Himmelfahrt Weekend

Well, my friends, I am sure that you are all looking at the title of the post and wondering what the heck "Himmelfahrt" is. Let me explain. In Germany, Ascension Day (Himmelfahrt - journey to the heavens) is a national holiday and, as luck would have it, this year the day after was also a holiday for all Dresdeners due to its being the venue of the National Church Convention 2011. As you can probably guess, the city was heaving with visitors from the lst June until 5th June so it was a good weekend to take a trip.
We celebrated our own personal "Himmelfahrt" courtesy of Dr. Gommlich by ascending to the top of Der Bastei near Rathen. Der Bastei is an amazing natural rock formation with commanding views over the whole Elbe Valley. The river snakes through green fields and small towns for as far as the eye can see from the pinnacle. At some stage in history, Der Bastei was a natural fortress that allowed the inhabitants an uninterrupted view of any Slavic tribes who might be planning a session of pillaging in Saxony.

The climb was a good workout, but definitely worth it and as for the ice cold pilsener with lunch, I don't think a lager ever tasted better! After our descent, we caught the ferry back over the river and then a train to Koenigstein where we visited the Koenigstein Fortress which dates back to 1241. The fortress has been used for many different purposes over the years. It was initially used as a safe retreat for the ruling families of Saxony when they were under threat, but was then converted into a prison, and finally handed over to the State as a national treasure.

My first impression was its resemblance to Colditz,but there is no mention in the brochure about its being used to house WWII prisoners of war. Following our visit, we descended into the town and purchased a mandatory bratwurst, roll, and senf from a street vendor before heading back to the station for our train to Dresden. The whole day was a very fitting tribute to "Himmelfahrt" as we all succeeded in completing two major ascents that gave us views over the Elbe Valley that were heavenly.