The Sonnenstein Memorial in Pirna is one of the most significant and sobering historical sites in Saxony — a hilltop fortress above the Elbe that served as a Nazi killing centre during 1940 and 1941, where at least 14,751 people were murdered as part of 'Aktion T4'. A visit here is not a typical sightseeing trip but a powerful, lasting experience that puts history in sharp focus.

The Sonnenstein hill rises above the town of Pirna and the Elbe valley, offering wide views over the rooftops and the river winding below. The castle complex is surrounded by a park, and the path up from the old town centre winds through charming historic streets before arriving at this deeply serious place. Even on bright summer days, the stillness around the documentation building and the burial ground on the riverside slope invites quiet reflection. In autumn, with mist rolling off the Elbe and the trees turning gold, the atmosphere becomes even more moving.

• Pirna railway station — follow the 'Denkzeichen' waymarking system (16 information panels) through the town centre up to the memorial, approx. 20–30 minutes on foot, easy walk
• By car — direct access to the Sonnenstein hill, parking available near Schlosspark 11

• The permanent documentary exhibition is located in the attic of the building at Schlosspark 11
• The reconstructed basement — site of the former gas chamber and crematorium — is open to visitors
• The 'Gräberstätte am Elbhang' (burial ground on the Elbe slope) is an officially recognised collective grave, open to the public
• The 'Denkzeichen' trail of 16 panels leads from Pirna station all the way up to the memorial

A deeply sobering detail: after the killing centre closed, a significant portion of its staff was transferred directly to the extermination camps of Belzec, Sobibor and Treblinka — making Sonnenstein a direct link in the chain of the Holocaust. The colourful 'Gedenkspur' crosses sprayed along the path to the memorial each represent one individual victim.