Czech switzerland national park how to get there. National Park "Czech Switzerland" (České Švýcarsko). Belvedere observation deck

On the border with Germany, I just want to write, in the dense forests there is the Czech Switzerland National Park. It seems that in Europe all the places 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 high steep cliffs, babbling streams. Against the background of such beauty, one stands out natural monument, which is business card this area. We are talking about the Pravchitsa Gate. This is a rock hole, as we would call it, the largest natural gate made of rock on our continent. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come here for their sake.


Of course, when so many people gather in one place, it would be a sin not to organize walking routes and attractions with which you can earn money.
Boating along the gorge with pilots using poles 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 are 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 more difficult route.
It began for us in the village of Hrensko. Before he even had time to park the car at the entrance to the settlement, his mouth opened randomly from the beauty he saw. High sheer cliffs hanging right over the road. At their foot, houses with restaurants have been built wherever possible. There was a parking lot under one of these rocks, 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 Kamenice River. To get your bearings correctly, let’s remember the film The Diamond Arm. The action will take place near the toilet. On the map marked with the letters M and ZO. 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 rock, then you will meet the Pravchitsa Gate, and if you go to the right along the river, then you will sail on a boat with a guy who has a big pole.
Since the guys swim only until six, and we arrived after lunch, we decided to start with them.
The first part of the gorge is pedestrian. About twenty minutes along the path, sometimes just above the river, sometimes going straight down to it. The rocks are so close that your hands are reaching out to them. Pedestrian tunnels have been made somewhere for convenience. Children enjoy such a neighborhood. 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 a dam appears ahead, you can relax and slowly walk to board the boat. This part of the rides is called Edmund's Gorge (Edmundova soutěska). The riding session will last approximately 15-20 minutes. A lot of interesting features made for tourists can fit into this short period. It’s a pity that fluent Czech is not entirely, or rather completely incomprehensible to the Russian ear. Based on the stories of linguists, the boatman leads his unhurried story about the route and history of this place. In the most unexpected places, a dragon's head comes out, a boletus man sits on a rubble, a rock in the shape of an open mouth, and much more. For convenience, the places where you need to look at the strange rocks are painted yellow. And the crown of this story is a waterfall that suddenly turns on “by itself” (for this purpose, a wire is stretched at the top).
The freebie ended quickly and I need to work with my legs again. First, in light mode along the river to the bridge. On the way, right after the boat landing, there is a small cafe where you can have a snack. I really don’t recommend doing this, as the hardest part lies ahead. It starts immediately after the bridge.
Before continuing, I will make a short digression. The difficult section after the bridge begins for those who want to shorten the route. If you go as far as possible to the end, then after the bridge you need to move further along the river until the next boat boarding. The boat trip will take you through the Wild Gorge (Divoká Soutěska). Then you will need to climb up the mountain from the gorge and reach the village of Mezni Louka. Then on yellow tourist road with the name Gabriela's path, you need to climb the road along the rocks to see the rock massifs: Great Pravcicka cone, Homole Sahara, Křidelní wall. Ultimately, this trail will lead us to the Pravchitsa Gate.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have that 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 uphill awaited us. For those who are not physically fit, the trail is made in the form of a serpentine. We went ahead. The twenty-minute climb ends at the hotel-restaurant. Here you can take a break and drink a cup (of beer). This small settlement is called Mezna.
Then you need to strictly follow a straight line to the road leading down to highway 25861. This part of the route is marked in yellow. The road will first go through a field and you can see a rocky ridge along which a longer route goes. If you got there correctly, you will go straight to the bus stop, from which another ascent to the Pravchitsa Gate begins.
The climb itself is initially not very interesting until you reach the section along the rocks. The giants soaring up to a height of 30-40 meters hang over you. You are so small compared to them, you move further and further. When they end, you think everyone has arrived. However, no, this is only half, because after going around the stone you begin to move towards reverse side. How long is it short, but after about ten minutes there is a final push and there is a huge rock ahead with a hole inside. This is not just a gate, this is a whole overpass across the gorge, but no, it will be cooler than the bridge across the Bosphorus Strait. Of course, taking into account the fact that nature did it 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 first 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 have time. The gate slammed in our faces. All that remains is to admire the gate and take a few pictures.
The way back was no longer pleasant. By this time, fatigue from the route and the morning race distance had taken its toll. The route ended in a cozy restaurant near a water mill in the village of Grzhensko.

