The Teufelsturm is a striking rock tower roughly fifty metres tall, widely regarded as the symbol of Saxon climbing. It rises on the right bank of the Elbe, at the upper edge of the valley between Schmilka and Bad Schandau, within the Schrammsteine group. This is one of the most iconic and historically significant climbing peaks in Saxon Switzerland.

Its oldest name, Butterweckfels, comes from the bread-roll-like shape of its summit head when seen from across the Elbe. Farmers from around Schöna and Reinhardtsdorf also called it Mittagstein, since the tower's shadow at midday would vanish exactly behind it, making it a natural sundial. The surroundings offer classic Saxon Switzerland scenery - sandstone towers, deep forest and sweeping views over the Elbe valley, especially atmospheric at dawn or in autumn mist.

How to reach the summit

• The Teufelsturm is a climbing-only peak - there is no hiking trail to the top, and reaching the summit requires a demanding technical climbing route.
• The tower can be admired from nearby hiking trails through the Schrammsteine, accessible from Schmilka or Bad Schandau.

Practical information

• The famous Alter Weg route was first climbed by Oliver Perry-Smith in 1906, at the time considered the hardest climb in Saxon Switzerland.
• The valley-side wall (grade VIIIb) was not climbed until 1936, by Rudolf Stolle, in a still-debated ascent.
• The most celebrated modern route, Pferdefuß (Xc), first climbed by Werner Schönlebe in 1984, follows a striking edge of the tower.
• In 2007, Heinz Zak completed the first highline crossing from the Teufelsturm to a neighbouring massif, sparking debate about extreme sports in the region.

For over a century, the Teufelsturm has drawn the elite of Saxon climbers, generation after generation pushing the limits of what's possible on its smooth sandstone faces.