Königsstuhl (Rügen)

Königsstuhl
File:Königsstuhl Rügen 2012.JPG The Königsstuhl – seen from Victoria's View (2012)
Highest point
Elevation	118 m above sea level (NN) (387 ft)
Coordinates
Geography
Königsstuhl is located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Königsstuhl Rügen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Geology
Mountain type	Chalk

The Königsstuhl (King's Chair) is the best-known chalk cliff on the Stubbenkammer in the Jasmund National Park on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen. It lies at 118 m above sea level (NN).

Victoria-Sicht (Victoria's View) and Königsstuhl (King's Chair) from the Baltic Sea

In 2004 the Königsstuhl was incorporated into the terrain of the Königsstuhl National Park Centre. It can be reached along a cliff top path, 11 kilometres long in total, that runs from Sassnitz to Lohme, or from the large car park in Hagen (in the municipality of Lohme) 3 km away. Since 2004, entry to the National Park Centre and hence access to the Königsstuhl has been subject to a charge.

The narrow yet massive granite steps, that lead to the plateau on the Königsstuhl, 200 m² in area, lie over the site of what is suspected to be a Bronze Age barrow. From the plateau is a sweeping view of the Baltic Sea. The Königsstuhl itself is best seen from the viewing point of Victoria View (Victoria-Sicht) to the south.

There is a legend that the name Königsstuhl ("King's Chair") goes back to an event in 1715 when the Swedish king, Charles XII is supposed to have commanded a sea battle against the Danes from this spot. The battle tired the ruler so much, such that he needed to take a chair.

However, the name Königsstuhl was used in a travel report by the vicar, Rhenan, in 1586, who had been tasked by the Pomeranian duke to find mineral springs, thus it is clear that it had been named much earlier.

According to a legend, the name is actually derived from a custom whereby in ancient times the person elected king was the first to climb the cliffs from the sea and sit in the chair on the top.

• 

  Victoria-Sicht (Victoria's View) and Königsstuhl (King's Chair) from above

• 102 - Stubbenkammer.jpg

  View towards Stubbenkammer, the area around the Königsstuhl

• Koenigsstuhl 1900.jpg

  View from the beach
  (around 1900)

• Stamps of Germany (DDR) 1966, MiNr 1180.jpg

  Königsstuhl as featured on an official GDR stamp in 1966

• Rügen Postkarte 070.jpg

  Postcard of Königsstuhl, 1927

• Fotothek df ps 0001529 Landschaften ^ Insellandschaften.jpg

  Before 1970

• Koenigsstuhl 118 m.jpg

  On top of the Königsstuhl, at 118m above sea level

• Vom Koenigsstuhl nach Norden.jpg

  View from the Königsstuhl, northwards

External links

• Jasmund National Park pictures and information about the chalk cliffs (English)
• nationalpark-jasmund.de (German)