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

Read the route 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 tell you about the advantages independent travel. They stop by in Saxon Switzerland, on the Bastei Bridge tourist buses on the way from Prague to Dresden. But Czech Switzerland is unknown tourist site for organized tourists. Mostly independent travelers arrive in the town of Hřensko, the starting point on the route through Czech Switzerland. We combined these natural parks in one day route. 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 the city of Pirna. The town is located 25 km southeast of Dresden on the banks of the Elbe River. Along the excellent German road, we didn’t notice how we arrived in Pirna.

First of all, we look for where to park the car. I really liked the organization of parking in this city, as in Germany in general.

Plenty of parking spaces in the center, next to the Old Town. There are open parking areas, but we chose level parking. It is interesting that instead of a restaurant or hotel in Pirna, a 4-story parking lot was built for approximately 80-100 cars.

Parking rates are affordable.

Everything inside is compact.

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

To pay for parking, we inserted a parking ticket into the slot, which we took from the machine at the entrance (pictured on the left). We paid at the cash machine in cash. As a result, we received a receipt for payment. (pictured right). When leaving, it 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. We would love to stay here for a few days. How can this not impress?! home Marktplaz area.

Pirna– a surprisingly colorful ancient Saxon trading town. It is already about 8 centuries old. Viewers of the popular German TV channel MDR named Pirna the second most beautiful city in Saxony. In that resort town many tourists come. Pirna is called the gateway to Saxon Switzerland, a national park with many hiking, mountaineering and cycling routes. There are many ancient castles near the city. Available in Pirna water park Geibeltbad Pirna with swimming pools and saunas for relaxation after an active holiday.

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

There is a lot of choice in Pirna good hotels, apartments, guest houses, What to find and book accommodation, just follow the direct links below:

For profitable 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. For the first time in the world, sandstone even became a material for a modern local playground. Saxon sandstone blocks from Pirna were supplied in ancient times and now also to many countries around the world. Famous European imperial palaces were built from stone quarried in Pirna. For example, the luxurious palaces, sculptures and churches of Dresden. Slogan modern city“Pirna – Sandstein voller Leben”, which means “Pirna – sandstone filled with life.”

We head along the shopping street 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 souvenirs.

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

There is an old well on the square with water flowing from the tap. We don’t know if it’s safe to drink, but it can be refreshing on a hot summer day))

In the center of the square rises Town Hall. She's on the left in the photo. The building was built in 1396. For many centuries, the Town Hall was a place for trade. Here were the shops of merchants, shoemakers, clothiers, and bakers. It is now a city administrative building.

Above the main entrance to the Town Hall there are 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 moon 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. They are both made of the city's emblematic stone, sandstone.

White building Canalettohaus with a pointed Gothic roof and windows, it was built on the square in 1520. The house is named after the medieval Venetian landscape painter, court artist of the Saxon Elector Frederick Augustus III Bernardo Bellotto, known as Canaletto. He painted city landscapes. 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.

In this picturesque house on Marktplatz there is now an exhibition of copies of paintings by Canaletto and tourist centre. In it we took free card the city on which they built further route walks around Pirna.

There is a very tragic and terrible moment in the history of Pirna. It is connected to 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 on the right behind the white Canaletto house. We don’t plan to go up to it, but we will tell about its tragedy.

This is Sonnentscheit Castle, its name in German Sonnenstein, literally translated as “sun stone”. The castle was built on the mountain 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 extermination 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, people suffering from hereditary, mental, serious illnesses, and 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: patients were starved, given drugs in large doses, and lethal injections were given.

The Sonnenstein Psychiatric Hospital was one of the first to launch the “T-4 death program” and began mass extermination of sick people in gas chambers. The crematorium ovens were also built here. In two years, from 1940 to 1942, almost 15 thousand people were killed here, more than 1000 of them prisoners of war. After such “tests,” gas chambers for “racial cleansing” 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 a castle on a hill.

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

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

It is clear that the town is a resort - it wakes up late. We were unable 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's St. Mary's Church.

A walk along Pirna in the morning 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 and keeps its secrets.

The old building in the photo on the right is now a restaurant, and in the Middle Ages, from 1578, there was a pharmacy “Golden Lion”.

