Into the Czech Republic...

On Monday, I was feeling pretty tired after the huge hike I did on Sunday, so I decided to do something easy. I hired a bike in Postelwitz, rode to the Czech Republic, crossed the Elbe on the ferry at Schmilka (which is in Germany), then rode back to Bad Schandau along the left bank. Lovely cliffs on the right bank which are best seen from the opposite side.

The Elberadweg - for the third time!!

Der Schrammstein from the left bank. Can you spot the canoes?

I took the ferry from Bad Schandau Bahnhof to the town itself and bought some postcards and an ice-cream. I had a look inside the church (which was nice and cool), then headed back to Postelwitz. On the way I stopped at the Personenaufzug – the elevator up the cliff between Bad Schandau and Postelwitz. It’s 50 metres high, with nice views up and down the Elbe. Then back to the Pension. By this time it was around 1pm and mid 30s again, so into the river to cool off before spending the afternoon in my room.

Der Personenaufzug just sort of sticks out in the middle of nowhere

From the top - looking towards Postelwitz and the Czech border

Around 6.30pm I ventured out again, riding into Bad Schandau to pick up something to eat, then heading a little further downstream, before returning to Postelwitz and dropping the bike off.

The river is lovely

On Tuesday I got to do my forest boat trip! I caught the red bus to Mezni Louka in the Czech Republic, which took half an hour. Then an hour’s stroll through lovely forest with quite a few birds around, before I came to Wilde Klamm – the wild gorge. Whilst waiting for the boat I had some lovely views of a Dipper - Wasseramsel in German, which is literally water blackbird. Having heard it sing, I understand the blackbird part, and it can swim like a duck, too! I didn’t see it dive, which it does as well. 

The red bus

The forest is green and peaceful

The creek and the rock walls keep it cool

The pathway is metal, juts out a lot and is NOT in the best condition

Dipper!

The departure point for the boat trip through Wilde Klamm

Then on to the boat with 20 other people, almost all of whom were speaking Czech (I only heard a few people speaking German all day, and none speaking English). A fifteen minute trip downstream, powered by a pole. Lovely. The Kamnitzbach is dammed in a couple of places so they can run these boat trips.

Waiting to board

Pole power!

Then a half hour stroll to Edmundsklamm (Edmund’s gorge). This gorge is more accessible, had far more people and many more boats operating. The cliffs are higher, too – it was really lovely. 

Approaching the departure point for the boat trip through Edmundsklamm

It's also known as Stille Klamm - quiet gorge

Really peaceful (if you ignore the Czech commentary!)

Stunning

After 20 minutes on this second boat, it was about 20 minutes walking to Hrensko, where I caught the red bus to Schmilka (it only goes on to Bad Schandau in the late afternoon). Until this point, I’d been feeling reasonably cool, with rock gorges and a creek hiding the real temperature. Once in Schmilka waiting for the normal bus back to Postelwitz, one realised very quickly that – yes – it was mid 30s again today. Back in Postelwitz and time for another swim!

Walking back to Hrensko

An evening swim in the Elbe

Der Schrammstein

On Sunday, I'd planned a walk through the forest which involved a couple of boat trips. As the bus didn't leave until after 9am, I went birding early in the morning. I walked up the Wolfsgraben valley - lots of steps past houses until I reached the forest. However, the forest was dark and quiet, so I settled down near some houses and lawns, and saw lots of tits, robins, blackbirds, and heard woodpeckers. Then came the deer - two of them.

Obviously used to people

At breakfast, Petra informed me that my plans had changed. As the weather was going to be a bit cooler (less than mid 30s!), I should walk the Schrammstein range today. She and Karl photocopied a map for me, and showed me several options for returning. After packing plenty of food and water, off I went. The beginning was the same as yesterday morning's walk, but as there were three different paths I was able to take the one I hadn't been along. This time, though, once I reached the signpost to the Schrammstein Aussicht (lookout), I kept going. There were a few other people as well. The closer we got, the more ladders and steep steps we encountered. Fantastic!

This is actually the path - 20 cm wide and 2 metres up!

Such fun!

The Aussicht is amazing. Almost 360 degree views. I stayed up here for almost an hour.

Schrammstein Aussicht

Bliss!

Looking towards the Elbe and the Czech border

Lots of kestrels flying around the rocks......

......and a handful of people on top of two of the columns

Climbing down from the lookout, I headed along the top of the range towards the town of Schmilka and the Czech border. A lot of the time it was easy walking through forest with no views, but every so often there'd be a break in the trees and an amazing panorama unfolding on both sides of the track.

The forest was lovely

Lots of people up here......

......which meant there was always someone to take a photo of me

And then there's the self-timer, too...

So many wonderful views

There was also the occasional ladder or metal staircase going down, then up. Just my cup of tea!

The ladders continue towards the top of the picture

The brown vertical line on the rock in the centre of the pic is a ladder

Sometimes there's a chain instead

I headed for Schmilka using the Heilige Stiege (holy staircase). Over a thousand steps - metal, wood and rock - to reach the valley floor. I was so glad to be going down and not up!!

