Carl Maria von Weber

The Bastei, with its spectacular view of the Elbe valley and the bizarre sandstone rocks, is one of the most striking viewpoints in Saxon Switzerland. Carl Maria von Weber visited this place several times – noted, for example, in his diaries from 1818, 1822, and 1823. The rugged rock formations and deep gorges of the Bastei reflect the dramatic romanticism of his "Freischütz" and still offer the same inspiring natural backdrop that fascinated Weber so much.

The Uttewalder Felsentor is one of the most legendary places in Saxon Switzerland. Narrow gorges, moss-covered rock faces, and mysterious shadowed spaces characterize a landscape that seems made for the imagination of Romanticism. Carl Maria von Weber hiked through the Uttewalder Grund in 1818 and recorded this tour in his diary. The mystical atmosphere of the rock gate inevitably brings to mind the Wolf's Glen scene of his "Der Freischütz," in which nature and the supernatural inextricably merge. Anyone who hikes here experiences the same fascination that inspired Weber's music.

On August 15, 1824, Carl Maria von Weber made an excursion to the mill in the Liebethaler Grund – a visit noted in his diaries. The narrow valley with its rock faces and the rushing Wesenitz river offered the composer an impressive backdrop that matched the romantic spirit of his music. Here, for Weber, the originality of nature combined with the quiet seclusion of a retreat. Today, the world's largest Richard Wagner monument in the Liebethaler Grund commemorates another great composer. Wagner deeply admired Weber and saw him as the pioneer of his own art. Thus, nature and music history meet in a unique way in the Liebethaler Grund – with two names that decisively shaped German Romanticism.

The Kuhstall, the largest rock arch in Saxon Switzerland, was a popular excursion destination early on in the Romantic period. Carl Maria von Weber was also drawn here: between 1817 and 1825 he immortalized himself in the guestbook of the Kuhstall – direct evidence of his stay at this impressive place. The massive rock opening, which reveals a view into the vast landscape, is symbolic of that connection between the forces of nature and mystery that is also palpable in Weber's music.

In 1822, Carl Maria von Weber took an excursion through the Amselgrund. Just a few steps away lies the Felsenbühne Rathen, one of the most impressive open-air nature stages in Europe. For many decades, "Der Freischütz" has been performed here in a setting that seems made for Weber's romantic world of sound.