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Photo: AlterVista, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A group of rock outcroppings that form a popular tourist destination in Saxon Switzerland. They offer spectacular views of the Elbe and you can see the remains of an old medieval stronghold.
The Bastei is a rock formation rising 194 metres (636 ft) above the Elbe River in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Germany. Reaching a height of 305 metres (1,001 ft) above sea level, the jagged rocks of the Bastei were formed by water erosion over one million years ago. They are situated near Rathen, not far from Pirna southeast of the city of Dresden, and are the major landmark of the Saxon Switzerland National Park. They are also part of a climbing and hiking area that extends over the borders into the Bohemian Switzerland.
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An attractive open-air theatre in a beautiful natural surrounding. Stagings include Karl May's works (like "Winnetou") and the romantic opera Der Freischütz ("The Marksman") by Carl Maria von Weber, using elaborate stage effects like fireworks and horses.
Using the Bastei rock as a defensive position, the remains of this 13th-century-castle are now an open-air-museum.