Hohnstein

From Görlitz, Kim and I moved on to the south, to the Sächsiche Schweiz, but before we really dove into nature, we made a stop in Hohnstein on June 8th 2025, during a long Pentecoast weekend. It turned out a special visit to me.

When I first saw Kurt Hielscher's photo from Hohnstein, I didn't know what memories it would evoke. It has to do with my name. As a kid, when my parents brought me on holidays and I mentioned my name to German speakers, almost everyone mentioned a certain Kasper, a puppet character from a well-known TV series in East Germany. Max Jacob (1888–1967) was the founder and artistic force behind the Hohnsteiner Puppenspiele starting 1928 and made up the character Kasper. 

In the Netherlands we have a similar series with "Jan Klaassen en Katrijn" that I was familiar with at the time when I also watched Ome Willem on Dutch television of which Jan Klaassen en Katrijn was part of. Well similar, only now I understand the differences of the characters of Kasper and Jan Klaasen. While Kasper was friendly, clever, educational and optimistic, Jan Klaassen was more like cheeky, a bit vulgar, direct, chaotic and humoristic, hence the confusion when I was a kid when my person was referred to the character (by German speakers). An annual puppet festival is still held to commemorate the art of hand puppetry. 

Kasper in Hohnstein.

Hohnstein Castle dates back to before 1241, when it is first mentioned as an existing fortress and is the town's landmark with only slightly more than 3,262 inhabitants. The Castle is strategically located to guard the Polenztal, the valley of the river Polenz. The castle served various roles over the centuries, including a noble residence in the Middle Ages and later a state prison in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the 19th century, the dramatic sandstone landscape surrounding Hohnstein attracted Romantic artists and early hikers to the region. During the Nazi era (1933–1945), the castle was repurposed as a detention center and later as one of Germany's largest youth hostels, marking a darker chapter in its history. After 1945, Hohnstein became part of East Germany and gradually restored both its historic town center and its cultural traditions, including the puppet theatre.

In the center with its half-timbered town hall and around the castle. 

Views from the castle on its surroundings with sandstone rockformations.

Half-timbered houses from the 18th and 19th centuries characterize the cityscape. The town hall is the oldest half-timbered building in the town. Hohnstein's town church is one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in Saxony. In 1724, the church fell victim to the devastating city fire but it was rebuilt. In its surroundings, there are more than 70 kilometers of marked hiking trails and the town itself is quite hilly as well so Kim decided to stay in the van while I went uphill to find the place from where Kurt Hielscher made his photo and then down and up again to the castle.

Looking forward to share some of the Sächsische Schweiz soon too.

Below: View on Hohnstein.