Bohemian Saxon Switzerland is a national park in the Czech Republic. Bohemian Switzerland - the main attractions of the national park Yellow route in Czech Switzerland

In the northwestern part of the Czech Republic, on the border with Germany, there is a Czech national park. Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland is an untouched territory with wild nature and picturesque corners. In Germany, this park is called Saxon Switzerland, and in the Czech Republic - Czech. This is due to the fact that the park is located on the territory of two states.

Tourists come to this park not only to enjoy nature, but also to engage in active sports. You can explore the most important places in just one day, but many stay at the campsite for a longer time.

A visit to this national park will give you an unforgettable experience of communicating with wildlife and ancient monuments, which are an important part of the culture of not only the Czech Republic, but throughout Europe.

More than 10 thousand years ago, the first inhabitants of Bohemia lived here, who were engaged in hunting, fishing and collecting various berries and herbs. The ancient inhabitants wandered around the territory and settled mainly near water streams, so modern archaeologists find tools, utensils and used coal.

Farmers settled the area much later. Trade caravans passed through the entire territory of the modern park, and a fortified fort was erected for defense.

In the 13th century, the kings of Bohemia invited the colonialists here, who settled modern Germany, to make this place more civilized. The colonialists built villas, castles, engaged in industry and coal production here. Dense forests and the absence of wide plains have left many areas untouched. There were no places where one could permanently live or engage in industry. Nevertheless, some objects built by man have been preserved. For example, the runes of ancient half-timbered houses of the XX century.

The tourism business in Czech Switzerland began to develop very early. In the second half of the 18th century, romantic artists began to come here in search of new previously little-known places. Later in the 19th century, tourism began to develop systematically. It was during this period that farmers from local estates and tourist communities began to come here, which were just beginning to form. To increase the attractiveness of the area, hiking trails have been laid out, restaurants, hotels and observation towers have been opened. Even later, tourists began to actively engage in extreme sports and sail on the river.

Park attractions: what to see in Bohemian Switzerland?

There are no modern attractions in Czech Switzerland, but there are unique natural creations and ancient castles. There are a lot of sights on the territory, but you can make a route so that you can visit the most interesting places in one day. It is worth noting that it will be easier to travel by car, but you can really enjoy the nature of the Czech Republic and partly Germany while walking.

Pravchitsky Gate

The symbol of the national park is the Pravchitsky Gate tower. The uniqueness of this natural site lies in the fact that it is the highest rock in Europe, which has an incredible appearance. This is a natural monumental arch 16 meters high, which has a length of 26 meters.

You can get to the sights from Grzhensk. From the car park you will need to walk about 4 km. You can’t climb the Pravchitsky Gate, but you can view the unique natural creation from the side. Price entrance ticket for adults - 75 kroons, and for children (6-14 years old) - 25 kroons.

If you walk a little more from the Pravchitsky Gate along a wide path, you can see a small copy 2 meters high - the Small Gate.

Important! Please note that there is also a narrow path, which is marked in red on the map, it also leads to the Small Pravchitsky Gate, but you will have to wander around the park for a long time.

falcon nest

At the end of the 19th century, a castle was built in the rock near the Pravchitsky Gate, which, with its spring appearance, resembled a hunting lodge. The Falcon's Nest is a unique Clari castle that has been reorganized.

Now it is a popular tourist spot, where there is a restaurant overlooking the territory of the natural castle, and a museum dedicated to the history and natural diversity of this region.

Lupezhnitsky Castle or Schaunstein

Schaunstein Castle, which is also located in a rock near the High Lips, was inhabited by robbers, but eventually became empty and lost its former appearance.

Now it is ruins in a dense forest and a popular waypoint in the national park. It is recommended to climb the stairs in the rock tunnel to the observation deck, where an extraordinary view of Czech Switzerland opens up. A small room was excavated at the bottom of the main tower, which served as a prison for intruders and a warehouse.

The place is fully equipped for tourists and easily accessible, so it is worth adding to the itinerary for independent travel.

Dolskaya mill

It is hard to imagine that for several centuries it was a busy place where roads crossed and trade was conducted. Later, when the territory was empty, a fairy tale about a princess was filmed here. Today, Dolskaya mill is a ruin and a popular attraction of the park.

royal spruce

Not far from the Dolskaya Mill is the Royal Spruce. Its age is 180 years, and the coverage of the trunk is 3 meters. This ancient tree impresses with its scale and majestic appearance.

Khrzhensko

On the border with Germany, there is a small but very picturesque town of Khrzhensko. In the 15th century, Bohemian glass was made in a glass workshop. Tourists can visit this workshop and see with their own eyes the whole process of blowing Czech glass. Tourists often visit the workshop's souvenir shop, where you can buy various glass vases, glasses, crockery and other items made of crystal and Bohemian glass.

Few people live in the town of Khrzhensko, but everyone is involved in the tourism business. Here you can rent a hotel room, visit a restaurant or buy a souvenir. You can leave your car in the parking lot and walk around the territory.

Residents' houses are no less amazing objects, because they are authentically decorated and resemble small village houses. What is also unique here is that the city has only two parallel streets that run along two banks. If you drive a little further from the village, you can see a waterfall.

Other attractions

Along with these main attractions and popular tourist destinations, there are other equally beautiful and ancient points of the routes:

• Abandoned silver mines. It will be interesting to visit this place with a guide who will tell you more about the ancient mines where silver was mined. You can also go down into the mine and feel involved in this industry.

• Castle Falkenstein. This castle is located among the rocks and it is difficult to get to it. Tourists who decide to climb the mountains will be incredibly amazed by the beauty of nature and the architectural features of the castle structure. If you climb to the highest point of the cliff, you can view the territory of the park from a height.
• Panska rock. Another attraction created by nature is a huge 12-meter cliff, which was formed from basalt slabs. There is a similar natural formation in Northern Ireland, but why not visit the Panska Rock in Bohemian Switzerland?

• Viewpoint Belvedere. This is a natural retreat that hangs over the river canyon, and is located near the town of Binovce. From this city on a straight road you can walk to a platform from which sandy cliffs are visible.
• Gorges Wild and Quiet. Tourists who find themselves on the steep canyon of the Kamenica River can continue to explore Bohemian Switzerland by boat with local gondoliers between the dams. The first place they will sail to is the Wild Gorge, and a little further is the Silent Gorge. The latter has a unique waterfall that makes its way from the cliff. This is an incredible natural site that must be visited.

• Dry Kamenitsa. At the beginning of spring, the canyon of the stream, which flows into the Elbe River, fills with water and murmurs between the rocks in small waterfalls. At other times of the year, it is not so unusual here, so tourists rarely visit this place.
• Gorge Kamenice. Not far from the village of Mezne, there is a gorge where tourists swim on gondolas and enjoy the wild nature.

• Ruzhovsky Vrh. This place is worth visiting only for active and risk-averse tourists, because you can only climb the Ruzhovsky Vrh mountain along winding paths through the thickets of a beech forest. There will be no sights along the way, only nature and people. This is an opportunity to test yourself for endurance, to think, in order to consider the opening view as a result, which deserves all the efforts made to climb.
• Wolf board. This attraction is located near the canyon of the Krinitsa River and is known for its unbridled nature. There is also a 17th century stone slab depicting the story of a successful hunter.

• Dechinsky Snezhnik is the most high mountain Czech Switzerland and another observation deck. Here is a tower of the middle of the XIX century, 33 meters high, as well as the ruins of a medieval castle.

Independent travel routes

There are many marked routes for independent travel in the park. Tourists can lay a route both at their own request, and resort to the help of tourist centers. You can also go in for active sports here: rock climbing, horseback riding or cycling.

There are a lot of routes for independent travel in Czech Switzerland, we will post only some of them, which you can use:

• Route 1: Pravcicka brana - Divoka and Tycha Soutezki. The length of the route is approximately 15 km, the time will take approximately 5-6 hours.
  
  
• Route 2: Arnoltice, Ruzhov and Janov. The length of the route is approximately 17 km, it will take approximately 4.5-5 hours in time.
  
  
• Route 3: Saunstein castle - Ptaci kamen viewpoint. The route is approximately 11 km long and takes approximately 3 hours.
  
• Route 4: Belvedere viewpoint. The route is approximately 18 km long and takes approximately 5 hours.
  
• Route 5: Jetrichovice Rocks. The route is approximately 14 km long and takes approximately 4.5 hours.
  
  
• Route 6: Falkenstein Castle - Rinartice - Pavlinino Udoli. The route is approximately 14 km long and takes approximately 4 hours.
  
• Route 7: Bolshoy doubitsky district. The route is approximately 28 km long and takes approximately 8 hours.
  
  
• Route 8: Narrow stairs. The length of the route is approximately 12-15 km, it will take approximately 3-4 hours in time.
  
  
• Route 9: Ruzhovsky vrh. The route is approximately 13 km long and takes approximately 4 hours.
  
• Route 10: Jetřichovice Lookout - Falkenstein Castle
  
  

How to get from Prague to Czech Switzerland on your own?

There are several ways to get to Czech Switzerland:

• On the public transport: you need to take a train to the city of Decin, and then transfer to bus number 434, which goes to the Khrzhensko stop.
• By car: follow the highway to the town of Decin, and then Khrzhensko. You can leave your car in the parking lot and go explore the national park.
• By boat on the Elbe River from the city of Decin, but this city must be reached by train. The final stop is located 800 meters from Grzhensk.

Reviews of tourists

Tourists speak positively about the beauty and originality of this place, but you need to be prepared to walk a lot.

Czech switzerland map

You can get acquainted with the location of the main attractions of Czech Switzerland on the map of the national park.

On the border with Germany, one would like to write, in the dense forests is the Czech Switzerland National Park. It looks like all the places in Europe where beautiful nature bears the name Switzerland only the adjectives change. So in the north of the Czech Republic they did not deviate from traditions. National Park "České Švýcarsko" (this is how it looks in Czech) is famous for its extraordinary beauty of high steep cliffs, murmuring streams. Against the backdrop of such beauty, one natural monument stands out, which is the hallmark of this area. We are talking about the Pravchitsy Gates. This is a rock-hole, as we would call it, the largest natural gate from a rock mass on our continent. For their sake, hundreds of thousands of tourists are sent here.

Of course, when so many people gather in one place, it’s a sin not to organize walking routes and attractions with which you can earn money.
Boating with helmsmen, who control the vessel with the help of poles, along the gorge is another entertainment that attracts tourists.
According to those who have passed this route, it is better to start it from the village of Mezni Louka. Along the route marked in blue (marks on the trees in blue) we descend to the Divoká Soutěska canyon. The markers start right behind the Mezní Louka hotel. This option is convenient because most of the road will go downhill. We took the harder route.
It began for us in the village of Hrensko. Even before he had time to put the car at the entrance to the settlement, his mouth opened arbitrarily from the beauty he saw. High sheer cliffs hung directly above the road. At their foot, wherever possible, houses with restaurants were attached. Under one of these rocks was a parking lot, where the car was left.
Before starting the route, let's look around and enjoy the moment. Next we will have a walk along the river Kamenice. To correctly navigate, remember the movie The Diamond Arm. The action will take place at the toilet. On the map marked with the letters M and ZHO. Everything is very similar here. Near a huge rock there is a low building with the same letters. If you go to the left of the cliff, then you will meet with the Pravchitsky Gate, and if to the right along the river, then you will sail on a boat with an uncle who has a big pole.
Since the guys swim only until six, and we arrived after dinner, we decided to start with them.
The first part of the gorge is pedestrian. Twenty minutes along the path, sometimes just above the river, sometimes descending directly to it. The rocks are so close that the hands reach for them. Somewhere for convenience, pedestrian tunnels were made. Children from such a neighborhood are a joy. Together with adults, they play echo, screaming loudly inside. So with jokes and jokes, they didn’t notice how they plowed two kilometers. As soon as the dam appears ahead, you can already relax and slowly walk to boarding the boat. This part of the rides is called Edmund's Gorge (Edmundova soutěska). The session will last approximately 15-20 minutes. A lot of interesting chips made for tourists can fit in this short period. It is a pity that fluent Czech is not quite, or rather, completely incomprehensible to the Russian ear. According to the stories of linguists, the boatman leads his unhurried story about the route and the history of this place. In the most unexpected places, a dragon's head crawls out, a boletus peasant sits on a mound, a rock in the form of an open mouth, and much more. For convenience, the places where you need to look at outlandish rocks are painted yellow. And the crown of this story is an unexpected "by itself" turning on the waterfall (for this, a wire is stretched at the top).
The freebie ended quickly and again you need to work with your feet. First, in light mode along the river to the bridge. On the way, right behind the high-rise from the boat, you will meet a small cafe where you can have a bite to eat. True, I do not advise you to do this, since the most difficult section lies ahead. It starts right after the bridge.
Before proceeding, I will make a small digression. The difficult section after the bridge begins for those who want to shorten the route. If you go to the maximum to the end, then after the bridge you need to move further along the river until the next landing in the boat. The boat ride will pass through the Wild Gorge (Divoká Soutěska). Then it will be necessary to climb up the mountain from the gorge and reach the village of Mezni Louka. Then, along the yellow tourist road called Gabriela's path, you need to climb the road along the rocks to see the rock massifs: Big Pravchitsky cone, Gomole sahara, Krshidelni wall. Ultimately, this path will lead us to the Pravchitsy gates.
We, unfortunately, did not have so much time and from the bridge we started the most difficult part of our journey. From the very bottom of the gorge, a steep climb awaited us. For those who are not physically fit, a serpentine trail has been made. We were going through. The twenty-minute climb ends at the hotel-restaurant. Here you can rest a little bit and drink a cup (beer). This small settlement is called Mezna.
Then you need to get strictly in a straight line to the road leading down to the highway 25861. This part of the route is marked in yellow. The road will go first through the field and you can see a rocky ridge, along which there is a longer route. If you got on it correctly, then you will go straight to the bus stop, from which another ascent to the Pravchitsy Gate begins.
The ascent itself is initially not very interesting until you reach the section along the rocks. Giants soaring up to a height of 30-40 meters hang over you. You are so small compared to them, moving further and further. When they end, you think that's it. However, no, this is only half, because bypassing the stone you begin to move in the opposite direction. How long is short, but in ten minutes the last jerk and here is a huge rock with a hole inside. This is not just a gate, it is a whole flyover across the gorge, but no, it will be more abruptly than the bridge across the Bosphorus Strait. Of course, taking into account the fact that it was nature itself.
Next to the gate is the Falcon's Nest castle, built in 1881 in the Alpine style. Previously, local hosts accommodated their guests here. Now there is a restaurant on the ground floor, and a national park museum on the second. To get to the gate you need to bypass the castle and pay money. We didn't make it. The gate slammed shut in our face. It remains only to admire the gate and take a few pictures.
The way back was no longer fun. By this time, fatigue from the route and the morning distance of the race had an effect. The route ended in a cozy restaurant near the water mill in the village of Grzhensko.

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National Park "Bohemian Switzerland" (aka - the national park "Czech Switzerland" was founded on January 1, 2000 and covers an area of ​​​​almost 80 sq. Km. The park is located at the northern border with Germany and continues on German territory (there it is called " Saxon Switzerland") The task of creating the park is to preserve the natural beauty of these places, so that human intervention is strictly limited here.

The main wealth of the park is unique sandstone rock formations, covered with green islands of well-preserved old forests and rare plants. These rocks once rose from the bottom of the sea, where sand accumulated over 10 million years to reach a thickness of more than 1 km by our time. The most important geological processes took place here in the Mesozoic.

The modern amazing landscape of the national park is these deposits, compressed into cliffs, which cracked and split under the influence of wind, rivers, temperature changes, etc., forming today stunningly picturesque cliffs, rock towers, canyons, arches and windows. The most famous of them is Pink Hill, the highest in Bohemian Switzerland.

The main wealth of the park is unique sandstone rock formations covered with green islands of well-preserved old forests.

Bohemian Switzerland is a real forest kingdom. The forest covers almost its entire territory. Here grow mainly coniferous-birch forests, the oldest of which can be found in impregnable gorges and on high cliffs. Since the soil on the latter is either poor or absent, very viable representatives of the flora grow here, creating very picturesque pictures with their curved trunks. The fauna of the national park is also rich: the landscape creates ideal conditions for nesting of many species of birds, colonies of bats live in rock crevices, shy and nocturnal animals such as deer live in the forests.

History of Czech Switzerland

The first inhabitants of Bohemian Switzerland were probably hunters, fishermen and gatherers - which is natural for that time, more than 10 thousand years ago. They roamed the area, setting up settlements near water streams. Tools, pieces of coal and utensils are still found here. Much later, Bohemian Switzerland was partially settled by farmers. From time to time, a fortified fort was erected here and there, and trade caravans went through the territory of the national park.

Hiking in Bohemian Switzerland

In the 13th-14th centuries, Bohemian kings invited colonizers from the territory of modern Germany to come here. The latter built villas, stone castles, engaged in logging, began to produce glass and coal. But, since the forests were dense, and there were no wide plains in Bohemian Switzerland either, the life of these communities was of a specific nature. The architecture was also specific: old half-timbered houses of a typical design are still preserved in the national park (in particular, in Kamenická Strana and Vysoka Lipa). In the second half of the 20th century many of these settlements, abandoned, fell into disrepair, and in some places in the park you can find the most picturesque ruins.

