The hike begins in Königstein at the railway station. From there, we take the ferry across to Halbestadt and follow the blue line markings towards Lilienstein. After the first ascent, we pass through Ebenheit, continue across a field and then take the southern ascent in the forest to the plateau of the Tafelberg.
In an almost complete loop, the Elbe circles the 415.2 metre high Lilienstein. The summit plateau offers a phenomenal panorama of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. The four metre high obelisk on the eastern side commemorates the visit of Augustus the Strong. It was destroyed by lightning in 1966 and replaced by a replica in 2008. On closer inspection, white spots can be seen on the rock faces of the Lilienstein: the droppings of birds nesting on the rock ledges. Raven, kestrel or the rare peregrine falcon could be the culprits. The peregrine falcon was reintroduced to the Lilienstein in 1998 after it had become extinct in the 1970s. Peregrine falcons hunt exclusively in the air. Before grabbing their prey, they reach speeds of over 300 km/h in a dive!
We follow the northern descent marked with a yellow/blue line. At the bottom, we keep right at a crossroads and continue along the Kirchweg, parallel to the Elbe, towards Königstein. We then take the ferry back to the other side of the Elbe towards the starting point of the hike.
