Castle · Pirna · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Schloss Sonnenstein in Pirna

Schloss Sonnenstein is a castle in Pirna, Saxony, Germany. This place has a story in the app. 4 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 390 m you'll find a bench, a public toilet, a water point and a bike pump.

Directions in Google Maps

The story

Wikipedia ↗

Story · Schloss Sonnenstein

You're standing at Sonnenstein Castle, high on a hill on the edge of Pirna. Some seventy metres below you, the Elbe flows past. Take a good look at this spot. Down there was once a ford across the river, right where a trade route reached the border with Bohemia. That's why the Margraves of Meissen built a castle up here around 1200. At the same time, the little market town of Pirna grew up at the foot of the hill.

Read the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Opening hours and admission

Wheelchair: Accessible

Source: OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

1 / 10

Photo: Norbert Kaiser · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Schloss Sonnenstein Pirna: castle above the Elbe

Schloss Sonnenstein is a castle high on a hill on the edge of the town of Pirna. For a long time it was a psychiatric institution. From 1940, more than 14,000 people were murdered here. They were people with mental or intellectual disabilities and prisoners from concentration camps. Today the castle is also a place where these people are remembered. You will find Schloss Sonnenstein Pirna 200 metres from the Stadtkirche St. Marien. The Gedenkstätte Sonnenstein, a museum, is 326 metres away, and the Stadtmuseum Pirna is 536 metres further on.

What you can see at Schloss Sonnenstein

The castle is now an office of the district, so you cannot simply walk inside. With a guide, you can visit part of the building. The castle houses work by the painter Elfriede Lohse-Wächtler. The cellar of building C 16 has been set up as a memorial place and is open to visitors from time to time. If you would rather not go inside, you can walk through the gardens around the castle. There you will see remains of the medieval town wall and the old bastions. In summer there is often an exhibition of sculptures. From the hill you look out over the Elbe, which flows about 70 metres lower.

Schloss Sonnenstein's history

Around 1200, the margraves of Meißen built a castle here. Below it lay a shallow ford across the Elbe, right where a trade route reached the border, and the market town of Pirna grew up at the foot of the hill. In 1548, Maurits van Saksen had a new castle built. It was half fortress, with bastions, and half residence. It kept the Zweden out in 1639, but in 1756 it fell to the Pruisen, and the fortifications were demolished shortly afterwards. In 1811, the castle became a psychiatric institution, and a progressive one at that. Patients received sport, baths and a special diet, as well as therapeutic conversations, which was new for the time. The writer Daniel Paul Schreber stayed here for several years. His book about his own psychoses is still studied today. From 1940, the institution became a site of Aktion T4, the murder programme of the nazi's. It took decades after the war before this history was truly acknowledged. A memorial place opened here in 2000.

Opening hours, tickets and accessibility at Schloss Sonnenstein

Schloss Sonnenstein is wheelchair accessible, and there is also a wheelchair-accessible toilet inside. That is useful if you plan to stay for a while. We do not currently have opening hours or ticket prices for Schloss Sonnenstein, so please check them yourself before you set off. That way you will know exactly when you can visit. This matters particularly if you are coming by wheelchair, as you will want to know in advance whether your visit fits your plans.

Benches, toilets and drinking water nearby

There are benches by Schloss Sonnenstein. The nearest one is 26 metres away, by the Schlosstreppe. Within 500 metres you will find 94 benches, so it is easy to sit down for a while. The nearest public toilet to Schloss Sonnenstein is also by the Schlosstreppe, 39 metres away. Within 500 metres there are 3 public toilets. You can fill your bottle with drinking water at Schloss Sonnenstein by the Brunnen am Kirchplatz, 183 metres away. Within 500 metres there are 2 water taps. The nearest bike pump is by the Elbpromenade, 393 metres away. Within 500 metres there are 2 bike pumps.

Walks and more to see near Schloss Sonnenstein

Once you have seen the castle, there is more to do in Pirna. The Stadtkirche St. Marien is 200 metres away, a church you can take in on a short walk. If you want to learn more about the history of the site, head to the Gedenkstätte Sonnenstein, a museum 326 metres away. Further off, at 536 metres, you will find the Stadtmuseum Pirna, where you can learn more about the town itself. These places are close together, so you can easily combine them into one walking loop. It is a short route, which leaves you plenty of time to pause along the way or find a bench to sit on.

Facilities near Schloss Sonnenstein

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 4 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

AttractionStory

Schloss Pillnitz · 7.4 km

Photo: User:Kolossos · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionStory

Königstein Fortress · 9.2 km

Photo: A.Savin · Wikimedia Commons · FALView the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionStory

Loschwitzer Brücke · 14 km

Photo: Nikater · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

All 1,785 points of interest in Saxony →

Walks within 2 km

Map ›

Cycle routes within 5 km

Map ›

Explore further

More points of interest

Frequently asked questions

Is Schloss Sonnenstein wheelchair accessible?

Yes, Schloss Sonnenstein in Pirna is wheelchair accessible. There is also a wheelchair-accessible toilet inside.

Where can I find a toilet near Schloss Sonnenstein?

The nearest public toilet is 39 metres from Schloss Sonnenstein, at Schlosstreppe. Within 500 metres there are 3 public toilets in total.

Are there benches at Schloss Sonnenstein?

Yes, the nearest bench is 26 metres from Schloss Sonnenstein, at Schlosstreppe. Within 500 metres there are 94 benches.

Where can I get drinking water at Schloss Sonnenstein?

The nearest drinking water point is 183 metres from Schloss Sonnenstein, at Brunnen am Kirchplatz. Within 500 metres there are 2 drinking water points.

Can you visit Schloss Sonnenstein in Pirna inside?

Yes, but only with a guide and only part of the castle, as it is now a district office. The basement of building C 16 has been set up as a memorial and is open to visitors from time to time.

What is the history of Schloss Sonnenstein?

Around 1200, a castle fortress was built here. In 1548, a new castle was built here on the orders of a ruler. In 1811 it became a psychiatric institution, and from 1940 more than 14,000 people were murdered here as part of Aktion T4.