The beginning of the tourist development of the region was laid quite early, approximately in the second half of the 18th century. Romantic artists living in Dresden began their first travels in what was later called Saxon Switzerland (the name was adapted in the Czech version). The systematic development of tourism began in the 19th century, when landowners from local estates (the Kinsky and Clari-Aldringen families), as well as the first tourist communities (the Mountain Society of Bohemian Switzerland and the Mountain Society of North Bohemia) began to step by step increase the attractiveness of the region for travelers. The first walking trails, restaurants, hotels, viewing platforms and observation towers began to appear here. Water sports enthusiasts increasingly came here to swim on the Elbe under sail, and the gorges in Kamenitsa were full of punts.

Bohemian Switzerland Tourism

Today, dozens of well-marked hiking trails are laid in the park. Here you can ride a bike, go in for horseback riding and rock climbing on designated areas, and stay overnight at official campsites. You can even come here with your pets.

But what you can’t do is go off the marked trail in zone I of the park.

Today, the national park contains several extremely interesting places, to see which tourists travel from all over Europe. This is a stone natural arch 26 by 16 m, which is called the Pravchitsky Gate; gorges of the river Kamenice; valley of the river Krynice; famous rock Pink Hill; the town of High Lipa; Dolskaya mill; Dittersbacher peaks; waterfalls near Brtniki… You can go on and on, but it’s already obvious: it’s not enough to spend a day or two in Czech Switzerland. It is worth coming here as a full-fledged vacation.

Practical Information

Tourist centers are located in different parts of the national park. The main one is located in Krasnaya Lipa. Information centers - in Saul, Jetrichovice, Serbian Kamenitsa, Hrensko.

Opening hours of the tourist center in Krasna Lipa: daily from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 12:30 to 17:00, in January - February - until 16:00, in June - August - until 18:00.

You can get to Krasna Lipa by car in about two hours if you drive due north through Melnik and Česká Lipa. Another option is to take a train to Germany, to Bad Schandau, which is located in the German part of the national park ( Saxon Switzerland). This trip will take about two hours.

There are places where this amazing piece of land looks like a land hidden from mankind and preserved in its original beauty.

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This exceptional natural treasure even made it to Yosemite National Park and South America's Galapagos Islands on the Must-visit 501 - Wild places travel list.

However, a closer acquaintance will allow us to make sure that this region is by no means as uninhabited and pristine as it seems at first glance. Moving through its territory, you will find out that among the deep gorges and high cliffs there are many surprises. The local cliffs are surrounded by steep steps, and on the peaks one can see lonely ruins, covered with legends about robber knights, fairies and giants. With all this, the road to this quietest fabulous land from the noisy metropolitan Prague takes no more than two hours.

Walk on the seabed

The Czech Switzerland National Park is the youngest of the four national parks in the Czech Republic. You will find it on the border with Germany, which separates "Bohemian Switzerland" from its twin, "Saxon Switzerland". Millions of years ago, the sea stretched here. Having subsided, it left behind a unique edge, which, being the lowest point Czech Republic reminiscent of mountains. This land of high sandstone cliffs and towers, rocky arches, ravines and mountains with truncated peaks served as a refuge for ancient people more than 10,000 years ago. In the 13-14 centuries, German settlers began to build villages and entire future cities here, fortresses of knights grew on the rocks, who often engaged in robbery. In troubled times, local residents hid here from the armies marching along this region during the wars, which were never lacking near the historical border between the Czech and German lands. Until now, you will find here many reminders of these distant events - inscriptions carved on the rocks by the villagers themselves, conciliatory crosses, rock chapels and abandoned church paths.

Photos: ( Martin Rak,Vaclav Sojka)

Artists, poets and early travelers

The wild nature and hidden beauty of the region, which for a long time developed without human intervention, were discovered at the end of the 18th century by two Swiss artists of the Romantic era - Adrian Zingg and Anton Graf. Depicting this region in engravings and describing it in verse, they spread its rapidly growing fame throughout Europe. The sites along the Elbe Canyon have become the cradle of modern tourism, becoming one of the first heavily visited tourist attractions in Europe. For the beauty and mystery of Czech Switzerland rushed more and more visitors. Caspar David Friedrich, one of the most famous landscape painters of all time, also came here for the motives of his paintings. The owners of the local estates understood the attractiveness of the local dense forests, as well as the romantic outlines of the rocks, and made a lot of efforts to make them as accessible as possible by building roads and bridges. Steps were made on the Mariana Rock, the Wall of Velhelm and the Stone of Rudolf, benches were placed, and gazebos were placed on the tops. Along the roads, new taverns and places for lodging for the night were opened for tourists, walking paths appeared, and the wild river Kamenice was used to move between the gorges.

Not only artists, but also famous poets, writers, composers came to these virgin lands for their stories and legends. The fortresses of the robber knights, rocky places, legends about gnomes and fairies influenced celebrities, including the storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, the poet R.M. Rilke, composers K.M. von Weber, Richard Wagner and others.

Czech Switzerland in the memoirs of G.Kh. Andersen and R.M. Rilke

The poet R. M. Rilke visited Jetrchichovice in 1892 and recalls his visit in the following way: “I want, dear reader, to take you to the land where mighty giant rocks open their giant gray crowns from a dark fir forest, and meadows dotted with flowers dreamily stretch along a murmuring stream. …. Throughout the area, thousands of roads beckon deep into the mysterious wilderness. Everything here attracts to sweet, carefree rest - and already today. Long hollows with moss cushions and heather carpets resemble purple featherbeds, trees look like a majestic canopy, and tall fern fans breathe blissful freshness.

Passionate traveler Hans Christian Andersen even captured his impressions of the road from his native Copenhagen to the Czech Republic in the book " Shady pictures of a journey through the Harz and Saxon Switzerland». Emotionally and romantically, in the spirit of his era, he perceives both the country and the people he met on his way. He spent only a few hours in the Czech Republic, comparing it with the well-known tune that sounds inside us, full of life: “In my recollections, this beautiful land spread out, flooded with sunlight. I clearly see every detail of it, in my soul it is like a beautiful melody, despite the fact that I cannot express it in separate tones and motives.

I see this big edge in the forest with huge spruce trees, where we were told that we had just crossed the border, I see heavily tanned Czech girls with white headscarves and bare feet that we met in a dark spruce forest, and, finally, the pristine a section of the Pravchitsky Gate rocks, where we stood under a stone arch thrown over our heads by the mighty genius of nature. I see vast dark forests somewhere below us and distant mountains with snow shimmering in the sun.

Photo: (Vaclav Sojka)

And today the Pravchitsky Gate conquers artists, including the creators of fairy tales. Film director "The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" found in the snow-covered Silent Rocks the ideal scenery for his interpretation of this story. Andrew Adamson chose Tisza because of the abundance of snow cover and unrealistically beautiful terrain with a natural labyrinth of rocks, where even in the 19th century few people dared to enter without a guide. Thus, he wanted to get as close as possible to the world that S.K. Lewis created with his imagination on the pages of books. It was here that Lucy visited the cave of the Faun Tumnus, and all four brothers and sisters crossed the rocky bridge for the first time and looked at the endless forests of Narnia.

The rock city of the Til Walls and in general the whole of Bohemian Switzerland today is a real paradise for tourists and climbers. The first sports trips to the tops of the rocks took place already at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, there have been many climbing trails. Climbing is possible on the various mountain towers of the rocky town with the poetic names "Baldur's Needle", "Golem", "Forest Drop", "Stone of the Wise Men", "Rudolfinum".

© Martin Rak

The once quite extensive fortress of the 13th century became the residence of Michel Blekta from Utěchovice two centuries later, who with his retinue carried out robbery raids on the surroundings. At the end of the 15th century, the fortress fell into decay, since the 19th century this place became available to the public.

© Franta Krivan

Sometimes also called the Robber Fortress, it is one of the most beautiful rock fortifications in Bohemian Switzerland. Since the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, it has guarded the so-called "Czech Highway" - an important trade route connecting the Czech Republic and Lausitz. The owners of the Berkov fortress from Dube earned themselves the unflattering reputation of robbers, and the fortification itself served as a refuge for them to carry out robbery raids around. At the end of the 15th century, the object was abandoned and gradually fell into disrepair.
Definitely worth climbing to the top of the fortress, not only to get to know the ruins of the fortifications, but also because of the magnificent view that opens up from the top.

© Ladislav Renner

At the top of the cliff, already many thousands of years ago there was a cave of ancient hunters. The fortress, which originally stood here, was built in the 13th century and gradually changed several owners, among whom a robber knight appeared, was surrounded and burned several times. In the 17th century, hermits settled here, who lived on top of the rock for more than a hundred years. Later, Count Kinsky rebuilt the fortress into a place of country rest for his guests. Among the visitors are the names of Archduke Franz Karl and Stephen of Habsburg, the Saxon King Friedrich August, and in 1847 the future Emperor Franz Joseph I visited with his brothers.

