Königstein Fortress - 11/21

We have wanted to return to go inside the fortress and finally made it. Noah brought his good school friend David C along on the trip. It has been great; Noah has a good friend whose mother is German and Father is American so he speaks both languages fluently and they live just across the Elbe in Neustadt so they can walk to play.
This post is about Königstein Fortress so if you want more on it here is a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nigstein_Fortress

Königstein is interesting enough where European porcelain was invented. They actually locked a couple of alchemists up in the fortress and made them work on porcelain because the King, Augusta the Brave, loved porcelain and wanted to make it in Europe. They did invent it and Miessen is the famous factory that still makes it.

I found a couple of these markers along the trail up. This looks a lot like the trade mark for Miessen porcelain and wonder if it is? Couldn't find anything on the internet about this:


Here are the Miessen trade marks and circa 1722 matches pretty well, pocelain was in invented in 1707 or so:
The other claim to fame was that this Fortress was never captured and after visiting it we understand why. Its location on top of this large hill and it is built of multiple sets of walls, about 5 different walls some very high. As we approached the fortress and went through each of the defenses I queried Noah and David C about how they would get to the next step if they were attacking. I think they finally realized how hard it would be because they then talked about a blockade. Interesting enough one of the buildings inside was a rain collecting building, so they thought of that also.

The fortess is on the highest hill in this picture.


The hike up, Noah and David C

Two walls, the outer one has spikes along it if you look closely.

Another gate with moat and draw bridge, about the 3rd one on our way in.

Yet another, 4th.

View from the wall:

Another view:

David thinking what it might have been to be a russian Solder, if they would have captured the fortress.

If you look close in this picture, you can see Noah and David C throwing a paper airplane off edge.

Rare picture of me.

View of the fortress and the Elbe:

More of the fortress, again see if you can find Noah, David C, and Melissa.

This crazy, but friendly, cat likes to walk on the edge of the walls. He would also reach down the edge to grab leaves. This is not very advisable because the drop he is on is about 8 stories high, but i am guessing he must think he has more then 9 lives:

Top view of some of the different walls at the entrance:

Defending the castle with the kanone:

Lookout point:

David taking the quick way down:
Getting late:

Sunset over the fortress: