Rising above the rooftops of Bad Schandau, the forested Schlossberg hill hides a romantic surprise - an artificial castle ruin built in 1883 on the site of a genuine 13th-century watchtower that once guarded trade along the Elbe and the old Via Regia trade road.

The atmosphere here is a mix of history and fantasy: a stone tower rises among the trees, reached by an outer stone staircase and a spiral stairway inside, leading up to a viewing platform. Thick forest now limits the panorama, but glimpses of Bad Schandau and the Elbe valley still open up below. The surrounding woods of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains feel quiet and atmospheric in every season, especially in autumn mist or dappled summer light.

How to get there

• From Bad Schandau town centre - about 300 m north, short forest path, easy

Practical information

• Tower viewing platform reached via an outer stone staircase with metal railing and an inner spiral staircase
• Remains of the original medieval castle include a double rampart, a ditch and a filled-in cistern
• Archaeological finds from the site are displayed in the Bad Schandau local heritage museum

Interesting fact: the original watchtower was destroyed during the Hussite Wars in the 15th century, and its old name Frienstein was later reassigned to a different nearby ruin once its true identity was confirmed.