© Jiri Stejskal

Once a Gothic fortress, over the centuries it became both the residence of a noble family and the refuge of robber knights. The current ruins are still covered with many stories and legends. Here, supposedly, the ghosts of the White Lady and the big black dog appear, the dungeon is riddled with a labyrinth of secret passages, and in front of the fortress there is a spring, with the water of which particles of gold scatter; in the stream you can find rare and precious stones.

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On a boat to the end of the world

One of the main attractions of Bohemian Switzerland, which, according to the authors of the book 501 Wildplaces, should not be left unattended along with the Pravcicki Gate, is also a romantic boat trip through the Silent and Wild Canyons on the Kamenica River. We are talking about a short but impressive boat trip with a gondolier between two sheer cliffs - in some places it is so deep that direct sunlight rarely gets here.

© Tomas Pavlasek

In Czech Switzerland - the first observation deck, the creation of which had a hand in man. It offers breathtaking views of the deep canyon of the Elbe River, as well as the German mesas of Zirkelstein and Kaiserkrone. Once upon a time, concerts in the bosom of nature were held on this site of the Clari-Aldringen. By their order, the “terrena” hall, a small estate nearby and, a little later, a 4-kilometer path for carriages, leading then to their palace in the village of Bynovets, were built. Now this route is marked with tourist marks.

© Vaclav Sojka

One of the largest natural rock arches on our continent, without a doubt, the most beautiful natural formation in Bohemian Switzerland and a recognizable symbol of the entire region at first sight. Since 1881, the Falcon's Nest summer estate has been inseparably connected with the Pravchitsky Gate, originally used to accommodate honored guests of the Clari-Aldringen family. Today, the National Park Museum is located on the second floor of the building, and on the first floor there is a preserved stylish restaurant with its original design.

© Vladimir Pešek

Labyrinth length underground passages is 4500 meters. At the end of World War II, they were laid by prisoners of the Flossenbürg and Rabstein concentration camps. The underground plant produced parts for airplanes, cannons, machine guns and air missiles. During the construction of the underground factory, several dozen prisoners died. Today, the Museum of the concentration camp is located here.

© Jiri Stejskal

Treasure of Northern Bohemia of the Baroque era, designed by the architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt. At the place of pilgrimage in the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is already three hundred years old, liturgies, services in honor of the procession and the Holy Stairs are held.

© Vaclav Sojka

With its expressive outlines and, above all, an excess of up to 300 m compared to the rest of the terrain, it creates a bright dominant of the region. With a height of 619 m above sea level, the so-called Bohemian Fujiyama is the highest point in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, and in the Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland region, the second highest mountain after Decinske Sneznik. It is likely that at one time pagan rites were performed here, and there was also a place of pilgrimage. The German tribes allegedly worshiped the Ruzhovsky hill as the abode of the gods. In many paintings, the motif of this mountain is noticeable - for example, “Traveler over the Sea of ​​Fog” (Poutník nad mořem mlh) (1818) by the German artist Gaspard David Friedrich.

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Once upon a time, this was a serious obstacle that the inhabitants of local villages on the right bank had to somehow overcome when they wanted to get to the church in the village of Růžová on the other side of the river. At the same time, wood has been floated along the majestic river routes since time immemorial, and in winter, when trout and salmon abounded in the local waters, they became a paradise for fishermen. One day in 1877, in the U Zeleného stromu tavern in the town of Hřensko, five daredevils made a bet that they would sail on rafts from the Dolsky mill to the place that was then called "the end of the world." On swimming structures 4 meters long, they, indeed, safely reached Grzhensk, in fact, becoming the founders of the tourist use of these waterways. Prince Clari-Aldringen invited specialists from Italy, under whose leadership, over two hundred workers made these sites accessible to the public. Suspension bridges and bridges were thrown here, tunnels were laid with the help of explosives. On May 4, 1890, the opening of the "Quiet" ("Edmond's") canyon took place in a solemn ceremony. Since then, "at the very end of the world", in fact, nothing has changed much, the beauties of nature remain untouched, and carriers, as more than 130 years ago, drive and guide their boats with poles.

Photo: (Jerzy Strzelecki, Václav Sojka)

Saxony is famous for its works of art, luxurious city architecture, ancient castles. This amazing land is also rich in beautiful nature and cozy resort towns. In each trip we try to diversify the program. We decided to dedicate the second day of our trip to Saxony to natural attractions. The main purpose of this day is to visit the national parks of Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland.

Read the itinerary of the first day in Saxony here:

Saxon Switzerland is located just 50 km southeast of Dresden and 80 km from Meissen. And again here I will talk about the benefits independent travel. In Saxon Switzerland, on the Bastei Bridge, tourist buses call in on the way from Prague to Dresden. But Czech Switzerland is an unexplored tourist destination for organized tourists. The town of Hřensko, the starting point in the Czech Switzerland itinerary, is visited mainly by independent travelers. We have combined these natural parks into one day itinerary. The road passed through the town of Pirna, where we stopped for an hour. But first things first.

Route of the second day in Saxony.

Meissen - Pirna - Saxon Switzerland (near Lomen) - Bad Schandau - Czech Switzerland (near Hrensko) - Decin (overnight).

Pirna is a cozy resort town.

The first stop on our route was Pirna. The town is located 25 km southeast of Dresden on the banks of the Elbe River. Excellent german road we did not notice how we arrived in Pirna.

First of all, we are looking for where to park the car. I really liked the organization of parking in this city, as well as in Germany as a whole.

Plenty of parking spaces in the center, next to the Old Town. There are open parking lots, but we chose the floor parking. Interestingly, instead of a restaurant or a hotel in Pirna, such a 4-storey parking lot was built, for about 80-100 cars.

Parking rates are available.

Everything is compact inside.

When we returned, we paid for parking at the cash machine at the entrance.

To pay for parking, a parking ticket was inserted into the slot, which was taken from the machine at the entrance (in the photo on the left). Paid at the cash machine in cash. As a result, we received a receipt for payment. (pictured right). When leaving, he was inserted into the slot of the parking machine.

Walk through the Old Town of Pirna took us about 1 hour. But this time was enough for us to fall in love with the town. I would love to stay here for a few days. Well, how can this not impress?! home Marktplaz.

Pirna- a surprisingly colorful ancient Saxon trading town. He is already about 8 centuries old. Viewers of the popular German TV channel MDR called Pirna the second most beautiful city in Saxony. A lot of tourists come to this resort town. Pirna is called the gateway to Saxon Switzerland, a national park with many hiking, climbing and cycling trails. There are many ancient castles near the city. There is a Geibeltbad Pirna water park in Pirna with pools and saunas for relaxation after an active holiday.

Pirna is famous for its good wine. The Saxon Wine Route tourist route starts from this city, runs along the Elbe and ends in (the town we talked about in the last article).

Pirna has a large selection of good hotels, apartments, guest houses. To find and book accommodation, just follow the direct links below:

Favorable special offers and promotions of Pirna hotels, see the form below:

Pirna is also known as a global supplier of sandstone. Many buildings and sculptures in the city are made from this stone. Sandstone for the first time in the world has become a material even for a modern local playground. Blocks of Saxon sandstone from Pirna were delivered in ancient times and now also to many countries of the world. Famous European imperial palaces were built from stone quarried in Pirna. For example, magnificent palaces, sculptures and churches of Dresden. The slogan of the modern city is "Pirna - Sandstein voller Leben", which means "Pirna is a sandstone filled with life."

Along the shopping street we head from the parking lot to the Old Town of Pirna. The resort is just waking up. Some shops are still open.

Very original and cute gifts.

We go to the main square of the Old Town (Altstadt). It's called Marktplatz which means "market place". Since ancient times, there were shopping arcades here. Interestingly, the Old Quarter was restored relatively recently, in the 1990s. Many buildings were damaged during the Allied bombing in 1945. Pirna was badly damaged by the floods of 2002 and 2013. But the city, after being flooded by the waters of the Elbe, was again put in order. Around - the traditional German "ordnung". Everything is somehow “smartly gingerbread”, a very pleasant atmosphere.

There is an old well on the square, water flows from the tap. We don’t know if we can drink it, but you can refresh yourself on a hot summer day))

In the center of the square rises town hall. She is in the photo on the left. The building was built in 1396. For many centuries the Town Hall was a place for trade. There were shops of merchants, shoemakers, cloth makers, and bakers. Now it is a city administrative building.

Above the main entrance to the Town Hall - ancient sundial and coat of arms of the city of Pirna with red lions and golden pears on a tree.

On the other side of the Town Hall, a beautiful clock with a golden-black dial is clearly visible. They also have a lunar calendar, the phases of the moon are depicted. Under the clock is the coat of arms of the city of Pirna from 1549, and below is the old Saxon coat of arms from 1555. Both of them are made of the symbolic city stone - sandstone.

white building Canalettohaus with a pointed Gothic roof and windows, it was built on the square in 1520. The house was named after the medieval Venetian landscape painter, court painter of the Saxon elector Frederick Augustus III Bernardo Bellotto, known as Canaletto. He painted cityscapes. He liked Pirna so much that the artist dedicated 11 paintings to her in 1753-55. Some of these works are presented in the Dresden Gallery.

