Other than some reading, Jon and I have had a lazy day. Most stores are closed on Sundays and while we could have gone to Altstadt, we decided to stay in and rest instead. Since it has been a busy week it has been nice to spend a day resting!

Yesterday, however, we spent the day away from Dresden in the town of Königstein, which translates to King's Rock. Königstein is 40 minutes outside of Dresden by train and is located in the Saxon Switzerland. This area has a lot of biking and hiking paths so Jonathan and I are planning to go back so we can partake in those activities since yesterday we explored the fortress. 

The castle was first built in this location by a Bohemian king in the 1200's and it was used by Bohemia to defend their northern border and to defend the Elbe River, which they used as a trade route. The castle itself was built into the rock, which helped fortify its' foundations. 

 Eventually the castle became a part of Saxony and the dukes continued to use it for military purposes. The current fortress was built by the Saxons after they acquired the castle, so it is their buildings that we see today. Even though the fortress is impregnable and has never been conquered, the Saxons were not military minded (after all Augustus the Strong reputedly traded soldiers to Prussia in order to pay for his porcelain collection) so the fortress was primarily used as a refuge, a hunting lodge, and a state prison (and a POW camp in times of war), among other uses. Today, Königstein is a military museum, but I have a feeling that many people go for the views as well. 

The views from the fortress were spectacular and well worth a visit to Königstein.