Above the entrance to the house there is a figure of a golden lion and commemorative plaque. It is dedicated to the hero of Pirna - the city pharmacist Theophilus Jacobaer. It says: “T.H. lived here.” Jakobaer – the savior of our city on September 25, 1659.” During the 30 Years' War, Swedish troops captured Pirna - they robbed, destroyed, and abused the inhabitants. They planned to burn 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 Jacober became a hero and received privileges in the pharmaceutical and brewing business as a reward.

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

You can see exquisite old balconies on many buildings in Pirna. 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 stayed in April 1813. In 1925, the leader of the German communists, Ernst Thälmann, gave a speech.

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

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

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

The tall 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 Canaletto’s paintings. On this pillar are engraved the ancient names of various German cities and the distance to them from Pirna in hours. 1 hour is equal to approximately 4.5 km. For example, the German town of Annaburg is 25 hours, or almost 112 km. The distance to Meisen, where we came from today, is 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 these kilometers in the 17th century))

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

Getting to know the cozy resort town Pirna left a warm impression. And we are heading to the natural attractions of Saxony. We crossed the bridge. Along the way, we look at the modern part of Pirna, already on the other bank of the Elbe.

Saxon Switzerland. Bastei Bridge.

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 Czech Switzerland National Park. Both parks are part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, which are part of the Eastern Ore Mountains.

Where does this 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 Tsing, who taught at the Dresden Academy of Arts, chose these places. The mountainous area above the Elbe with gorges, waterfalls and ancient castles reminded them of their native Switzerland and mountain range Yura. Hence the name “Saxon Switzerland”.

We came here for such beauty)))

In the 1800s, Swiss artists traveled here themselves and invited other landscape painters for inspiration and beautiful views. Masters of brushwork and photography still travel to Saxon Switzerland today. Throughout the park, through all the main natural and architectural attractions, one of the most beautiful tourist routes modern Germany Malerweg, which means “Artists' Trail”. It offers the most breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. Interestingly, in 2016 it was included in the top three most popular routes in the world.

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

The most convenient way to get to the Bastei Bridge is by car, you can also do this by S-Bann train to Raten or Wehlen, by bus from Pirna (No. 237, 238) and Bad Schandau (No. 253), or in the 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 Lohmen. That's what we did.

Following the signs, we drove into the parking lot near the main entrance to the park. Parking costs 3 euros. Entrance to the Saxon Switzerland park is free. The fee is charged only for walking through the remains of the 13th century Neurathen fortress. These are bridges between the mountains beyond the Bastei Bridge. The price for 4 of us is 12 euros.

Helpful advice: for a walk in Saxon or Czech Switzerland is a must comfortable clothes, buried shoes, water, and in summer a hat is advisable. Even though it was hot, we all changed into sports sneakers. There are many rocky trails 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. Such a breathtaking panorama opened up. 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, there was an ancient ocean in this place. The sand settled to the bottom hundreds of meters and in several layers. When the ocean waters left, volcanoes split the sandy bottom into many parts. The formation of the unique landscape was completed by water and wind.

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

There is even a service for dogs)))

Behind the restaurant and hotel there are several rocky trails with many steps, all equipped with handrails. Even though you walk between the peaks of the mountains, you feel safe (this is information for those who are afraid of heights))). And if you look down and around, the unreal beauty will take your breath away.

First of all, we went to the observation deck with stunning “postcard” views. She is on high cliff, which rises 194 m above the Elbe. This is what we dreamed of seeing when we were planning our trip!

The people on the site are like sardines in a barrel. We made our way to the railing. “Dream photo” against the background and alone is a rare success here. And this is on a weekday. Where would we be without the “pink blouse” in the background))).

In the distance is Mount Lilienstein, the largest table mountain in Saxon Switzerland. To the right of it, on a smaller mountain, rises the Königstein Fortress, a powerful fortification structure of the 12th century. IN different times it served as a defensive fortress, a monastery, a prison, a prisoner of war camp and a storage site for paintings at the Dresden Gallery during the Second World War. In Konigstatt, the alchemist Johann Betherr, a prisoner of the fortress, imprisoned there on the orders of Elector Augustus the Strong, invented the first European porcelain in 1709. This began the production of the now famous Königstein Fortress, a popular tourist attraction in Saxony.