This picturesque house on Marktplatz now houses an exhibition of copies of Canaletto's paintings and a tourist center. In it, we took a free map of the city, on which we built a further walking route along Pirna.

There is a very tragic and terrible moment in the history of Pirna. It is associated with the castle, which rises on a hill above the Old Town. It is clearly visible from many streets and from the central square. In the photo - high to the right behind the white house of Canaletto. We do not plan to climb to it, but we will tell about its tragedy.

This is Sonnentscheit Castle, its name in German is Sonnenstein, literally translated as "sun stone". The castle was built on the hill in the 13th century. From 1811 to 1942 it housed a psychiatric hospital.

During the Second World War, Sonnenstein Castle became a testing ground where methods of mass destruction of people were developed. It all started in 1934 after the National Socialists led by Hitler came to power. At that time, the ideas of "racial purity" were embodied in the country. How unfit people were sterilized or killed, suffering from hereditary, mental, serious illnesses, disabled people. Officially, the process was called "euthanasia" or "death for good." This was done in several treatment centers and psychiatric hospitals in Germany. Among them was Sonnenstein. The methods were different: the patients were starved, they were given drugs in large doses, they were given lethal injections.

The Sonnenstein Psychiatric Hospital was one of the first to launch the "T-4 death program" and mass exterminate sick people in gas chambers. The crematorium furnaces were also built there. In two years, from 1940 to 1942, almost 15 thousand people were killed here, of which more than 1000 were prisoners of war. After such "tests" gas chambers for "racial purges" were installed in Auschwitz and other concentration camps. In 1947, the chief physician and orderlies of the Sonnenstein hospital were sentenced to death.

Since 1970, a rehabilitation center for the disabled has been operating in the castle. And since 2012, after reconstruction, individual halls and the garden of Sonnenstein Castle are open to visitors. In the photo - on the horizon at the end of the street you can see the castle on the hill.

From Markplatz we headed to the main St. Mary's City Church.This is a large beautiful Lutheran church, built in 1546. Its Gothic 60-meter tower is visible from afar.

Inside the church there are unique sights of the 16th century: an original 10-meter stone altar, a stone baptismal font with 26 miniature sculptures of children. They were created (like the entire temple) from local sandstone. Also in the church of St. Mary are kept paintings of 1544-1546 with scenes from the Bible and an old organ. The church hosts classical music concerts.

It can be seen that the resort town wakes up late. We didn't manage to get into St. Mary's Cathedral. It turned out that it opens only at 11-00. The morning resort of Pirna, along with shops and cafes, is just waking up (and this is at 10! in the morning).

The main entrance to the city church of St. Mary.

Walking in the morning Pirna is very pleasant. Tourists are just waking up and you can enjoy the almost deserted streets and squares of the city. There are many old houses around. Each of them has its own history, keeps its secrets.

In the old building on the right in the photo there is now a restaurant, and in the Middle Ages, since 1578, there was a Golden Lion pharmacy here.

Above the entrance to the house is a figure of a golden lion and a commemorative plaque. It is dedicated to the hero of Pirna, the city pharmacist Feofil Jakobaer. It reads: “Here lived T.H. Jakobaer - the savior of our city on September 25, 1659. During the 30-year war, the Swedish troops captured Pirna - they robbed, destroyed, mocked the inhabitants. They planned to burn down the city. The pharmacist, having learned about this, went to Dresden and through the court appealed to the Saxon princess Magdalena, a friend of the Queen of Sweden, with a request to cancel the decision to destroy the city. Pirna was saved, and Theophilus Jakobaer became a hero and was rewarded with privileges in the pharmaceutical and brewing business.

The city library of Pirna is located in an old house of the 17th century. Above the entrance is a portal with a lion's head from 1770, carved from Saxon sandstone.

On many buildings in Pirna, you can see exquisite old balconies. They have been preserved since the 16th and 17th centuries.

And in this house, on the way to the Marienbad resort, the famous German poet Goethe stopped in April 1813. In 1925, the leader of the German Communists, Ernst Thalmann, delivered a speech.

This original monument was installed in Pirna recently. It is dedicated to the most prominent citizens of the city in its entire history: the burgomaster, the first bishop, the trumpeter, merchants, ordinary people who did their job every day.

The interesting City Museum of Pirna is located in the ancient building of the Dominican monastery, founded here in 1300 (address - Klosterhof 2/3).

The Dominican monastery and the Church of St. Henry were restored and became active for parishioners in the 1990s.

A high stele was erected in Pirna by order of Elector Augustus the Strong in 1722. It bears the coat of arms of the royal family. By the way, she is depicted in the paintings of Canaletto. On this pillar are engraved the ancient names of various German cities and the distance to them from Pirna in hours. 1 hour is approximately 4.5 km. For example, to the German town of Annaburg - 25 hours, or almost 112 km. To Meisen, where we came from today, 17 hours or 76 km. An interesting system for measuring distances))) Everything is logical, the most practical information at that time about the amount of travel time. Why in the 17th century these kilometers))

The Germans care about the environment, electric bicycles have been added to electric vehicles. Here is a free charger for such bikes.

Acquaintance with the cozy resort town of Pirna left warm impressions. And we are heading to the natural attractions of Saxony. We moved across the bridge. On the way, we consider the modern part of Pirna, already on the other side of the Elbe.

Saxon Switzerland. Bridge Bastei.

Saxon Switzerland is a national park with a stunningly picturesque mountain landscape, 30 km southeast of Dresden. It occupies an area of ​​9.5 thousand hectares on the border of Germany and the Czech Republic. Its neighbor is the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. Both parks are part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, which are part of the Eastern Ore Mountains.

Where does the name come from and what does “Switzerland” have to do with it. Until the 18th century, this area was called the Meissen Plateau. Swiss artists Anton Graf and Adrian Zing, who taught at the Dresden Academy of Arts, have chosen these places. The mountainous area above the Elbe with gorges, waterfalls and ancient castles reminded them of their native Switzerland and the Jura mountain range. Hence the name "Saxon Switzerland".

We have come here for this beauty.

In the 1800s, Swiss artists traveled here themselves and invited other landscape painters for inspiration and beautiful views. Masters of brush and photography travel to Saxon Switzerland even today. Throughout the park, through all the main natural and architectural attractions, one of the most beautiful tourist routes in modern Germany stretches for 112 km Malerweg, which means "Path of Artists". It offers the most breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. It is interesting that in 2016 it entered the top three most popular routes in the world.

In the 18th century, tourists and climbers followed the artists here. Shops, a restaurant, a hotel were opened for them. In 1824, the famous Bastei Bridge was built between the rocks. Today it is one of the most popular attractions in Saxony.

The most convenient way to get to the Bastei Bridge is by car, it can also be done by S-Bann train to Raten or Wehlen, by bus from Pirna (No. 237, 238) and Bad Schandau (No. 253), or in summer by boat from Dresden. If you are traveling by car, it is easier and faster to get to the Saxon Switzerland park through the town of Lomen. Which is what we did.

We followed the signs to the parking lot near the main entrance to the park. The cost of parking is 3 euros. Entrance to the Saxon Switzerland park is free. The fee is taken only for a walk through the remains of the 13th century fortress Neurathen. These are bridges between the mountains further than the Bastei bridge. The price for 4 of us is 12 euros.

Useful advice: for a walk in Saxon or Bohemian Switzerland, comfortable clothes, buried shoes, water are required, and in summer a headdress is desirable. Although it was hot, we all changed into sports sneakers. There are many rocky paths in the parks.

Next to the parking lot is the entrance to the Saxon Switzerland National Park. There are information stands with maps and information about the park in different languages.

We turned off the main road onto a side path. This is such a breathtaking panorama. Mountains of such an elongated shape with a flat top and steep edges are called table mountains. One hundred million years ago, during the Mesozoic era, this place was an ancient ocean. Sand settled to the bottom for hundreds of meters and in several layers. When the ocean waters left, the volcanoes split the sandy bottom into many pieces. Water and wind completed the formation of a unique landscape.

The main path led us to the hotel, souvenir shops and restaurants. In 1812, the first restaurant was built near the Bastei bridge, a little later, the Berghotel Bastei. This hotel has a rich history and an excellent reputation. Today, the Berghotel Bastei is the recipient of numerous awards. It is considered one of the best in Saxony.

Even for dogs there is a service)))

Behind the restaurant and the hotel, several rocky paths begin, they have many steps, all equipped with railings. Although you walk between the peaks of the mountains, you feel safe (this is information for those who are afraid of heights))). And you look down and around - it takes your breath away from the unreal beauty.

First of all, we went to the observation deck with stunning "postcard" views. It is located on a high cliff, which rises 194 meters above the Elbe. This is what we wanted to see when we planned our trip!

