Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda, Princess of Éboli, was imprisoned for six months in the tower.
Torreón de Pinto (Tower of Pinto)
Rococo staircase to the musicians’s gallery.
Biscari Palace
Statues of Qin Hui and Lady Wang.
Qin Hui Statue at Yue Fei Temple
The Salt Canyon.
Salt Canyon
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
 Fenway Park at night
How Was Your First Trip With Your Significant Other?
about 19 hours ago
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
2 days ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
3 days ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Czechia Děčín Hunger Stones of Děčín

Hunger Stones of Děčín

When the river dries up, these stones start talking.

Děčín, Czechia

Added By
Cara Giaimo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The best-known hunger stone, which reads “If you see me, weep.”   Dr. Bernd Gross/CC BY-SA 3.0
The best-known hunger stone, which reads “If you see me, weep.”   Dr. Bernd Gross/CC BY-SA 3.0
More hunger stones in Děčín, marked with years that date back to 1842.   Dr. Bernd Gross/CC BY-SA 3.0
The approach to the hunger stone.   Dr. Bernd Gross/CC BY-SA 3.0
“Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine”—”If you see me, weep.”   Dr. Bernd Gross/CC BY-SA 3.0
Inscriptions date back to 1616.   Dr. Bernd Gross/CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The most famous hunger stone in Děčín, Czechia, once lived a quiet life. When things were going well, the River Elbe flowed over it, hiding much of it from view. Only in dry years, when the water dropped low enough, was its message revealed. "Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine," the main inscription on it reads: "If you see me, weep."

Děčín, which is right across the border from Germany, is home to a number of "hunger stones"—carved stones that both record the droughts of history and bemoan them in the present. In the past, low water levels meant bad harvests, hunger, and headaches for those who used the river for shipping or travel.

In the present, they're bad news as well: During the hot, dry summer of 2018, water levels once again fell precipitously, revealing a number of hunger stones along with unexploded mines and grenades from World War II.

Some of the stones are etched with lists of dates, providing a chronology of difficult years. The one mentioned above has carvings that date back to at least 1616, making it one of the oldest hydrological markers in central Europe. Thanks to a dam upriver, it's now visible for about one-third of the year, and has become a popular tourist attraction.When the stones have more elaborate messages, they're often about weeping. "We cried – We cry – And you will cry," says one. "Who once saw me, he cried. Whoever sees me now will cry," says another. That's one way to bring the water level back up.  

Related Tags

Rocks Water History Geology

Know Before You Go

There are a number of hunger stones in Děčín. The main one is located underneath Tyrs Bridge, and is accompanied by a historic placque.

Community Contributors

Added By

Cara Giaimo

Published

September 14, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/sinister-hunger-stones-dire-warnings-surfacing-european-heatwave-czech-drought-elbe-decin
  • https://www.clim-past.net/9/1985/2013/cp-9-1985-2013.pdf
  • https://www.npr.org/2018/08/24/641331544/drought-in-central-europe-reveals-cautionary-hunger-stones-in-czech-river
Hunger Stones of Děčín
Děčín
Czechia
50.782581, 14.207786
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Pravčická brána (Pravčice Gate)

Hřensko, Czechia

miles away

Tiské Stěny

Tisá, Czechia

miles away

Art Nouveau Elevator

Bad Schandau, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Czechia

Czechia

Europe

Places 182
Stories 9

Nearby Places

Pravčická brána (Pravčice Gate)

Hřensko, Czechia

miles away

Tiské Stěny

Tisá, Czechia

miles away

Art Nouveau Elevator

Bad Schandau, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Czechia

Czechia

Europe

Places 182
Stories 9

Related Places

  • Felsenkirche, the “crag church.”

    Idar-Oberstein, Germany

    Felsenkirche (Crag Church)

    A tiny chapel clings to a precipice above Germany’s gemstone capital.

  • Amidon Gorge

    Fredericktown, Missouri

    Castor River Shut-Ins

    These pink granite water slides are the result of millions of years of erosion.

  • Ruggles Mine

    Grafton, New Hampshire

    Ruggles Mine

    Generations of rockhounds got their start at this beloved, historic mine.

  • Some of North America’s oldest known petroglyphs.

    Nixon, Nevada

    Winnemucca Lake

    This dry lake bed contains the oldest known petroglyphs in North America.

  • Virgin Wall at Penitente Canyon.

    Del Norte, Colorado

    Madonna of Penitente Canyon

    A mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe painted on the rock wall by canyon's religious namesake.

  • Baker, California

    Travelers Monument

    This large pile of traveler-curated rocks by the dry lakebed is a longstanding tradition on the Old Mojave Road.

  • Chapel Rock on the shore of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

    Shingleton, Michigan

    Chapel Rock

    This lone tree and dramatic sandstone outcropping are so beloved by Michiganders they can be found on one of the state’s coins.

  • Ash Cave.

    Logan, Ohio

    The Caves of Hocking Hills State Park

    Rare recess caves fill this unbelievably beautiful Ohio park.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.