The picturesque bend of the Elbe. You can see below ferry crossing and two shores of the city - the resort of Rathen. This small ancient town is a climatic resort. There is the cleanest air, a calm atmosphere, unique nature Saxon Switzerland with mountains, waterfalls, Lake Amselsee, a rhododentron park, nearby the ancient fortresses of Königstein, Stolpen and Lohmen, waterfalls, the Bastei Bridge, the Miniature attraction Railway”, Rathen summer theater among the rocks.

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

The ferry runs regularly from one side of Rathen to the other. This is convenient for independent travelers who come here by train. by boat from Dresden or stop at hotels in Rathen. To get from Rathen to the Bastei Bridge, you need to cross the Elbe by ferry. A ferry ticket costs 1 euro (children: 0.50 euros) one way, round trip costs 1.80 euros (children: 0.80 euros). Further along the famous “Artists' Trail” you need to climb to the Bastei Bridge. The climb up the steep path with many steps can take 30-60 minutes, depending on your fitness.

And we continue our 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 quarried in the area. Stone mining proceeded at such a pace that the existence of Bastai and the surrounding area was threatened. In the 18th century, people stood up to protect the unique mountains. Nature 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 Czech Switzerland National Park. Now the original natural landscape is protected by the state, and sandstone mining is regulated by law.

The famous Bastei Bridge rises 40 meters above the gorge. Its 7 arches fit organically into the mountain landscape. The length of the bridge is 76.5 m - such a long observation deck with magnificent views of the surrounding area! The first wooden bridge was built on this site in 1924. Over time, it became dilapidated and it became dangerous to walk on the planks. 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 we took pictures 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 Czech castle XIII century 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 biggest impregnable fortresses that time. It occupied an area 700 m long and 100 m wide. Fortifications were built on the flat tops of rocks connected by log bridges. There was also a drawbridge here. The castle was destroyed by fire in 1469. In 1485 it passed from the Czech Republic into the possession of the Saxon Margraviate of Meissen. Now practically nothing has survived from it: the remains of walls, an ancient water storage facility, a catapult and large stone cannonballs that were once fired at enemies from the heights of the fortress.

The Neurathen Fortress castle paths (pictured on the right) offer amazing views of the surrounding area.

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 a lot of tourists here, so sometimes there was a traffic jam on the paths, 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 route - Czech Switzerland. The road passes through the resort town of Bad Schandau. It is known for its excellent rehabilitation and health resorts, Wellness centers, healing thermal baths, good resort hotels. Interestingly, Bad Schandau is the most Small town in a world where there is a tram. There is also an information center in Bad Schandau (Dresdner Str. 2 B) National Park Saxon Switzerland. This is an interactive exhibition that tells about the flora and fauna, history and modernity of the park.

We enter 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))

This is the view of the Elbe from the supermarket parking lot.

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


Czech Switzerland, or lost in the Lost World.

On the border with Germany lies an equally beautiful “neighbor” of Saxon Switzerland – the Czech 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 Czech Switzerland is rich in.

We arrived at Hřensko (Grensko, 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 the town of Decin, where we plan to stay overnight.

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 cliffs, it does not feel that way. The nature and climate around Hřensko are also unusual – mountain plants thrive in the lowlands. What adds to the exoticism is that there are more Chinese in this town than local residents. What are the Chinese doing here? And they sell souvenirs and Chinese clothes.

Grzensko consists of practically one street along the small river Kamenice, which flows into the Labe.

The architecture of the ancient houses of Grzhensko is very colorful. Near luxurious palaces– hotels of the 19th century, here under the overhanging rocks there are neat older rural houses.

The town was founded here in the 15th century. A large Czech trade route ran along the Elbe. At first, on the site of Grzhensko there was a tavern, where merchants and tree raftsmen came to rest and refresh themselves. Later, workers built huts near the storage facilities for grain and wood, salt and glass. Since the 17th century, Grzensko became a large trading city. In these places they harvested and processed wood, ground grain in three large mills, mined sandstone, traded mushrooms, salt, charcoal, and even smuggled goods. In the summer of 1838, the first steamships began to ply along the Elbe.

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

Only in the 19th century did the enterprising owner of the lordship, Prince Edmund Clary-Aldringen, realize how attractive his land was for tourists. He began to actively develop the tourist destination. 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 Hřensko.