The people on the court are like herring in a barrel. We made our way to the railing. A "dream photo" in the background and alone is a rare success here. And this is on a weekday. Where without a "pink blouse" in the background))).

In the distance, Mount Lilienstein is the largest table mountain in Saxon Switzerland. To its right, on a smaller mountain, rises the fortress of Königstein, a powerful fortification of the 12th century. V different times it served as a defensive fortress, a monastery, a prison, a prisoner-of-war camp and a place for storing paintings of the Dresden Gallery during the Second World War. In Königshtat, the alchemist Johann Betherr, a prisoner of the fortress, imprisoned in it by order of Elector Augustus the Strong, invented the first European porcelain in 1709. From this began the production of the now famous Königstein Fortress - a popular tourist attraction in Saxony.

The picturesque bend of the Elbe. Below you can see the ferry crossing and the two banks of the city - the resort of Rathen. This small ancient town is a climatic resort. Here is the cleanest air, a calm atmosphere, the unique nature of Saxon Switzerland with mountains, waterfalls, Amselsee lake, rhododendron park, not far from the ancient fortresses of Königstein, Stolpen and Lomen, waterfalls, Bastei Bridge, attraction "Miniature Railway”, summer Rathen theater among the rocks.

The ferry in Rathen is a unique, environmentally friendly mode of transport that still operates on a technology invented by the Dutch in the 17th century. It moves without a motor and without exhaust gases polluting the nature. This is a rope ferry. It is held on a long cable, which stretches several hundred meters upstream along the river and is fixed near the shore.

The ferry runs regularly from one side of the Rathen to the other. This is convenient for independent travelers who come here by train. by boat from Dresden or stopped at Rathen hotels. To get from Rathen to the Bastei Bridge, you need to cross the Elbe by ferry. A ferry ticket costs 1 euro (det. 0.50 euros) one way, in both directions - 1.8o euros (det. 0.80 euros). Further along the famous "Path of Artists" you need to climb to the Bastei Bridge. The climb up the steep path with numerous steps can take 30-60 minutes, depending on your fitness level.

And we continue to walk along the paths and steps of the park. Another bridge and a wonderful panorama of Saxon Switzerland.

Does the color of these mountains remind you of anything? The famous noble shade of palaces and churches! They were built from Saxon sandstone, which was mined in this area. The extraction of the stone proceeded at such a pace that the existence of Bastai and its environs was threatened. In the 18th century, people stood up to protect the unique mountains. Reserves were gradually created, and after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Germany, this territory was united into the huge Saxon Switzerland National Park, and in the neighboring state, the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. Now the original natural landscape is under the protection of the state, and sandstone mining is regulated by law.

The famous Bastei bridge rises 40 meters above the gorge. Its 7 arches organically fit into the mountain landscape. The length of the bridge is 76.5 m - such a long observation deck with great views of the surroundings! The first wooden bridge was built on this site in 1924. Over time, it fell into disrepair, it became dangerous to walk on the boards. Within two years, in 1854, a new stone bridge was built from local sandstone.

The Bastei Bridge is one of the most visited attractions in Saxony. There are always a lot of tourists here.

The original round observation deck on the bridge. Miraculously photographed without tourists in the background))

There are memorial plaques on the rocks.

On the other side of the Bastei Bridge, behind a wooden palisade, are the remains of the 13th-century Czech castle Neurathen. (Entrance here is paid - 3 euros). He guarded the borders of the Czech Republic and trade routes on the Elbe. It was one of the largest impregnable fortresses of that time. It occupied an area 700 meters long and 100 meters wide. Fortifications were built on the flat tops of the rocks, connected by log bridges. There was also a drawbridge here. The castle was destroyed by fire in 1469. Since 1485, it passed from the Czech Republic into the possession of the Saxon Margraviate of Meissen. Now almost nothing has survived from it: the remains of walls, an ancient water storage, a catapult and large stone cannonballs, which were once fired upon by enemies from the height of the fortress.

From the castle paths of the Neurathen fortress (pictured right), amazing views of the surroundings open up.

Beautiful pictures of the nature of Saxon Switzerland and from the Bastei bridge.

Saxon Switzerland is very popular among climbers. Can you see the climber?

And he is))

Although there are many tourists here, so sometimes there was a traffic jam on the paths, but the park is definitely worth a visit. Saxon Switzerland is very cozy, beautiful and unusual.

We are moving towards the next destination of today's itinerary - Czech Switzerland. The road passes through the resort town of Bad Schandau. It is known for excellent rehabilitation and health resorts, Wellness centers, healing thermal baths, good resort hotels. Interestingly, Bad Schandau is the smallest city in the world with a tram service. Even in Bad Schandau (ul. Dresdner Str. 2 B) there is an information center of the Saxon Switzerland National Park. This is an interactive exhibition that tells about the flora and fauna, about the history and modernity of the park.

We drive into the city of Bad Schandau.

The road runs along the Elbe.

We stopped at a local supermarket, bought German beer and goodies at good prices. For example, a 0.5 liter bottle of the famous Saxon beer Radeberg costs about 0.50 cents. For comparison, a bottle of Coca-Cola is twice as expensive))

Here is the view from the parking lot of the supermarket to Elba.

And here we are again in the Czech Republic. Former checkpoint on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. Now the Elba is changing its name - it sounds in Czech “Labe”))) The road here is very picturesque: on the one hand, the waters of the Labe River, and on the other, the rocks of the Elbe canyon rise.

Bohemian Switzerland, or Lost in the Lost World.

On the border with Germany, there is an equally beautiful "neighbor" of Saxon Switzerland - the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. This is part of the Elbe sandstone mountains in the Czech Republic. Stunning nature, unique mountain landscape, deep gorges, caves, clean air, silence, many hiking and cycling routes, ancient castles and authentic houses, fabulous sculptures and local legends - this is what Bohemian Switzerland is rich in.

We arrived at Hřensko (Grzhensko, Czech Republic). It is called the gateway to the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. The town is located 55 km from Dresden, 130 km from Prague, 40 km from the Bastei Bridge in Saxon Switzerland and only 10 km from Decin, where we plan to stay for the night.

What is unique about Grzhensko: This is the lowest area in the Czech Republic. The city is located only 115 m above sea level, although thanks to the surrounding rocks, there is no such feeling. The nature and climate around Grzhensko are also unusual - mountain plants feel great in the lowlands. Exotic adds that in this town there are more Chinese than local residents. What are the Chinese doing here? And they sell souvenirs and Chinese clothes.

Grzhensko consists of almost one street along the small river Kamenice, which flows into the Labe.

The architecture of the old houses of Grzhensko is very colorful. Next to luxurious palaces - hotels of the 19th century, here under the overhanging rocks are neat older rural houses.

The town was founded here in the 15th century. The great Czech trade route ran along the Elbe. At first, there was a tavern on the site of Grzhensko, where merchants and tree rafters stopped by to rest and eat. Later, workers built huts near the grain and timber, salt and glass storages. From the 17th century, Grzhensko became a major trading town. In these places, wood was harvested and processed, grain was ground at three large mills, sandstone was mined, mushrooms, salt, charcoal were traded, and even smuggled. In the summer of 1838, the first steamboats began to run along the Elbe.

On the left in the photo are the ancient buildings of Grzhnesko and the Church of St. John of Nepomuk, built in 1787.

Only in the 19th century, the enterprising owner of the pandom, Prince Edmund Clari-Aldringen, realized how attractive his land was for tourists. He began to actively develop the tourism industry. In the 1830s, hotels and inns were built in Grzhensk. In 1862, a company appeared in the city that sold photographs and postcards with the sights of Grzhensko.

In 1879, the Bohemian Switzerland Mountain Society was created. Its members built and equipped with railings, steps, benches, bridges hiking trails and viewing platforms, also published popular magazines, and held meetings. In 1898, two gorges with boat crossings were opened to visitors. During World War II, a branch of the Nazi aircraft factory worked in the adits of Grzhensk. The town and park of Bohemian Switzerland was revived for tourists after 1964, when trails and gorges were reopened after reconstruction.

One of the famous attractions of the park is Pravchitsky Gate, or Pravcicka Brana, in Czech - Pravcicka brana. This is a huge sandstone arch, which was formed millions of years ago by natural "sculptors" - volcanoes, water, wind. Its maximum height is 21 m. An 8-meter arch bridge connects two sandy mountains. The trail to Pravcicka Brana has been open to tourists since the 1830s. Interestingly, the famous storyteller Hans Christian Andersen climbed here.

Near the castle "Falcon's Nest" 1881 Former summer residence of Prince Edmund Clari - Aldringen, the founder of a tourist destination in the development of Czech Switzerland. The castle was erected in a year by Italian craftsmen on the site of a wooden pub. Now here on the second floor there is the Museum of the National Park, and on the first floor there is a restaurant in which the original wall painting has been preserved. From the Pravchitskaya bran, a wonderful view of the surroundings opens up.

Many sources claim that this is the largest "natural bridge" in Europe and the world, but we have seen more on. On about. Gozo has the Azure Window. The stone arch rises 28 m above the sea. The numbers sound dry, but nothing compares to the delight and surprise when you see such an incredibly powerful and majestic natural structure nearby.

Malta, about Gozo, Azure Window

Today we have already admired the mountain landscape from the Bastei Bridge in Saxon Switzerland, so for a change in the remaining half day we decided to take a walk along the bottom of the gorge Edmund and go boating on the river Kamenitsa.

Practical information about Czech Switzerland:

Mandatory - comfortable clothes, closed sports shoes, a hat in the summer, water with you.

Entrance to the Bohemian Switzerland Park is free. For boats and Bran, payment is accepted in kroons and euros.

• Pravcická brana

Price walks along the paths and observation decks of Pravcicka Brana - 75 kroons (3 euros) - adult, 25 kroons (1 euro) - children's ticket.

• Edmund's Gorge

Working hours: From April to September, boats operate from 9:00 to 18:00, in October - from 9:00 to 17:00 every day. The last boat in the direction of Grzhensko departs at 18:00, and towards Mezna at 17:30. (in October, respectively, an hour earlier)

Cost of skiing on the boat: 80 kroons (3 euros) - adult, 40 kroons (1.5 euros) - children's ticket.

• Wild Gorge

Working hours: From April to September from 9:00 to 17:00, in October from 9:00 to 16:00 daily. The last boat in the direction of Grzhensko leaves at 17-00, and towards Mezna Luka - at 16-30. (In October, respectively, an hour earlier)

Boat price: 60 kroons (2.5 euros) - adult, 30 kroons (1 euro) - children's ticket.

How to get to Grzhensko by public transport: Regular buses from Decin (on the way 15-20 minutes) and Bad Schandau go here almost every hour. They can also drive deep into the park, to the villages of Mezhna or Mezhni Luka, from which hiking trails begin in the park. You can also swim by boat from the city of Decin, from the German cities of Bad Schandau, Dresden and Meissen. These cities are easily accessible by train.

Buses run through the park, stops are marked on the map with a BUS sign.

Parkings: Grzhensko has 4 municipal car parks and several private ones. All of them are shown on the map. Parking fee: 30 kr (1 euro) per hour, 120 kr (4 euro) per day.

Hotels in Czech Switzerland: There are hotels and pensions in Grzhensko and the surrounding villages of the park. At the same time, you will stay in the heart of Bohemian Switzerland and be able to enjoy nature, tranquility, active hiking and cycling tourism. You can book accommodation through this link:

See also special offers with discounts of hotels in Czech Switzerland.

Here is the most difficult moment for those who travel to Czech Switzerland for the first time. And if everything is certain with Pravchitska Brana (except for travel time), then we “hit” with the gorges. We will show you all the best walking routes on the map. In the meantime, let's talk about our adventures in Czech Switzerland. We named them "Lost in the Lost World".

We put the car in the first parking lot. A pleasant woman, an usher who understood Ukrainian perfectly, presented us with a plan-map of Czech Switzerland. We warned that we would park for 2 hours. (Judging by the map… Oh! Optimists.!))) She smiled and said that this was not enough, but you could pay extra for parking later.

Here is a map of Czech Switzerland that we received. It is in German and Czech.

When we were planning a route in Czech Switzerland, we read the reviews of other travelers. Many walked in a big circle: from point 1 - through all points - to point 6. Everyone wrote that the walk takes a lot of time, but no one specifically said anything, it looked something like this: "passed, looked." The only thing they wrote is that everything is done in a day. But since we arrived in the afternoon, and were in the mountains of Saxon Switzerland, we decided not to inspect point 2 (Brahma). We wanted to walk through the city of Gzhensko from point 6 (parking) and take a boat ride in the Edmund Gorge between points 5 and 4. And then return the same route or walk to a stop in the village. Mezhna and come to the parking lot by bus.

"Pitfalls" of thisarts .

1. It does not indicate where the ascent or descent is, which is inconvenient when planning a route.
2. Distances in km are shown only on roads, and ALL walking routes are measured in MINUTES, not meters or kilometers. Here is the "trick".

Practice has shown that it actually takes at least two to three times more time to walk along the route than it is written on the map. Also keep in mind that on the way, it takes a little time to take photos - pauses, because there is amazing beauty around.

3. How does a person feel when expectations are disappointed? Unpleasant feelings of confusion, fatigue from expectation and irritation from the fact that in reality everything is not so. These are our feelings during the passage of the second half of our route, when the information on the map did not coincide with reality at all. Therefore we were "Lost in the Lost World".

And now everything is in order. Our example of what route not to take. “You don’t have to go there, you have to go there”)))

Grzhensko is an interesting town. With pleasure we walked along its only street, looking at the houses and funny garden figurines that are sold along the road.

We are looking forward to it. Behind the bridge and the Pension Soutěsky hotel (on the right in the photo), a beautiful path to the gorge begins. The car could have been parked here, but this way we had a better look at Grzhensko.

At the beginning of the trail there is an information stand with a map, distances, timetables for the boats and their last departure so that the tourist does not walk in vain. Everything is written optimistically))) Here you can see that the first yellow section 1 km long takes 20 minutes. In city mode, we walk faster. But here something went wrong. We walked it to the gorge and the boats in 50 minutes (this is true from the parking lot, 1 km from it).

We crossed the bridge over the river Kamenice.

After it begins the forest path. It is equipped with railings, steps, benches.

Interestingly, until the 19th century, the mountainous area with gorges along the Kamenitsa River was called End of the world. When the trails ended, the locals were afraid to go further into the dense forest, full of secrets and legends. Well, why not fabulous lost World?!

The surroundings are incredibly beautiful.

Here you want to sit down and just enjoy the tranquility, the murmur of water, the singing of birds, the greenery of the forest in the sun.

And the forest path along the stone gorge along the river does not end there.

Well, finally - you can see the place of landing on the boat. Further, the trail is interrupted and you can move along the route only on the water.

The history of these boats and the gorge of the Kamenitsa River began with a dispute. In 1877, five daredevils, after having a good drink in a Grzhensky tavern, made a bet that they would float on a stormy river on rafts. Three rafts confidently covered the distance. After that, the owner of local lands, Prince Edmund, hired Italian workers and built paths, bridges, tunnels, dams. In 1890, boating was opened for tourists along the first 500 m long gorge. At first it was Quiet, now it was named Edmund's Gorge in honor of the prince. A few years later, the second one was equipped - the Wild Gorge, the length of the route along it was 250 m. Then the tourists were taken by boats by ferrymen in beautiful uniforms of sailors.

Today we will sail through the first long Edmund's Gorge. Bought tickets at the box office. Tickets for our family cost 9 euros. The walk takes only 20 minutes.

We ask the cashier what we should do, how far and how long after the boat to point 4 - p. Mezhna? He says no, it's close. Indeed, a zigzag is drawn on the map on the green left route and 15 minutes is written. We had two options: 1. Go back by boat, again pay 9 euros and again walk 50 minutes to the parking lot. Or 2. - see more of Czech Switzerland. We chose the second option: after the boat, walk 15 minutes and 500 m (according to the map) to the village of Mezhna, take a bus there and return to the parking lot. (You could still go further along the yellow route, sail on a boat along the Wild Gorge and go to the village of Mezhni Luka and the bus, but it would have been much longer).

The boat trip was very nice and soulful. The boatman in three languages ​​(eng.czech.rus.) told funny and funny stories about the gorge, mysterious legends.

Local fabulous inhabitants looked at us from the shores. Good and not so good

And where there were no sculptures, everyone unanimously turned on fantasy. After all, the outlines of rocks and stones are very similar to fairy-tale characters.

Do you see the snake?

The boatman pulled the rope and a waterfall poured from the walls of the gorge. Pulled a second time - no waterfall.

The walk turned out to be interesting. We arrived at the boat station. There is a restaurant on the pier. Here you can eat and relax.

Prices in Czech crowns.

On the way they washed and refreshed themselves in the river.

The path leads through the tunnels.

These tunnels were cut in the rock by workers specially invited from Italy. They were called Barabbas. They were famous mining masters in the Alps. In the formation of tunnels, a special technology was used - in winter the rocks were heated, then cooled sharply with water. So the stone walls cracked and succumbed to processing.

This place reminded me of another stone gorge in Austria - Liechtenstein. Read about it here:

It turned out that we were waiting for the rise, remember the zigzag on the map? It was not an easy climb, but a very steep and long one. It feels like we've climbed a skyscraper. And we walked in a serpentine on such stairs.

Well, we think we'll be patient, we'll get on the bus soon. But when the stairs ended, the ascent continued along the forest paths anyway. 15 minutes have passed a long time ago, but the end is not visible)) We looked back, down there - the gorge of the Kamenitsa River.

