Page 123 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - Germany

DRIVE 11: On the Trail of the Sun King 121

Left Breathtaking view from Festung
Königstein Below Cannon on the fortified
walls of Festung Königstein

8 Pirna views, visitors can drive 2 km (1 mile)
Saxony; 01796 east to Königstein village for walks
A chequerboard of Baroque streets to the Lillienstein (435 m/1,427 ft) VISITING FESTUNG
KÖNIGSTEIN
shaded in dusty pastels, the town of or Pfaffenstein (415 m/1,362 ft)
Pirna is centred on the cobbled Markt, plateaus; maps are available at the Tourist Information
seemingly unchanged since it was fortress’s ticket office (035021 646 07; Schreiberberg 2, 01824; 035021 682 61;
painted by the Italian artist Canaletto www.festung-koenigstein.de) and the www.koenigstein-sachsen.de; Apr–Oct:
in 1754; a copy of the painting is in village information centre. open daily, Nov–Mar: open Mon–Sat
the tourist office at No. 7. Carved ª Take the B172 and cross the river to
portals still front handsome reach Bad Schandau. Park by the river. EAT AND DRINK IN PIRNA
merchants’ mansions; the town hall
continues to be the town’s centre­ Augustus the Strong Deutsches Haus moderate
piece, even though its Renaissance Frederick Augustus (1670–1733) was Fine German cuisine is served in a
looks suf fered during 19th­cen tury nicknamed “Augustus the Strong” charming country­styled dining
reno vations; and Schloss Sonnenstein either because of his physical room – old wood furniture and
remains on a hill above. The town’s strength or his rumoured 370 glass lamps – or in the beer garden.
Niedere Burgstrasse 1, 01796;
church, Stadtkirche St Marien (open illegiti mate children. Impressed by 03501 468 80
France’s Palace of Versailles, Augustus
daily), is worth visiting for its vaulted styled himself as a Saxon Sun King
roof and a Renaissance pul pit and began to transform his capital Restaurant Genusswerk expensive
Chef Marcel Dauksch puts an
adorned with coquettish cherubs. to mirror his own magnif i cence. emphasis on international flavours
ª Return to the B172, going left His admiration for omnip otent and fine presentation. Dishes include
towards Bad Schandau. After 12 km Oriental rulers also made him covet rabbit with ratatouille, risotto with
(8 miles) turn right to reach Festung Asian porcelain. His alchemist, nuts and grilled courgettes and
Johann Friedrich Böttger, cracked
goat’s cheese.
Königstein; tourist trains ascend to the secret of “white gold” while Lange Strasse 33–34, 01796; 03501
the fortress from the car park. incarcerated in Festung Königstein. 507 04 91; www.restaurant-
genusswerk.de; closed Mon
9 Festung Königstein
Saxony; 01824
This mountain fortress (open daily)
looks so impregnable that no attempt
has been made to conquer it in over
600 years. The stronghold is 240 m
(787 ft) above the Elbe, with unscal­
able 42­m (138­ft) tall walls. Visitors can
peer down a 152­m (499­ft) deep well
dug by Augustus the Strong and tour
the prison where he imprisoned an
alchemist to force him to create gold
from base metals. These exper iments
resulted in the creation of his “white
gold” – porcelain. If inspired by the
Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under €20; moderate, €20–€40; expensive, over €40

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