This is my guide to visiting the spectacular Bastei Bridge in Germany. This breathtaking location in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of the Saxon Switzerland National Park has been drawing visitors for over 200 years.
This section of the Elbe Valley is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe, with sandstone rock towers soaring 200 metres above the Elbe Gorge. It’s also very easy to reach from much of eastern Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland.
I’ve written this Bastei Bridge Germany guide, partly because no other online articles about Bastei answered my own questions.
In particular I cover where to find the best views of Bastei Bridge. I found very little specific information about this, which, as I was planning to photograph the Bridge, I found frustrating.
My Bastei Bridge guide covers all possible ways of getting to Bastei Bridge. These include the Bastei Rathen hike route, driving there and the Bastei bus, which is useful if you’re doing a Bastei day trip from Dresden. I also include information on getting to Bastei Bridge
I also cover visiting Bastei in winter, which we opted to do as we were staying in Dresden.
Why Visit The Bastei Bridge
The Bastei Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks in Germany, and one of the most spectacular sights in the country.
The Bastei is a sandstone rock formation rising almost 200 metres above the River Elbe and town of Rathen.
The stone bridge connects the sandstone towers of rock with a centuries-old rock castle.
The views from the Bastei Bridge are also staggering, overlooking the River Elbe in one direction and more rock towers in the forests below.
If you have time, I also suggest seeing more of the Saxon Switzerland National Park, including hikes into some of the rock labyrinths in the forests below.
Bastei Bridge History
Bastei Bridge is in the Saxon Switzerland National Park, and part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
The 194-metre-high rock towers of the Bastei were formed over millions of years through erosion by water.
A rock castle – Felsenburg Neurathen (Neurathen Castle) – was built at the eastern end of the rock formation. This probably dated from the Middle Ages.
The Bastei first became popular as a viewpoint over the Elbe Valley. It inspired many artists, including Caspar David Friedrich.
Two Swiss artists, Adrian Zingg and Anton Graff, worked at the Dresden Academy of Art in the late 18th century. They were inspired by the landscape, which they felt resembled the Swiss Jura.
Thanks to them, the name Saxon Switzerland stuck. The surrounding National Park also bears the same name.
A wooden bridge was built across the Bastei in 1824, and this was replaced by the present stone arched bridge in 1851.
Best Bastei Bridge Viewpoints
I was very keen to find out more information online about the best viewpoints of Bastei Bridge, but drew a blank. I’m sure others among you are keen to know this, especially if you’re planning to photograph the Bastei Bridge.
Google Maps and the excellent Czech Mapy website and app don’t reveal much either, largely because the rocky terrain makes the maps and aerial photographs difficult to decipher.
Maps and apps will both lead you to the Bastei Viewpoint (Bastei Aussicht), which you reach via the Berghotel Bastei. This viewpoint has been built in recent years, replacing one nearby which was no longer stable.
From this viewpoint, you have a superb view of the Bastei rock massif, but don’t see as much of the bridge. You also have amazing views in both directions of the River Elbe.
Looking from Ferdinandstein to the valley below
The classic Bastei Bridge view is from the Ferdinandstein viewpoint. When we visited this wasn’t signposted, but it’s quite easy to reach.
If you’re approaching the Bridge from the Hotel, the turn-off is on your left, around 50 metres before you reach the Bridge. It’s only around 150-200 metres from there to the steep set of stairs to the viewpoint, a platform on top of a sandstone pillar of rock. If you’ve hiked up to Bastei from Rathen, the path is just after the Bridge on your right.
You’re looking south from the Ferdinandstein viewpoint, so the sun will be shining directly at you for much of the daytime.
There is also a seasonal, winter-only viewpoint on the short path to the Ferdinandstein lookout. The lead shot in the article was shot from there, as were the shots of the three of us throughout the post.
The Bridge itself makes for a spectacular viewpoint, over the Elbe or in the opposite direction over the forest below.
Best Time To Photograph The Bastei Bridge
As described above, the Ferdinandstein rock is the vantage point for the classic shot of Bastei Bridge.
