Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany 1 Feb 2025

Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany

Königstein Fortress, one of the largest mountain fortresses in Europe, rises high in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Saxon Switzerland. The "Burgrave Gebhard vom Stein" is first mentioned in a document of King Wenceslas I of Bohemia in 1233, presumably referring to Königstein. At that time the area belonged to the Kingdom of Bohemia. In the 16th century, the castle underwent significant expansion to become a Saxon state fortress, with the start of construction of the imposing 152.5-metre-deep castle well between 1566 and 1569 being an important milestone. It is still one of the deepest historic wells in Germany.

© Bildagentur-online/Exss/Alamy

palette

Today in History

A castle full of history
1 Feb 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Rügen, Germany
1 Feb 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Singing the blues
25 Jan 2024Burns Night
Black History Month begins
15 Dec 2023SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
Where Asia meets Europe
4 Sep 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
5 Apr 2024The Bahamas
History awaits atop the hill
21 Mar 2024International Day of Forests
18 Nov 2025Male hooded merganser, Oregon, United States
Sep 6, 2023Rethymno, Crete, Greece
An endless stretch of sky
6 Sep 2024Glenariff Forest Park, Northern Ireland, UK
21 May 2025International Tea Day
Surrounded by a sea of sand
1 Oct 2024Black History Month
21 Jun 2025Summer solstice
8 Apr 2025Paro Tsechu Festival, Bhutan
Hangin around
12 Mar 2024Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
6 Dec 2024Finnish Independence Day
12 Oct 2025Village of Saranac Lake, New York, United States
Cheerful colours of a Cornwall classic
12 Feb 2024Darwin Day
24 Jan 2026Big Garden Birdwatch
Protecting the gentle giants
5 Dec 2023Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, Bavaria, Germany
8 Feb 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Twinkle twinkle, little bugs
21 Oct 2023International Archaeology Day