The Affensteine: a viewpoint, a gorge called Hell and a ladder route with a steel cable
Why the Carolafelsen can only be reached on foot, and which of the routes up suits whom.
The Affensteine are the group of rocks between the Schrammsteine and the Kirnitzsch valley, in the middle of Saxon Switzerland National Park. Their best-known viewpoint is the Carolafelsen, named after Carola, Saxony's last queen. From the plateau the view stretches across the rock bowl of the Großer Dom to the Schrammsteine ridge, the Falkenstein and as far as the Lilienstein.
No road leads up. The tourism association describes the viewpoint as reachable only on a hike, over steps and narrow passages. It costs nothing to visit and is open all year. The official "Heaven and Hell" loop starts at the Nasser Grund stop in the Kirnitzsch valley: 7.10 kilometres (4.4 mi), 340 metres (1,115 ft) of ascent, about two and a half hours.
The way down leads through the Wilde Hölle, a narrow gorge with iron rungs at the difficult spots. If you want more, climb up the Häntzschelstiege a good half kilometre further north; according to the tourism association it is the only Stiege (ladder route) in Saxon Switzerland where you can clip in with a via ferrata set as in the Alps.
The Affensteine were not affected by the storm in summer 2026; the authority's forest closure applies between Rathen and Hohnstein. Since the end of 2025, however, the Eulentilke, the classic return route of the loop, has been impassable. The tourism association recommends the Jordanweg instead.
Based on the park boundary in OpenStreetMap, the Carolafelsen lies about 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) inside the national park and the Häntzschelstiege a good two kilometres. According to OpenStreetMap both lie outside the core zone, a good 1.3 kilometres from it; this fits with the authority listing approved boofen (overhang bivouac sites) here, which only exist outside the core zone. Even so, you must not leave the paths anywhere in the park.
Saxon Switzerland tourism association: Carolafelsen viewpoint ↗
In numbers
- Heaven and Hell loop
- 7.10 km · 340 m ascent · 2:30 hrs
- Highest point of the loop
- 452 m (1,483 ft)
- Lowest point (Nasser Grund)
- 147 m (482 ft)
- Häntzschelstiege via ferrata
- Grade B
- Tour to the Häntzschelstiege
- 5.7 km · 315 m ascent · 3:00 hrs
- Approved boofen in the Affensteine
- 10
- Kirnitzschtal tram, single ticket
- €7.00
