Königstein - Quirl - Obere Quirlpromenade - Pfaffenstein - Pfaffendorf - Königstein = 8km, 3 Std.

Marking: a red dot up till Pfaffenstein. Strenuous walk, with large variations in height.

The market itinerary starts in front of the historical post-mile pillar "Am Frosch" and then towards the Bielatal Strasse and the steep Cunnersdorfer Strasse, passing the Charlottenburg Restaurant and reaching the Kirchleitenweg. This is an easy walking road that is crossing the Biela-slopes just beneath Quirl at the North-East corner of the rock plateau you will find the DIEBSKELLER, the largest cave of Saxon Switzerland ( 29 meters long, 8 meters wide and 4 meters high )

Following the Upper Quirlpromenade one will pass several caves located at various places up along these rock slopes you are alonging. The most famous are the two STERLHÖHLEN, named after a legendary robber chief.

The plateau at the summit of the QUIRL presents a vast entility which is covered with a layer of clay, deposed there during the ice-age. In 1800, this plateau was opened up for agriculture. As long as the Fortress Königstein was maintaining its military importance, this Quirlplateau was blocked. The ancient Plattenweg on the south-side and a stone watering - trough for horses are silent witnesses of these days.

Among the local table-mountains, the Pfaffenstein is the most interesting, with a multitude of touristical and historical curiosities.

Near the west-side access one can see an antique rampart ( protected monument ): it stretches for over 200 meters through the forest on the slope.

Discoveries made in the soil on top of the Pfaffenstein ( which is partially covered with clay from the ice-age ) proved that human settlement here started as early as the bronze-age ( the Lausitzer culture ).

It was in the second half of the 19th century that these cleaved rocks were discovered by the first tourists. There were the access-path is dividing itself in two separate ascents, you can see, on a smooth rock-surface, a medallion representing Karl Gottlob Jäckeis, who opened up the Pfaffenstein for tourists. The romantic stairways and path through the cleft was constructed in 1904, as was the garden-restaurant on the summit.

A path-map and plan in front of this garden-restaurant indicates the various viewing-points and sights.

To the look-out point on the south-side, you will have to go thought a narrow rock-cleft, and so reach the "Wild Pfaffenstein".

Here a striking rock-needle dresses its 43 meters straight up in the air. This is the famous Barberine. She was first ascended in 1905 and was till 1975 considered one of the most desired climbing targets.

Several lightning strikes partially destroyed the summit in such a way that it became a geological landmark and monument, and was forbidden to climbers.

The Pfaffenstein has nowadays 32 recognized and established climbing-rocks, mostly on the North- and West side.

Other interesting locations, all easily accessable by stairways and steps, are in the vicinity of the garden-restaurant. On a high terrace at the Eastern wall you can see the Goldschmied Höhle, a cave where a coiner had his workshop in 1854. Another marked tour will bring you along the Nixensee.. (naiadlake)

Curious to see are the different shapes erosion gave to the sandstone formations; it caused the local population to give these bizarre figures such names as nose-bag, priest hat, chalice etc.

A lovely, well securised path ( with steel-stairways and railings ) brings you through the Nadelöhr to Pfaffendorf.

This gracefull small residential village descends towards Königstein, in a steep slope. Passing through the row of houses called an der Potatzschke ( slavonic for water gutter ) you will reach the initial starting - point.