If you’re looking to shoot the perfect Bastei Bridge photo, with sunlight on the Bridge, then you need to be there just after sunrise on a summer morning. The sun rises as early as 5.00 am in June, but you will still get sunlight on the Bastei Bridge until 8.00 am, possibly a short while later.
If you visit Bastei Bridge in the daytime, the sun will be overhead. So you’re shooting contre jour.
Best Time To Visit The Bastei Bridge Saxony Germany
You can visit Bastei anytime but can appreciate it more when it’s quieter.
So if possible aim for a weekday. Weekends are considerably busier, when many locals drive or catch the bus there.
The Bastei is beautiful in all seasons. From my experience visiting the similar Bohemian Paradise region in the Czech Republic, autumn is a magical time to visit Bastei. The rock towers look amazing surrounded by the fall colours.
It’s also quieter at the beginning and end of the day. Just ensure you can make your return connection if you travel to Bastei Bridge by public transport.
Visiting the Bastei Bridge in Winter Guide
We decided to visit the Bastei Bridge in winter, as we were staying in nearby Dresden at the time. We also got the opportunity to visit Bastei in snow, expecting a fairytale winter wonderland. This is exactly what we got.
We visited the Bastei Bridge with around 6-8 cm (2 to three inches) of snow on the ground. And we travelled to Bastei by bus from Pirna. In the conditions this was the best thing to do.
Some friends of ours visited the same time as us, taking the ferry and then hiking up to Bastei Bridge. One of them fell three times on the steps up in the snow. Conditions were very slippery. It can be done. But you may well end up taking a painful tumble.
Also bear in mind that the Berghotel Restaurant is only open on winter weekends. We brought a flask of hot coffee with us, and were glad we did. The only place we found open around Bastei was the toilet in the hotel – which costs 70 cents to use. The machine gives change, so keep a few euros in cash on you.
Bastei Bridge Tickets
Great news – Bastei Bridge is free to visit. You do not pay to visit the site.
You only pay for your transport and parking to the site. And use of the toilet.
There is a small charge (€2.50 for adults, €1.00 for children) to visit the Neurathen Castle and open-air museum at the end of the bridge.
Where Is The Bastei Bridge
The Bastei Bridge is nearly 200 metres above the town of Rathen and the River Elbe in Saxony.
It’s the most famous landmark in the Saxon Switzerland National Park, which is to the south-east of Dresden.
The amazing sandstone landscape extends across the Czech border. The area on the Czech side is known as the Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
The Bastei Bridge is 32 km (20 miles) from the capital of the Saxony region, Dresden.
How To Get To Bastei Bridge
We are strong advocates of using public transport wherever possible. So we’ve included information below on getting there from Dresden, Berlin and Prague, the three nearest major cities to Bastei Bridge in Saxony.
Bastei Bridge From Dresden – Option 1
The Bastei Dresden day trip is one of the most popular options if you’re staying in the Saxon capital.
From Dresden main train station (Dresden Hbf), take the S1 or S2 S-Bahn train to Kurort-Rathen. It takes just 33 minutes. Alight there, and walk the 250-300 metres to the ferry terminal.
You have to buy tickets for the Rathen ferry, as unlike the other Elbe ferries it’s not included in the local transport network. It’s €1.50 one way per adult, and €3 return. Kids’ tickets cost €1.00 for a single, €2.00 for a return.
From the terminal, walk 100 metres up the hill, past the riverfront Steiger Hotel Rathener Hof. Take the first left after the hotel, then follow the path left again. This is the famous Bastei Bridge hike. There are a lot of steps on the route up.
Some websites say the hike takes 45 minutes. I haven’t done the hike myself, but have done many similar hikes in much less time than that. And a spry 73-year-old friend of mine conquered the hike to Bastei Bridge hike in just 20 minutes.
Bastei Bridge From Dresden – Option 2 – The Bastei Bus
My wife Faye suffered a severe bout of pneumonia six or seven weeks before our Bastei Bridge visit.
To make things as easy for her as possible we looked into the possibility of a bus to Bastei, and found the ideal solution.
Bus 237 runs from Pirna to Bastei, leaving around a 500-metre walk to the Bridge. Pirna is a small (and beautiful) town on the Elbe 20 km east of Dresden. The S1 and S2 S-Bahn trains take 22 minutes to reach it.
Walk out of Pirna S-Bahn station, turn right under the bridge, and right again to Pirna bus station (ZOB – zentrale omnibusbahnhof).
Bus 237 runs from bay 1, at the far end of the station from the small waiting room. It takes around 25 minutes, leaving you at the main Bastei Bridge car park. From there, the walk to Bastei – via the Berghotel Bastei – is fairly easy.
So if you suffer mobility issues, this is the best way to reach Bastei along with driving.
Bastei Bridge From Prague
Visiting the Bastei Bridge from Prague is also possible. It’s a much longer undertaking than the trip from Dresden, but it’s feasible. It’s one of the most rewarding day trips from Prague – check out this tour which also visits the Bohemian Switzerland across the Czech border.
Some Prague to Dresden trains stop at Kurort Rathen, but I’ve been on one or two services that haven’t stopped there. My advice is to check the schedules. I always use the Czech Railways website when planning trips to Dresden from Prague.
If the train doesn’t stop at Kurort Rathen, alight at Bad Schandau and change for the S-Bahn to Dresden there. It happens to be the terminus for the S1 service to Meissen Triebischtal via Dresden Hauptbahnhof.
Alight at Kurort Rathen then catch the ferry to Rathen as I’ve described in the section on getting to Bastei from Dresden.
See Also: Prague to Dresden – 5 Easy Ways To Get There
Bastei Bridge From Berlin
If you plan to visit Bastei Bridge on a day trip from Berlin, count on a 3-hour journey one way. This is allowing for catching a fast ICE train from Berlin to Dresden. You will usually have to change at Dresden Hauptbahnhof for the local S1 train to Kurort Rathen.
Then it’s the same as from Dresden or Prague via ferry and hike.
Driving to Bastei Bridge
Bastei is easy to reach by car from anywhere in the Saxony region, likewise Berlin, Czech Republic or Poland.
There are two Bastei Bridge car parks. The one is next to the bus stop where we alighted, and there is another 3 km further away at Rathewalde.
The latter is a Park and Ride, served by a shuttle bus to the closer car park during the summer months (April to October).
Bastei Bridge – Final Words
I hope you’ve found my Bastei Bridge guide useful. It’s an astonishingly beautiful sight – easily one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe.
The Saxon Switzerland – together with its Czech neighbour, Bohemian Switzerland – is an amazing fairytale landscape with rock towers high above the Elbe. It’s one of the best places to visit in Eastern Germany, worth a minimum of a day of your time.
Many of you will visit Bastei Bridge on day trips from Dresden. This beautiful Baroque city is one of the best places to visit in Germany, with a wealth of amazing museums. We suggest making time to see some of the churches in Dresden, particularly the glorious Baroque Frauenkirche.
You may be surprised to learn that this superb sandstone landscape isn’t unique. A similar area, the Bohemian Paradise (Český raj), is less than two hours east of Prague. The area around the town of Jičín is the best to explore, with two stunning rock cities – Prachov Rocks and Hruba Skala – to discover.
And closer to Prague, I highly recommend a day visiting the wine town of Mělník, one of the best places to visit on the River Elbe. This is close to romantic Kokořín Castle and the magical sandstone towers of the Kokořínsko, the surrounding landscape.
Check out more of our articles on bridges in Europe here:
Charles Bridge Prague – stone statue-lined bridge with sunrises and sunsets to swoon over
Bridges in Prague – 8 gorgeous bridges over the Vltava River in the Czech capital
Bridges in London – the 18 most beautiful bridges over the River Thames in London
Pont Alexandre III Paris – exuberant Art Nouveau bridge named after a Russian tsar
Famous Paris Bridges – 15 bridges over the Seine in the French capital
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.