Königstein Fortress

By Vicky · Published Sep. 26th, 2023

Königstein Fortress is a large, historic castle on a rocky plateau and one of the top attractions in Saxon Switzerland.

Getting to Königstein Fortress

Königstein Fortress is in Saxon Switzerland, about 35 minutes drive southeast of Dresden. It’s also about 30-60 minutes away from Bohemian Switzerland National Park in nearby Czech Republic.

The car park at Königstein Fortress is €2/7/13 for up to 1hr/4hr/1 day (cash, or pay with card in the gift shop at the car park). You’ll need to get at least the 4hr parking ticket, as 1hr isn’t enough. If you want to explore all the exhibits, walk around the outer castle walls and perhaps visit the cafe, you could easily spend more than 4 hours at the castle. Parking in Königstein town below is also expensive at €9 for the day (coins only).

From the official car park it’s a 600 metre walk along the road up to the castle entrance, or pay another 5€ for a return trip on a little train.

Public transport to Königstein Fortress

You can also reach Königstein Fortress by public transport. There’s a direct train (S-Bahn) from Dresden Central Station to Königstein Train Station which takes 39 minutes. You can then either take the Festungsexpress or walk up to the castle (see below).

Alternatively, you can take a paddle steamer cruise from Dresden* to Königstein, admiring the great views from the Elbe River on the way. From the pier at Königstein, you can either take the Festungsexpress all the way up to the castle (€4, every 30 minutes Apr-Oct) or walk up to the fortress (30-45 minutes).

Walking from Königstein Town to Königstein Fortress

If you come by bus, boat or train, you might want to walk up to Königstein Fortress. It’s just over 1.5 km with 200 metres of uphill and takes about 30-45 minutes. From the roundabout in the centre of town, head along the streets in the direction of the castle. Opposite the entrance of the church you’ll find the start of the walking trail. Follow it upwards through the woodland and it’ll bring you to the castle entrance point.

Visiting Königstein Fortress

At the entrance to the castle, below the plateau, you’ll find the ticket office. It’s open every day, Apr-Oct 9am-6pm and Nov-Mar 9am-5pm. Remember to ask here about an audio guide (€2 extra) if you’re interested. Tickets to the castle include the lift which whizzes you up from here to the top plateau. It’s best to get the lift up, then walk back down the impressive entrance when you leave.

Once you get to the top you’ll be within the huge hilltop fortress, safe inside the impressive defensive walls. It contains over 50 buildings, both large and small. Notable structures within the fortress include the Magdalenenburg, a Renaissance-style castle, and the deep well, which is one of the deepest in Europe. Many buildings contain exhibits with different themes and of different quality. There are barracks, defenses, gardens and much more to explore.

One thing you can’t miss at Königstein Fortress is the long panorama walk along the fortress walls. From here there are great views of Saxon Switzerland National Park and the Elbe Valley. It doesn’t matter which way you walk around the complex and there’s no set route, just try and visit all the corners of the grounds so you can explore everything.

After visiting everything inside the fortress, walk down the tunnel and out through the impressive entrance at the western side. Look back at the imposing castle and imagine anyone trying to attack! If you still have energy, walk around the outside of the castle walls. This is a 1.6 km loop and you’ll be able to see how impregnable the cliffs and walls really are.

Refreshments and Restaurants at the Castle

There are several restaurants and cafes in Königstein Fortress, all fairly expensive:

• Offizierskasino: Open daily 12–4 pm. Serves canteen-style German food, plus cakes, hot drinks and more.
• Festungsbäckerei: Open Sat & Sun 11 am–5 pm. Serves cakes and hot drinks on an outdoor terrace. You can also buy bread here.

• Zum Musketier: Open daily 9 am–6 pm. Traditional German restaurant with a cozy indoors plus an outdoor terrace near the centre of the castle.
• Napoleons Küche: Open daily 11 am–4:30 pm. A panoramic biergarten also serving simple food. It’s named after Napolean, who once strolled across this area while contemplating the future of Europe.

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I hope you enjoy visiting Königstein Fortress. While in the area, check out the Bastei Bridge Hike, Lilienstein Hike, or our Germany or Czech Hiking Page.