So what is it and why would you want to Visit it?
“The Bastei is a rock formation towering 194 metres above the Elbe River in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Germany. Reaching a height of 305 metres above sea level, the jagged rocks of the Bastei were formed by water erosion over one million years ago.” [Wikipedia].
Additionally, it hosts the ruins of Neurathen castle which is the largest medieval rock castle in Saxon Switzerland. As the buildings were largely made of wood, like most of the rock castles of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, only the hewn rooms, passageways, cisterns and beam supports of the former wooden structures are preserved. [Wikipedia – DE]
Directions – Getting there and finding a parking spot
Getting there is relatively easy. Simply google “Bastei, Germany” or search it in your car’s navi. Alternatively, you can take the train to “Kurort Rathen” and then take the ferry across the river.
The best parking spots are “Parkplatz Basteibrücke” and “K8716 Parking”, since they are very close to one another and to your destination:
However, due to the high amount of tourists, be advised that the road to these parking lots may be closed off around the “P+R Bastei” parking. As such, feel free to stop there:
As of this writing in April of 2019, the price for a whole day of parking at the “P+R Bastei” was 3€.
To get to the rock formations, you can either walk or take the bus. Walking will take about 25min (2km) on the side of the road that leads from the parking to the visiting spot. The bus leaves from the station located next to the same parking lot. A one-way ticket costs 1,5€ per person:
The only other option is “Parkplatz Oberrathen” on the other side of the river:
As an added benefit, you’ll have to take a ferry across the river to reach the Bastei.
At last, have a feel of what you are about to see: