121
VISITING FESTUNG
KÖNIGSTEINTourist Information
Bahnhofstrasse 1, 01824; 035021
671 71; http://www.tourismusverein-
elbsandsteingebirge.de; open daily8 Pirna
Saxony; 01796
A checkerboard of Baroque streets
shaded in dusty pastels, the town of
Pirna is centered on the cobbled
Markt, seemingly unchanged since it
was painted by the Italian artist
Canaletto in 1754; a copy of the
painting is in the tourist office at No.
- Carved portals still front handsome
merchants’ mansions, the town hall
continues to be the town’s center-
piece, even though its Renaissance
looks suf fered during 19th-cen tury
reno vations, and Schloss Sonnenstein
remains on a hill above. The town’s
church, Stadtkirche St. Marien (open
daily), is worth visiting for its vaulted
roof and a Renaissance pul pit
adorned with coquettish cherubs.
ª Return to the B172, going left
towards Bad Schandau. After 8 miles
(12 km) turn right to reach Festung
Königstein; tourist trains ascend to
the fortress from the parking lot.
Left Breathtaking view from Festung
Königstein Below Cannon on the fortified
walls of Festung KönigsteinDRIVE 11: On the Trail of the Sun King
9 Festung Königstein
Saxony; 01824
This mountain fortress (open daily)
looks so impregnable that no attempt
has been made to conquer it in over
600 years. The stronghold is 787 ft
(240 m) above the Elbe with unscal-
able 138-ft (42-m) tall walls. Visitors
can peer down a 499-ft (152-m) deep
well dug by Augustus the Strong and
tour the prison where he imprisoned
an alchemist to force him to create
gold from base metals. These exper-
iments resulted in the creation of his
“white gold” – porcelain. If inspired by
Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under €20; moderate, €20–€40; expensive, over €40Augustus the Strong
Frederick Augustus (1670–1733) was
nicknamed “Augustus the Strong”
either because of his physical
strength or his rumored 370 ille giti-
mate children. Impressed by
France’s Palace of Versailles, Augustus
styled himself as a Saxon Sun King
and began to transform his capital
to mirror his own magnif i cence.
His admiration for omnip otent
Oriental rulers also made him covet
Asian porcelain. His alchemist,
Johann Friedrich Böttger, cracked
the secret of “white gold” while
incarcerated in Festung Königstein.the views, visitors can drive 1 mile
(2 km) east to Königstein village for
walks to the Lillienstein (1,427 ft/
435 m) or Pfaffenstein (1,362 ft/
415 m) plateaus; maps are available
at the fortress’s ticket office (035021
646 07; http://www.festung-koenigstein.de)
and the village information center.
ª Take the B172 and cross the river to
reach Bad Schandau. Park by the river.
EAT AND DRINK IN PIRNADeutsches Haus moderate
Fine German cuisine is served in a
charming country-styled dining room
that has old wood furniture and glass
lamps, or in the beer garden.
Niedere Burgstrasse 1, 01796;
03501 468 80
Kleiner Pfifferling moderate
One of the finest dining options in
town, this small, stylish restaurant with
a daily menu serves upmarket
Mediterranean cuisine. Dining in the
inner courtyard during warm summer
evenings is an enjoyable experience.
Langestrasse 33–34, 01796;
03501 46 42 52