Evolution impulses arose in 1826. This year, according to plans by Friedrich Gottlob Thor Meyer was the first permanent restaurant building with accommodation. The old bark huts were now on as night quarters of the guide. Under the name " Basteibrücke ", there was also a first wooden, over the deep crevasses of the " Marder Telle " built bridge, which by the upstream Felsriff with the rocks " slingshot " and " Neurathener arch, the" connected the bastion. 1851 this wooden bridge was replaced because of the steadily increasing visitor traffic through the sand stone bridge still exists today. It has a length of 76.5 m and spans seven arches with a 40-meter deep gorge that is called " raccoon Telle ".

End of the 19th century, the bastion developed finally to the main destination of the Saxon Switzerland. The existing restaurant was 1893/94 completely remodeled and expanded. To supply a high pressure water line ( 1895) and a telephone line (1897 ) was moved. In 1900 came plans on establishing a mountain railway from the Elbe to the Bastion, but they were not implemented. Even today, a canyon southwest of the bastion is known as railway Gründel. Beginning of the 20th century, the Basteistraße was expanded in the wake of rising motorization.

After 1945, the number of guests participated again too strong, especially on weekends and holidays, a mass tourism developed. Between 1975 and 1979, the previous restaurant was replaced by a large new building (architect Horst Witter ), and later by a hotel. The construction in the form of a 90m high tower was averted.

Tourism

The tower is one of the distinctive vantage points of Saxon Switzerland. Already August von Goethe praised 1819 views "Here where walls of the rugged rocks just looks into the Elbe, where in the small distance of Lilies, king and priest - stone grinding driven grouped are and at all the eye a whole is that can never be described in words. " Today, the Bastion has the highest attendance of all viewpoints in the Saxon Switzerland.

Apart from the actual view, there are still more interesting tourist points. At century tower, a rocky peak at the Basteibrücke are memorial plaques for the first mention of the bastion in the travel literature ( in 1797 ) as well as for Wilhelm Leberecht Götzinger and Carl Heinrich Nicolai to find. These two are by their travelogues and works on the " discoverers " of the Saxon Switzerland as a tourist destination. Another plaque commemorates the Saxon court photographer Hermann Krone, who scored the first landscape photos in Germany on the Basteibrücke in 1853. From Ferdinand Stone, a part of the Wehltürme, the famous view of the Basteibrücke is possible. It is reached by a branch on the way to Basteibrücke. Another well-known formation near the bastion is the watch-tower, from which a large piece broke off in 2000.

From the bastion, guests will arrive on the Basteibrücke the rock castle Neurathen, the largest rock castle of the Saxon Switzerland. The remains of the castle, about Balkenfalze and hewn out of the rock rooms, a cistern and discovered stone balls medieval slingshots and catapults can be visited on a private tour. A reconstructed slingshot in 1986 was placed in the rock castle. You can visit also finds from the excavations carried out, especially ceramics. Finally, the rise of Rathen on the bastion of an open air museum passes for Slavic colonization of the area and at the junction of Rathen.

About the bastion leads the mountain hiking Eisenach- Budapest.

Conservation

Already at the turn of the century to the 20th century, conservationists sat for the protection of the unique rocky landscape around the Bastion one. Plans to build a mountain railway were so prevented. In 1938 the bastion was then reported as the first nature reserve in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. Today it is part of the core zone of the National Park Saxon Switzerland, are in the very strict safety regulations.

Trivia

• The rock serves as a motif for a wallpaper of the Windows 7 operating system