Zirkelstein may be the smallest table mountain in Saxon Switzerland, but don't let the modest elevation of 384 m fool you — this compact sandstone outlier packs a punch far beyond its size. Its distinctive shape, rising in near-isolation above the surrounding forest, makes it one of the most recognisable rock formations in the entire Elbe Sandstone Mountains.

The rocky summit cap itself stands about 42 metres above a wooded debris slope, and the exposed position rewards you with a sweeping 360-degree view. To the east you can see the Elbe valley and the Kamnitz gorge stretching into the Bohemian Switzerland, with Růžovský vrch on the horizon; to the north the jagged line of the Schrammsteine ridges and Großer Winterberg; to the west and south-west the flat-topped table mountains of the left-bank Saxon Switzerland and the twin Zschirnstein peaks. In summer the base of the rock is wrapped in lush green forest; in autumn the warm tones of the canopy make the pale sandstone walls glow even brighter.

• Schöna village (roadside parking) — yellow-marked trail, approx. 20–30 min, easy; the final ascent to the top uses fixed stairs and iron ladders.
• The famous Malerweg long-distance trail passes just north of the peak, connecting Schöna with Schmilka via the Elbe valley — easy to combine with a detour to the summit.

• The summit is reached via stairs and metal ladders — a head for heights is recommended.
• The mountain and surrounding area are privately owned; a former Naturfreunde guesthouse with a small bungalow village operates at the foot of the rock.
• The Czech village of Hřensko (Herrnskretschen) is just across the Elbe to the east — a cross-border day trip is easy to arrange.

Local legend claims that the Zirkelstein and the neighbouring Kaiserkrone are two teeth that the mountain spirit Rübezahl knocked out when he bumped his head on the Großer Zschirnstein — reason enough to visit both summits on the same walk.