Falkenstein is one of the most impressive freestanding rock towers in Saxon Switzerland — a nearly hundred-metre sandstone pinnacle rising above Bad Schandau. This is the birthplace of Saxon rock climbing, where the first sporting ascent took place in 1864, and today more than a hundred climbing routes of varying difficulty lead to its summit. For regular hikers the top itself is unreachable without climbing skills, but the rock and its surroundings are impressive enough from below.

Falkenstein rises as a steep, almost vertical sandstone wall, surrounded by the forests of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. The view of the massif is striking in every season — in summer the rock warms in the sun and draws climbers from across Germany, in autumn the surrounding forests turn golden, and in winter frost-covered stone and silence give the place an almost mystical character. At the foot of the north side, traces of a medieval castle watch-post survive — steps, niches and rainwater channels carved into the rock, remnants of a fortress destroyed during 15th-century conflicts.

• Bad Schandau — trail through the Schrammsteine, approx. 1–1.5 hours to the base of the rock, moderately demanding terrain
• The summit itself is accessible only to experienced climbers — the most popular route is the Schusterweg (grade III)

• Reaching the top requires climbing skills and protective gear — this is not a hiking trail
• A memorial plaque (Schusterplakette) is fixed along the Schusterweg — tradition has it that climbers touch its nose while passing
• Carved steps and niches from the medieval castle watch-post are still visible on the rock
• Over a hundred climbing routes of various difficulty lead up Falkenstein and its neighbouring towers Zinne and Turnernadel

It was here in 1864 that a group of gymnasts from Schandau made the first sporting ascent, giving birth to the tradition of Saxon climbing — today Falkenstein remains one of the region's most popular climbing crags.