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

One of the famous attractions of the park is Pravcicka Gate, or Pravcicka Braná, in Czech – Pravčická brána. 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. The 8-meter arch bridge connects two sand mountains. The trail to Pravčicka Brana has been open to tourists since the 1830s. Interestingly, the famous storyteller Hans Christian Andersen climbed here.

Nearby is the castle “Falcon's Nest”, 1881. The former summer residence of Prince Edmund Clary-Aldringen, the founder tourist destination in the development of Czech Switzerland. The castle was erected within a year by Italian craftsmen on the site of a wooden pub. Now there is a National Park Museum on the second floor, and on the first floor there is a restaurant in which the original wall paintings have been preserved. The Pravčicka brane offers a wonderful view of the surrounding area.

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 meters above the sea. The numbers sound dry, but nothing can compare the delight and surprise when you see such an incredibly powerful and majestic natural structure nearby.


Malta, o. Gozo, Azure Window

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

Practical information about Czech Switzerland:

Required: comfortable clothes, closed sports shoes, a hat in summer, and bring water with you.

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

  • Pravčická brána

Price walks along the paths and observation platforms of Pravcicka Brana - 75 CZK (3 euros) - adult, 25 CZK (1 EUR) - child ticket.

  • Edmund's Gorge

Working hours: From April to September the 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 leaves at 18-00, and in the direction of Mezna - at 17-30. (in October, accordingly, an hour earlier)

Riding cost on the boat: 80 CZK (3 EUR) – adult, 40 CZK (1.5 EUR) – child 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 in the direction of Mezna Luka - at 16-30. (in October, accordingly, an hour earlier)

Boat ride price: 60 CZK (2.5 EUR) – adult, 30 CZK (1 EUR) – child ticket.

How to get to Hrzensko by public transport: Regular buses go here almost every hour from Decin (the journey takes 15-20 minutes) and Bad Schandau. They can also take you deeper into the park, to the villages of Mezhna or Mezhni Luka, from which hiking routes around the park begin. You can also travel by boat from Decin, from the German cities of Bad Schandau, Dresden and Meissen. And these cities can be easily reached by train.

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

Parking: There are 4 municipal parking lots and several private ones in Hřensko. All of them are shown on the map. Parking cost: 30 CZK (1 EUR) per hour, 120 CZK (4 EUR) per day.

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

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

Here is the most difficult moment for those who are traveling to Czech Switzerland for the first time. And if everything is certain with Pravcicka Brana (except for the travel time), then with the gorges we “got it”. We will show you all the optimal 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 parked the car in the first parking lot. A pleasant woman, the ticket taker, who understood Ukrainian perfectly, gave us a map of Czech Switzerland. We warned that we were parking for 2 hours. (Judging by the map... Oh! Optimists.!))) She smiled and said that this was not enough, but you can pay extra for parking later.

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

When we were planning a route through Czech Switzerland, we read reviews from other travelers. Many walked in a large circle: from point 1 - through all the points - to point 6. Everyone wrote that the walk takes a lot of time, but no one said anything specifically, it looked something like this: “I walked, I looked.” The only thing they wrote was that everything was done in a day. But since we arrived after lunch and were in the mountains of Saxon Switzerland, we decided not to inspect point 2 (Bram). 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 along the same route or walk to the stop in the village. Mezhnaya and come to the parking lot by bus.

“Pitfalls” of thisarts .

  1. It does not mark where the ascent or descent is, which is inconvenient when planning a route.
  2. Distance in km shown only in highways, and the length of ALL walking routes is measured in MINUTES, not meters or kilometers. This is where the “trick” comes in.

Practice has shown that walking along the route actually takes at least two to three times longer than what is written on the map. Also keep in mind that on the way you will spend a little time taking photos - pauses, because there is amazing beauty all around.

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

And now everything is in order. Our example of which route not to take. “Don’t go there, don’t go there!”)))

Grzensko is an interesting town. We walked along its only street with pleasure, looking at the houses and funny garden figurines that were sold along the road.

We're excited. Behind the bridge and the Pension Soutěsky hotel (on the right in the photo) a beautiful trail to the gorge begins. The car could have been parked here, but this way we got a better look at Hřensko.

At the beginning of the trail there is an information stand with a map, distances, boat operating schedules 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 something went wrong here. 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 Kamenice River.

