Stolpen Castle

The Hussites, Swedes, Prussians and French all left scars on the fortress, which was also overcome by the plague and great fires. The castle is mainly known for the power struggles within the Saxon court, which led to Stolpen welcoming its most infamous resident: Countess Cosel. After being sent into exile, Anna Constantia Countess von Cosel spent almost half a century behind the castle walls until her death. The cunning mistress of Augustus the Strong had made political enemies and eventually fell victim to the opportunism of her electoral bedfellow. The fate of Countess Cosel is just as hard as the basalt on which Stolpen Castle is built which, combined with the world’s deepest undeveloped basalt well, makes the site a national geotope.