This is the first staircase going down (or the last one going up)

This is somewhere in the middle.  Exciting, hey?

Once in Schmilka, I waited for the Wanderschiff, which travels between Bad Schandau and Hrensko (CZ) four times daily. I caught the boat to Hrensko (and in so doing visited the Czech Republic) and then returned to Postelwitz. The dock is about 200 metres from my Pension. Followed, of course, by a welcome swim in the river!

Nice view of the Schrammstein from Schmilka

Der Schrammstein from the Elbe

My Pension is the middle house with the red roof

Die Elbsandsteingebirge

I'm now in Obere Maxlraineralm in Bayern (Bavaria), about 5km from Austria, and I have internet once again (although it's slow, so that restricts the number of photos). So...some posts about Bad Schandau and my time in the Elbsandsteingebirge (Elbe sandstone mountains), also known as Saechsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland).

I arrived before midday in 36 degree heat and was met at the station by my hosts, Petra & Karl. They drove me back to the Pension in Postelwitz, pointing out necessities along the way, like bus, tram and ferry stops, ATMs and supermarkets. The afternoon was spent reading and snoozing in the relative cool of my room, and then I caught the last bus into Bad Schandau, bought tea and walked the 2km along the Elbe back to the Pension.

My room on the first floor at the back of the house. Window at right looks up at the cliffs

Looking upstream towards Postelwitz on the left (yes - I'm standing in the river)

On Saturday I got up early in the cool, and went for a walk.  It was amazing, but in order to be back in time for brekky, I couldn't go as far as I wanted.

Wow.  Just wow.

As it was also going to be 36 degrees today, Petra suggested taking the old tram to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall, then walking to the Kuhstall (cow stable), a rock formation. A trip in the valley should be cooler than elsewhere. The waterfall is a bit forced - they dam the creek, then once an hour they let the water run over the rocks for about two minutes. It's not very high, but it was still pretty. Then relatively easy walking through forest, not as hot as it could have been, and the Kuhstall was fabulous (and cool!).

Der Kuhstall is the largest rock arch in Germany

Views are wonderful!

The Himmelsleiter - sky ladder. Fun!

The bright green of the forests here is simply stunning

The trip back in the old tram was awful. Half an hour in the baking sun, with windows that wouldn't open.  Everyone was sweltering. Bought a drink in the supermarket, walked to the bus stop and caught the bus back. Petra greeted me with a couple of slices of cold watermelon, which was very welcome! Then I cooled off in the Elbe. The river is just across the road from the Pension, and is really low - only knee deep for about 20 metres from the edge, but still deep enough to cool off. Lovely!

Dresden

This morning I'm leaving Dresden and heading south, upstream along the Elbe, to Bad Schandau in the Saechsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland). I have really good internet here, and I suspect I won't have any in Bad Schandau, so I'll upload lots of photos of Dresden, and caption them later when I have time. Beware - this is a very long post.

First, my accommodation here is about 2km from the Hauptbahnhof and about 4km from the Altstadt. Transport is easy - buses run every 10-15 minutes to the Hbf and connect with frequent trams to the Altstadt. The pension is in a house that was built in 1906 and was untouched during the war. It has high ceilings, squeaky stairs, and lots of paintings by Paul Poetsch, the original owner and great-grandfather of the current owner. I have a separate bathroom next to my bedroom but half a floor above (6 steps). It's an interesting house.

It's the dark yellow house

Looking into my room. Bathroom is up those stairs

The windows look west

Breakfast in the breakfast room across the hall

Now to the Altstadt. Theaterplatz is where the Hofkirche, the Semperoper, the Zwinger and the Residenzschloss are located.

Hofkirche on the left, Zwinger middle, Semperoper on the right

This is the Semperoper, the opera house, named after its designer.

Semperoper on the left, looking across towards the Hofkirche

And the Zwinger, which is absolutely gorgeous.  Part of the city wall, it was expanded by Augustus II into an outdoor ballroom.

Some general shots as I was walking around. Both days have been really hot, so I headed back to my room for a couple of hours during the heat of the day, and went back to the Altstadt in the evening. First of all, a couple of shots of where I had tea on Wednesday.

This fountain is near the Hbf, not in the Altstadt, but...

Hofkirche on left, Residenzschloss on right

And again, at night

Residenzschloss

Note the buskers.  They were fantastic

And some views along the Elbe. Dresden has Stadtmauer (city walls) along the Elbe rather than relying on the river as a defensive barrier.

Because the Elbe is so low (58cm at the moment), most of the paddlesteamers aren't running, and my plans to travel from Dresden to Bad Schandau along the Elbe are up the creek (45 minutes on the train is not nearly so much fun). Only the smallest Dampfschiff, the Diesbar, is running, and she's doing 90 minute round trips to the Blue Wonder, which is basically where I went with the Segway. Nevertheless, on Thursday evening (in 36 degree heat!) I travelled up the Elbe.

These people had the right idea...

...lots of families swimming in the river