After it the forest path begins. 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 paths end local residents They were afraid to go further into the dense forest, full of secrets and legends. Well, what’s not fabulous lost World?!

It's incredibly beautiful all around.

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’s rays.

But the forest path along the stone gorge along the river does not end.

Well, finally we can see the landing site for the boat. Further on the trail is interrupted and you can only move along the route by water.

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

Today we will sail along the first long Edmund's Gorge. We 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 there. Indeed, on the map there is a zigzag drawn on the green left route and it says 15 minutes. 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 the bus there and return to the parking lot. (You could also go further along the yellow route, take a boat along the Wild Gorge and go to the village of Mezhni Luka and the bus, but it would be much longer).

The boat ride was very nice and soulful. The boatman told funny and cheerful stories about the gorge and mysterious legends in three languages ​​(English, Czech, Russian).

Local fairy-tale residents looked at us from the shores. Good and not so good))

And where there were no sculptures, everyone unanimously turned on their imagination. 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 down from the walls of the gorge. I pulled it a second time - there was no waterfall.

The walk turned out to be interesting. We sailed to the boat station. There is a restaurant on the pier. Here you can have a snack and relax.

Prices in Czech crowns.

On the way we washed ourselves and cooled off in the river.

The path leads through the tunnels.

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

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

It turned out that a rise was awaiting us, remember the zigzag on the map? It was not an easy climb, but a very steep and long one. It felt like we had climbed a skyscraper. And we walked serpentinely along 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 forest paths. 15 minutes have long passed, but the end of the edge is not in sight)) We looked around, there below was the gorge of the Kamenitsa River.

And when we finally reached the village of Mezhna, to the restaurant, our strength completely left us. The time from the boat station to this finish took again 50 minutes. It took 30 difficult and long-feeling minutes to get up, but 15 were announced.

Judging by the map, there should be bus stop. But the restaurant waiter and several people in it knew nothing about this. Strange! We finally found a stop 100 meters away. We sat, rested, and waited. We saw the schedule and realized that buses run here very rarely and the wait for the next one is 3 hours. We decided to go to the village of Mezhni Luka - it’s about 2 km away. 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, we read the schedule and realized that there will be no more buses today))) And it’s still 6 km to get to Grzhensko. There was no strength to walk anymore, everyone was tired. We thought about using “Plan B”: I need to hitchhike to the parking lot and return to get mine in our car. Let's go to the main road. And then in front of the Mezní Louka hotel there was another stop, and there were many tourists waiting for the bus. 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 approximately 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 gather them later))) After all, here it is easy to become “Lost in the Lost World”))). Of course, if you don’t know how to optimally and correctly build a route.

Routes in Czech Switzerland.

There are a lot of walking and cycling routes in the park. It's difficult to get lost - there are many signs everywhere. Buses run along the main roads marked in white on the map. Stops - icon BUS on the plan. Can be combined walking route with a bus ride. We will show on the map routes to the main attractions of Czech Switzerland.

Route to Pravčicka Brana.

This route is for those who want to enjoy mountain landscapes Czech Switzerland. On the map - point 2 And brown route. At the turn from the main road there is a sign to Pravčická brána. Nearby there is paid parking and the “Three Sources” stop. This is the best place to start your climb. 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 hike to take an average of 1 hour and 20 minutes, with photo breaks along the way. The entire route along with a walk along Pravčicka Brana and returning the same way It may take approximately 3.5 – 4 hours. (If you are coming from Grzensko – paragraph 1 or paragraph 6– add distance and time to the calculation.)

From Pravčicka Brana there is a trail 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 (+ optional Wild Gorge), 2. Edmund’s Gorge, 3. Wild Gorge + Edmund’s Gorge.

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

A) The path that we took at the beginning, but with the return of the same road back. Will go for a walk average 2.5 hours excluding time spent relaxing in a restaurant. Yellow route on the map: from Grzhensk from points 6, 1 and 5on the map you follow the forest path to the boat station in Edmund's Gorge point 4-B. Travel time is approximately 50 minutes. You sail by boat for 20 minutes one way, relax in a restaurant (optional), and return by boat - another 20 minutes. Walk back to Grzhensko - about 50 minutes.

