Pirna (Germany Saxony)

Pirna is an Elbe River cruise port and town in Germany's Saxony state (Sachsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district) with population around 40,000.

The town is located near (southeast of) Dresden and Elbe Sandstone Mountains (on both sides of the river) straddling the border between Saxony (southeastern Germany) and Bohemia (northern Czech Republic). The nearby rivers Wesenitz (north) and Gottleuba (south) are tributaries of Elbe River. The town is also in Saxony's wine region (Sachsische Weinstrasse). Pirna developed as an industrial center in early-19th-century after the opening in 1837 of the railway linking directly to Dresden and in 1880 of the Gottleubatalbahn (linking to Bad Gottleuba-Berggiesshubel). In late-19th-centuries were built several large factories producing glass, cellulose and rayon (fiber made from regenerated cellulose). In 1875 was opened Elbbrucke.

Pima's best-known tourist attraction is Sonnenstein Castle (overlooking the town) which during WW2 (1939-1945) was converted by the Nazis into the euthanasia extermination camp NS-Totungsanstalt Sonnenstein (National Socialist Killing Institution Sonnenstein). In 1940-42, in the castle were installed a gas chamber and crematorium. Between June 1940 and September 1942, here were killed approx 15,000 people by Nazis' euthanasia (national gene purification) program.

As cruise port, Pirna Germany was included in the 2019 schedule of Nicko Cruises' ship Katharina von Bora. Next table shows the 8-day itinerary between homeports Prague and Potsdam, with prices from ~USD 1700 pp.