The Bastei is a 194 meter high rock formation overlooking the Elbe River near the Elbe Sand Mountains of Germany. Located at an altitude of 305 meters above sea level, the jagged rocks of the Bastei were formed by water erosion more than a million years ago.
It is the most famous viewpoint in the Saxon Switzerland national park.
The Bastei has been a tourist attraction since the 19th century: in 1824 a wooden bridge was built to join some of the rocks for tourists to visit. This bridge was later replaced in 1851 by the current Basteibrücke built in stone.