B) You can complement your walk with a boat ride in the second – Wild Gorge point 4-A.In this case, expect that the entire walk through the two gorges will take about 4 hours, excluding rest in the restaurant. From the Edmund's Gulch station to the Wild Gulch boats, it's a 30-minute walk there and 30 minutes back. The boat ride takes 15 minutes there and 15 minutes back.

*** When planning your route, carefully read the boat operating schedule and find out the last time of boat departure in the direction of Hřensko.

Option 2 – Edmund's Gulch route.

This short route is our journey in reverse)). On the map - white +yellow route: point 3 With. Mezhni Luka – point 4 With. Mezhni – paragraph 4 – B point 5 about 3 o'clock.

By bus you get to the village. Mezhni Luka – point 3(and if you’re lucky with a bus, then to the village of Mezhni point 4). If you have a car, it is better to park it in the Hřensko parking lots ( paragraph 1 And paragraph 6) and before the start of the route in the village. Take a bus to Mezhni Luka. From the village Mezhni Luka ( point 3) walk 2 km to the village. Mezhni ( point 4). There will be an easy climb along a paved road. Travel time is about 40 minutes. Further behind the restaurant, follow the signs to “Soutěska” (which means “gorges”) and go down about 20 minutes along the path to paragraph 4-B.

Behind the bridge over the river there is a fork with signs to two gorges. You turn right to Edmundova soutěska. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the boat station and restaurant. Relax and buy tickets. The boat floats along Edmund's 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 of Czech 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 Gulch and boat station – point 5 Grzhensko. Total time for the route – about 4 hours.

From the village Mezhni Luka ( point 3) follow the signs to Divoká soutěska. The descent along the 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 travels along the Wild Gorge for 15 minutes.

*** Be sure to keep in mind that in summer the last boat in the direction to Grzensko leaves from here at 17-00, in October - at 16-30, in October an hour earlier. If you don't have time, you'll have to climb back to the village. Mezhni Luka, because you can only move further along the gorge by boat, there is no path along the shore!!!

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

*** Be sure to keep in mind that in summer the last boat in the direction to Grzhensko leaves from here at 18-00, in October - at 17-00. If you don't have time, you'll have to climb back to the village. Mezhni, because you can only move further along the gorge by boat, there is no path along the shore!!!

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

Tourists in great!!! physical fitness is really possible to pass the entire route in Czech Switzerland from paragraph 1 And to point 5 in a day, visiting Pravcicka Bran and the gorges. But it’s better to split the trip into 2 days))

Decin. Czech Republic.

We stopped in the ancient Czech town of Děčín. It is only 15 km from Hřensko and Czech Switzerland. The city was founded in 993 by the Přemyslid princes, 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.

Decin was examined from the car window. A very nice old town.

We are approaching the central Old Town Square.

And this Decin Castle, erected in the 13th century over the Labe River. This is the main attraction of the town. Since the 19th century the castle has been cultural center region. It was owned by representatives of the influential Thun family. Many famous writers, artists, and 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 in the alleys of the castle you can see a beautiful rose garden - Decin Rose Garden.

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

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

We were met by the owner, a pleasant, cheerful guy, David, who showed us the accommodation and told us about the most interesting sights of the city and the surrounding area. I really liked the apartment. Everything is clean and tidy, original interior.

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

We view Decin Castle from the balcony of the apartment. I didn’t have the strength to visit it at all))) It’s a pity that we underestimated the tourist potential of Decin and stayed here for only one night. The city also has a zoo, a water park, ancient buildings, ancient bridges, 15 km away - the most big mountain Czech Switzerland – Decinsky Sneznik. In David's apartment there are many brochures describing the routes and attractions 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 walk around the lake.

On the opposite bank from the apartment we found the restaurant “Fabrika”, 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 will travel to Budapest with a 3-4 hour stop in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava.

The rocky areas around the town of Decin (80 km northwest of Prague) received the figurative name “Czech Switzerland” (Ceske Svycarsko, www.npcs.cz). Its pretty unusual name these regions were not received at all from the country of Switzerland, but in honor of two Swiss artists - Adrian Zingng and Anton Graff, who worked on the reconstruction of the Dresden Gallery and in free time who went plein air to small villages near the Saxon-Czech border. They liked these places so much that both masters decided not to return home under the pretext that they had already found their Switzerland.

