Stolpen Castle

A tour of Stolpen Castle leads through narrow cellar corridors, old dungeons, the so-called Hunger Tower, a historic torture chamber and several towers with far-reaching views. In the museum rooms, exhibitions provide insights into the history of the fortress, life at the castle and the geological features of the site.

The imposing silhouette of the castle attracted the first travelers as early as the 18th century. From the 19th century onwards, Stolpen became a popular destination for nature and art lovers exploring the countryside around Dresden and Saxon Switzerland. The Swiss draughtsman Adrian Zingg, based in Dresden, produced several views of the fortress around 1785 and published prints with its characteristic outlines.

Caspar David Friedrich also visited Stolpen Castle - a visit on August 27, 1820 is documented. He drew the freestanding Cosel Tower in portrait format and noted critically: "The towers are too long." In his sketch, he recorded the visible traces of the Napoleonic destruction - a gaping hole in the wall, rubble and fragments. Friedrich deliberately wanted to capture the visible consequences of these interventions.

Just eight days later, Carl Gustav Carus was also on site. Possibly at Friedrich's suggestion, he chose almost the same angle. His drawing, in landscape format, not only shows the Coselturm, but also the transition to the surrounding landscape. Both artists created impressive studies - but they did not produce large paintings.

A visit to Stolpen today combines history, art and nature in a very small space - impressively and authentically. The tour of the castle takes around two hours - children can go on their own search for clues with the castle ghost "Basaltus", who guides them through the historic walls in an entertaining way.