Where did the Swedish Holes actually get their name?The name goes back to the 17th century, more precisely to the time of the 30 Years' War (1618-1648), when the Swedes roamed the country. They had a reputation for robbing, destroying and plundering everything. So the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages at that time brought their belongings - and also themselves - to safety in the gorges or "holes". The craggy rock formations offered all kinds of good hiding places. The adventurous but also romantic gorge leads us between moss-covered, green walls and jagged rocks over two steep iron ladders and about 700 steps from the Gansweg down to the Amselgrund.
Medieval Tour to Neurathen Rock Castle and the Sweden Holes
Short facts
- start: Kurort Rathen railway station
- destination: Kurort Rathen railway station
- medium
- 6,18 km
- 2 hours 5 minutes
- 210 m
- 312 m
- 113 m
Weather
General information
- Stop at an Inn
- Loop Road
Kurort Rathen railway station
Kurort Rathen railway station
The tour starts at the railway station in the spa town of Rathen, we take the ferry across and walk through the town. At the wayside column and numerous signposts, we turn left towards the Bastei. Now the path goes steadily upwards, keeping left at the next fork (blue line) and up the numerous stairs. In between there are various beautiful views of the Rauenstein and the Bärensteine on the opposite side of the Elbe. Another detour is the site of the former Neurathen Castle.
An entrance ticket must be purchased for the tour of Neurathen Castle. Difficult to access, high above the valleys stood medieval rock castles. One of the oldest and largest fortifications in Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland is the double castle of Alt- and Neurathen. It was first mentioned in the 13th century. Traces of the original dwelling and defences can still be found in the rock today - valuable legacies for reconstructing the past. For example, stone balls weighing over 50 kg were fired at attackers with an oversized slingshot.
After that, it is only a few metres further, through the rock gate and we stand on the Bastei Bridge, built in 1851. Further along the path there are more views (e.g. Hochzeitskanzel, Ferdinandaussicht) and finally, at the top, the main view. After the 190-metre difference in altitude, we are rewarded by a comprehensive panoramic view: at our feet the famous sandstone cliffs and on the horizon the table mountains south of the Elbe rise. We are not surprised that exactly this location was chosen for the construction of a castle more than 700 years ago!
After the main view of the bastion, we continue in the direction of the buildings and follow the blue line marking in the direction of Schwedenlöcher. On the way, it is worth making a detour to the pavilion lookout with a breathtaking view of the Bastei Bridge. Now we descend from the Bastei massif into the deep, wild gorge of the Schwedenlöcher.
After numerous steps we reach the Amselgrund. At the bottom, we turn right (green line), pass Amselsee (where you can rent a boat for a small fee) and return to Rathen.
The tour is suitable for sure-footed children, but not for dogs.
Chargeable car park at the ferry pier in the spa town of Rathen, on the left bank of the river Elbe.
by S-Bahn to Kurort Rathen