Pfaffenstein

The Pfaffenstein, formerly called the Jungfernstein, is a table hill, 434.6 m above sea level, in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Saxony. It lies west of the River Elbe near Königstein and is also referred to as "Saxon Switzerland in miniature" on account of its diverse structure.

The wild, jagged mountain with its numerous caves reveals traces of Stone and Bronze Age settlement and was later used frequently as a place of refuge during times of crisis as a result of its poor accessibility. Since the 19th century the Pfaffenstein has been developed for touristic purposes. The hill now boasts an inn, an observation tower, several viewing points and other places of interest on the mountain.

Since the early 20th century the massif of the Pfaffenstein has been used for rock climbing and, with its 32 rocks, is one of the most important climbing areas in Saxon Switzerland. The best-known rock and symbol of the Pfaffenstein is the Barbarine, a 43-metre-high rock pinnacle, that has been placed out of bounds to climbers since 1975 due to serious erosion damage.

The Pfaffenstein lies about 2 kilometres south of the village of Pfaffendorf in the borough of Königstein. Another nearby settlement is Cunnersdorf about 3 kilometres southeast. Its nearest neighbour is the 349.6-metre-high Quirl to the northwest, another table hill. To the south, the mountain is surrounded by woods that drop away to the stream of Cunnersdorfer Bach. Around the northern part of the Pfaffenstein the land is predominantly used for agriculture.

The mountain looks like an elongated summit plateau running north-to-south for about 1 kilometre, with a width of up to 400 metres from west-to-east. It has an area of some twelve hectares and rises about 100 metres above the surrounding countryside. The actual summit lies in the southern part of the plateau. The edge of the Pfaffenstein is formed by rugged and heavily fissured sandstone rocks. 

There are numerous isolated rock formations around the main massif, the best-known being the Barbarine on the southern tip of the Pfaffenstein. Other significant rock pinnacles are the Königspitze, the Förster, the Bundesfels, the Rauhe Zinne, the Jäckelfels, the Pfaffenschluchtspitzen, the Peterskirche and the Einsiedler.