And when we finally reached the village of Mezhna, to a restaurant, our strength finally left us. Time from the boat station to this finish line again took 50 minutes. They spent 30 difficult and long minutes on the ascent, and 15 were announced.

According to the map, there should be a bus stop here. But the restaurant waiter and a few people in it knew nothing about it. Weird! We nevertheless found a stop at 100 m. We sat, rested, waited. We saw the timetable and realized that buses run very rarely here and the nearest one is 3 hours. We decided to go to the village of Mezhni Luka - it's about 2 km. The asphalt road went through a flat, beautiful area.

When we arrived at another stop in the village. Mezhni Luka is next to the parking lot, read the schedule and realized that there would be no more buses today))) And it’s another 6 km to stomp to Grzhensko. There was no more strength to go, everyone was tired. They thought to include a “plan B”: I need to hitchhike to the parking lot and return for my own in our car. We went to the main road. And then another stop was found in front of the Mezní Louka hotel, and many tourists were waiting for the bus there. Hooray! We are saved! While waiting for the bus, the children had fun

We took the bus to our car. Our walk through Czech Switzerland took about 3.5 hours. Adventures we will never forget! Now we remember with laughter))) But only thanks to such a difficult walk, we will be able to help other travelers plan a route through the park. Organized tourists are not brought here, because it is impossible to collect them afterwards))) After all, it is easy to become “Lost in the Lost World”))) here. Of course, if you do not know how to optimally and correctly build a route.

Routes in Czech Switzerland.

There are many walking and cycling routes in the park. It's hard to get lost - there are many signs everywhere. There are buses on the main roads marked in white on the map. Stops - Icon BUS on the plan. You can combine a walking route with a bus ride. We will show on the map the routes to the main attractions of Bohemian Switzerland.

Route to Pravcicka Brana.

This route is for those who want to enjoy the mountain scenery of Bohemian Switzerland. On the map - point 2 and brown route. At the turn off the main road - a sign for Pravcicka brana. Nearby there is paid parking and the Three Springs stop. From here it is optimal to start the ascent. The length of the route from the turn to Bran is 3 km, on the map the duration is 45 minutes. In fact, expect the climb to take an average of 1 hour and 20 minutes with photo breaks along the way. The whole route together with a walk along Pravcicka Brana and returning the same way It may take approximately 3.5 - 4 hours. (If you go from Grzhensko - paragraph 1 or point 6- add distance and time to the calculation.)

From Pravchitska Brana there is a path to the village of Mezhni Luka, point 3. Length - 7 km, travel time about 2.5 - 3 hours. It will be overcome by physically prepared travelers.

Route to the Gorges.

It is suitable for those who want to see the "Lost World" of the Kamenitsa River and go boating in the gorges. But you will also have to walk a lot)) We will divide it into three options: 1. Easy option Edmund's Gorge (+ optionally Wild Gorge), 2. Edmund's Gorge, 3. Wild Gorge + Edmund's Gorge.

Option 1 - Easy and simple route through the gorges with boating.

A) The path that we did at the beginning, but with the return of the same road back. Will go for a walk average 2.5 hours without taking into account the time for rest in the restaurant. yellow route on the map: from Grzhensk points 6, 1 and 5on the map follow the forest path to the boat station in Edmund's Gorge point 4-B. Travel time is approximately 50 minutes. You sail on a boat for 20 minutes one way, relax in a restaurant (optional), return by boat - another 20 minutes. Walk back to Grzhensko - about 50 minutes.

B) You can supplement your walk with a boat ride in the second - Wild Gorge point 4-A.In this case, expect that for the entire walk through the two gorges you need about 4 hours, excluding rest in the restaurant. From the station in Edmund's Gorge to the boats of the Wild Gorge, go 30 minutes there and 30 minutes back. The boat ride takes 15 minutes there and 15 minutes back.

*** When planning a route, carefully read the boat schedule and find out the time of the last departure of the boats in the direction of Grzhensko.

Option 2 - Edmund's Gorge route.

This short route is our traveled path in reverse)). On the map - White +yellow route: point 3 With. Mezhni Luka - point 4 With. Mezhni - paragraph 4 - B point 5 about 3 hours.

By bus you reach the village. Mezhni Luka - point 3(and if you are lucky with the bus, then to the village of Mezhni point 4). If you are by car, it is better to park it at the Grzhensko parking lots ( paragraph 1 and point 6) and before the start of the route in with. Mezhni Luka go by bus. From s. Mezhni Luka ( point 3) go 2 km to the village. Mezhni ( point 4). There will be an easy ascent on an asphalt road. Travel time is about 40 minutes. Further behind the restaurant, following the signs to "Soutěska" (which means "gorges"), go down for about 20 minutes along the path down to point 4-B.

Behind the bridge over the river there is a fork with signs to two gorges. You turn right towards Edmundova soutěska. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the boat station and the restaurant. Relax and buy tickets. The boat sails along the Edmund Gorge for 20 minutes.

***

point 5, 1, 6

Option 3 - Route Wild Gorge + Edmund's Gorge.

A longer route, compared to the first option, includes boating through two picturesque gorges in Bohemian Switzerland. On the map - blue +yellow route: point 3 With. Mezhni Luka - point 4-A Wild gorge and boat station - paragraph 4 - B Edmund's Gorge and Boat Station point 5 Grzhensko. Total travel time - about 4 hours.

From s. Mezhni Luka ( point 3) follow the signs to Divoka soutěska. The descent by road will take approximately 30 minutes. Then turn right onto the path along the river to the Wild Gorge. Follow the signs for another 30 minutes. Buy tickets at the boat station. The boat sails along the Wild Gorge for 15 minutes.

*** Be sure to note that in the summer the last boat in the direction of Grzhensko departs from here at 17-00, in October - at 16-30, in October an hour earlier. If you do not have time, you will have to climb back to the village. Mezhni Luka, because further along the gorge you can only move by boat, there are no paths along the coast!!!

It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the next boat station in Edmund's Gorge and a restaurant. Buy tickets and relax. The boat sails along the Edmund Gorge for 20 minutes.

*** Be sure to note that in the summer the last boat in the direction of Grzhensko departs from here at 18-00, in October - at 17-00. If you do not have time, you will have to climb back to the village. Mezhni, because further along the gorge you can only move by boat, there are no paths along the coast !!!

After the boat, follow the forest path to Grzhensko ( point 5, 1, 6). Travel time with photo breaks is about 50 minutes.

Tourists in excellent!!! physical fitness really pass the entire route in Czech Switzerland from paragraph 1 and up to point 5 in a day, visiting Pravcicka Brana and the gorges. But it's better to break the path into 2 days))

Decin. Czech.

We stopped in the ancient Czech town of Děčín. It is only 15 km from Grzensko and Bohemian Switzerland. The city was founded in 993 by the princes Přemyslids - the first kings of the Czech Republic. We wrote about them in this article about Prague:

By the way, information for tourists without a car, the Prague-Dresden railway line passes through Decin. And from here it is convenient to get to Czech Switzerland by bus or boat.

Decchin was examined from the car window. Very cute old town.

We are approaching the central squares of the old town.

And this Decin Castle, erected in the XIII century over the river Labe. This is the main attraction of the town. Since the 19th century, the castle has been the cultural center of the region. It was owned by representatives of the influential family of Tuns. Many eminent writers, artists, composers were received here, among them Walter Scott and Frederic Chopin, who wrote the Decin Waltz. Guests were impressed by the huge orchid garden. It was considered one of the largest in Europe. Now on the alleys of the castle you can see a beautiful rose garden - Decinsky rose garden.

We booked these apartments near the Decin Castle - Czech Switzerland Castle Apartments.

Studio apartment in an old house on the 3rd floor, with a kitchen and free parking in the yard. There is an elevator to the floor. The apartment we booked has a balcony. In the photo - on the right. On it are light green chairs.

We were met by the owner - a pleasant cheerful guy David, showed us the accommodation and talked about the most interesting sights of the city and its environs. I liked the apartment very much. Everything is clean and tidy, original interior.

On the ground floor there is a cozy cafe with sweets and drinks. Babies are splashing happily in the fountain. Across the road is a small lake. View from our balcony.

We view the Decin Castle from the balcony of the apartment. I didn’t have the strength to visit him at all))) It’s a pity that we underestimated the tourist potential of Decin and stayed here for just one night. The city also has a zoo, a water park, ancient buildings, ancient bridges, 15 km away is the largest mountain in Czech Switzerland - Decinsky Snezhnik. David has a lot of brochures in his apartment describing the routes and sights of Decin.

I only had enough strength to go to the supermarket to replenish food supplies for the next day and buy something for dinner and breakfast. But even on the way to the supermarket and back, we managed to go around the lake.

On the opposite bank from the apartment, they found the Fabrika restaurant, which David recommended.

But we have other plans for this family evening: Czech dumplings, cold German Radeberg beer and a gorgeous view from the balcony.

The next day we are waiting for the road to Budapest with a stop for 3-4 hours in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava.