Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany 1 Feb 2025

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:

13 Aug 2024Telašćica Nature Park, Dugi Otok, Croatia
7 Dec 2023Verdon Gorge, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
6 Dec 2024Finnish Independence Day
The Riviera of India
14 Feb 2025Happy Valentines Day!
Lighting up the Dolomites
22 Dec 2025The Nutcracker performed by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet in Ankara
Blue hues and ceramic scenes of Porto
All hail the mighty mangrove!
23 Apr 2024Saint Georges Day
Gravity-defying wonders of the world
29 Aug 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Let’s have a lek, see?
30 Mar 2024Brown-throated three-toed sloth
Happy Yorkshire Day!
The dog days of summer
18 Oct 2025International Archaeology Day
A sea of humanity
6 May 2025An ultralight aircraft flying over the sands of Namibia
Tomb of the Golden Pharaoh
30 Jan 2026St Michaels Mount in Marazion, Cornwall, England
Celebrating the tropics
Hangin around
What are these unique creatures?
19 Mar 2025A black heron canopy hunting in Botswana
When landscape met wilderness
22 Nov 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
12 Aug 2024World Elephant Day
A gorge-ous place to drop in
A delightfully ornate Easter display