Dear fellow travelers,
With my first activity in this wonderful community, I would like to share with you one day of my life in a remarkable place in East Germany, close to the Czech Republic. Let's travel to the breathtaking rocks of Saxon Switzerland National Park with stunning panoramic views of the Elbe River.
It is just 50 km southeast away from Dresden through beautiful woodlands, meadows, and neat villages (at the end of my post, I will present to you three options to get here).
Years ago the high rocks have been hardly accessible. Well, today thanks to modern technologies this natural landmark has become a perfect platform for climbing and sightseeing, from which you can see the whole region of Saxon Switzerland. These massive rocks, formed by water a million years ago, once were a natural defense around the castle of Neurathen. Therefore the locals called it the Bastei, meaning “Bastion”.
Come with me and enjoy breathtaking views of the mountains and the riverbank.
The platform, I am standing on, is rising about 190 meters above the Elbe River.
In 1819 August von Goethe extolled the views:
"Here, from where you see right down to the Elbe from the most rugged rocks, where a short distance away the crags of the Lilienstein, Königstein, and Pffafenstein stand scenically together and the eye takes in a sweeping view that can never be described in words."
The highlight of this place is a stunning bridge, once the only connection to the castle, which was originally built of wood in 1824 and replaced with a sandstone structure just 27 years later. It stands 80 meters above the ground and has 7 arches.
I highly recommend visiting this place and getting unforgettable memories, pictures and souvenirs. If you decide to do so, there are several ways to get to Bastei from Dresden and I will share three of them with you:
- You can use public transportation, by taking the train from Dresden to Rathen. The trip takes about 45 minutes. Once you arrive, you can take the ferry across the Elbe River and walk up to the hills.
- Another option is to take a boat tour from Dresden on one of the world’s oldest paddle steamers. Next time I visit this place I will definitely try this option. From their spacious free deck, you can enjoy the views along the river.
- The most convenient and independent way to travel is to rent a car in Dresden. It will allow you to start early and to arrive before the crowds. Since the drive is not very long, you will have time to stop at one of the country-style restaurants along the way and try some of the regional specialties. You should try their tasty sausages with a glass of craft beer. I know I said to leave early, therefore sausage with beer might not be the most preferred breakfast, but you can stop once again on the way back :)
At the top of the hills, there is all you need for the day - a parking place, hotel, restaurant, and a few souvenir shops. Don't miss getting a fridge magnet as a memory. I love them. Soon I will need a second fridge to be able to put all magnets I collected so far :)
Thank you for your attention and support. I will keep on posting new interesting stories with pictures from my trips around the world.
You are welcome to dive into my future posts.
Yours,
George