Hohnstein Things to Do

4 more images

This Baroque church was built by George Bähr - the architect of Dresden's Frauenkirche - 1725-28, right after the previous church was destroyed by a devastating fire.

Inside balconies over two floors decorated with paintings. A large patronage box on the western side, two smaller ones to both sides of the choir. The altar (in protestant tradition with pulpit) is a beautiful work of sculptor J. G. Kirchner and painter C. Reinow (1736), the magnificent font dates from 1738.

The Baroque organ (1678) is an excellent work and one of the oldest in Saxony.

Usually the church is not open, but you can ask for the key (like we did) in the vicarage that's next to the church.

4 more images

The location is fantastic, on a sandstone mountain above the Polenz valley. 1333 - 1443 owned by Bohemian aristocrats, then purchased by the Saxon Duke Electors. Since 1543 it was used as prison and hunting lodge, 1924 - 33 youth hostel, 1933/34 first concentration camp of Saxony, during WWII prisoner-of-war-camp, since 1951 youth hostel again.

The remaining buildings date from 16th to 19th century. The lower castle is a nice renaissance building, originally for residential and administration purposes, nowadays museum.

A castle gate and the upper castle follow, both from 17th century, but later modified, before you reach the upper yard. Here you find the Bergfried (donjon), a high tower, inside on the ground floor the former dungeon and on the first floor the court chamber.

The "brewery" building has a huge vaulted cellar and dates from 1630 - 50.

The Old Castle in the back of the yard was the oldest part of the castle (as the name indicates :-)), but it was destroyed by fire in the 17th century. The current buildings were constructed in the 2nd half of the 19th century (cafe and viewing tower).

Don't miss the romantic garden below with great views.

We thought someone was perched right on top of a solitary cliff. It's only a cardboard or whatever material cutout of a mountaineer.