A free-standing rocky spur in Saxon Switzerland with the remains of a medieval castle.
The Winterstein is located at the back of the Saxon Switzerland National Park and is also known as the Hinteres Raubschloss. It is a freestanding sandstone rock with traces of earlier buildings.
There was a small fortification on the summit in the Middle Ages. Steps carved into the rock, beam bearings and remains of walls are still visible. These remains are among the few surviving examples of medieval castle use in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
The ascent is via narrow paths, metal ladders and exposed rock edges. The paths are unsecured and require absolute surefootedness and a head for heights.
Once at the top, there is a wide view over the Großer Zschand and the undeveloped forest landscape of the national park.
The location on the isolated rocky plateau makes the place particularly impressive.
