Kurort Rathen

Just before the Bastei rock formation, on the banks of the Elbe, lies the spa town of Rathen. Thanks to its peaceful location, it is one of the most visited places in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains; it is easily accessible yet offers true tranquility nestled between the wild valley and the rock formations.

What you should see

Model Railroad – Rathen – In the town of Rathen, you can visit an exhibition focused on the history of railroads and rail transport, aptly named “Railroad Worlds.” This open-air exhibition introduces you to model railroads from both the past and the present. There is a guesthouse on the premises offering refreshments.

Bastei – The Bastei Nature Reserve (Naturschutzgebiet Bastei) is located here; covering an area of about 800 hectares, it was established in 1938 and is the oldest in Saxon Switzerland. For tourists, there is a hotel offering every comfort and a complex of restaurants. The area’s biggest attraction is the 76-meter-long stone bridge wedged between the rocks, known as the Basteibrücke. This stone bridge was built by hand as early as 1826, when Saxon Switzerland began opening up to the first tourists, who, in the spirit of Romanticism, undertook journeys into nature. The bridge’s current form dates from 1851; it spans the Kuní jámá and thus connects the Bastei with the Neurathen rock, where you can find the last remnants of a mid-14th-century castle. At the foot of the rock are further remains of the Altrathen rock castle, though these are now very faint. Among the attractions is the Felsenbühne rock theater, with a capacity of 2,000 seats, which was established in 1936. In the nearby Grünbachtal valley lies Amselsee (Blackbird Lake), where you can take a boat ride on the water.