This poetic name, however, poorly reflects the real landscapes of the region - the massifs of the Elbe Sandstone, Decin and Central Bohemian mountains are low here (the maximum point is Decinski Sneznik, 722 m) and are heavily destroyed, and the more well-preserved ancient volcanic massifs are cut by canyons and river valleys and crevices. But the general charm of these places more than compensates for some discrepancy in names, and the most beautiful territories became part of the national park of the same name.

Attractions

The decoration of these places is a geological phenomenon Panska Skala(Panska skala, Herrnhausfelsen) - a massive cliff made of polygonal columns of basalt. It was formed millions of years ago during the invasion of hot magma into the thickness of the earth's crust. In fact, these polygonal columns, somewhat reminiscent of organ pipes, are, so to speak, basalt crystals, exposed by erosion processes and human activity (the massif “appeared” during the development of a quarry in late XIX V.). Unlike its famous counterpart in Northern Ireland, the 12-meter high Panska Skala is easily accessible and lies just 500 meters south of route 13, near the village of Prachen (18 km east of Decin).

The second point of attraction in the region is the picturesque Kamenice gorge. From the village of Mezna (12 km northeast of Decin), a “green” hiking trail descends into the cool canyon of the Kamenice River, running from the east, from the slopes of the Lusatian Mountains, and breaking through the cliffs of the Cinské Steni in this area. . Having crossed a thirty-meter gorge along wooden bridge(Mezni mustek), you can go down to the piers, from where mini-excursions on punts begin down the river to the Quiet (Ticha souteska) and Wild (Divoka souteska) gorges, to the picturesque village of Mezni Louka (it’s better to climb here on foot along the “blue” path, although there is a river here too), the village of Hrensko (here the river flows into the Elbe) or climb 5 km up the river, to the village of Jetrichovice, where the canyon becomes shallow and turns into a picturesque valley, or else 8 kilometers south, to the picturesque town of Ceska Kamenice (Ceska Kamenice, Bohmisch Kamnitz, 18 km east of Decin on highway No. 13) with its beautiful pilgrimage church.

The massifs of the Elbe Sandstone, Decin and Central Bohemian Mountains are low here (the maximum point is Decinski Sneznik, 722 m) and heavily destroyed, while the more well-preserved ancient volcanic massifs are cut by canyons, river valleys and crevices. In total, 79 square meters are allocated for the protected area. km, however, in such a small territory at first glance, a lot of interesting things are concentrated - the geological phenomenon of Panska Skala (Panska skala, Herrnhausfelsen), made of polygonal columns of basalt, the picturesque gorges of Kamenice, Sucha Kamenice, Tichoe (Edmundovo) and Dikoe, a rock arched bridge " Pravcicka Gate (Pravcicka Brana), colorful mountain settlements (about 36 towns and villages in total), 15 hiking and cycling trails total length about 110 km, castle-hotel "Falcon's Nest" (1881, now houses the reserve museum and restaurant), castles in Decin (X-XVII centuries, one of the oldest in Europe) and Binovec, excellent viewing platforms Capital Mountain (Stolicna Hora), Snezicka (Snezicka vyhlidka) and Belveder, the “Czech Fuji” - Mount Ruzovsky Vrch (619 m), as well as picturesque forests and many clean rivers.

How to get there

You can get to the national park through the towns of Decin, Grzensko, Krasna Lipa and Jetřichovice from Prague by train (Hlavniho Nadrazi station) or by bus to Decin (about an hour and a half), then transferring to local buses (from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the final destination). points). It is also easy to travel from Dresden via Sebnitz and Mikulasovice to Krasna Lipa.

This reserve, which has no analogues in Europe, stretches from the town of Tisa in the Ustetsky district to the Shluknovsky ledge in the Decinsky district. The park was founded on January 1, 2000, and became the Czech continuation of the German National Park Sächsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland), founded 10 years earlier (1990). The Bohemian Switzerland Park is part of a vast natural complex Labske Piskovce, and the main subject of protection in it is the characteristic sandstone phenomenon - the “rocky sandstone city” of Jetřichovice and Decinske Stena, and the associated biological diversity. Tourists love to visit observation decks with unique views of sand cliffs, bridges and castles created by nature. The park is popular with fans active species sports: climbers, cyclists, rafting and hiking enthusiasts.

Millions of years ago the sea stretched here. Having subsided, it left behind a unique region of high sandstone cliffs and towers, rock arches, ravines and mountains with truncated peaks.

The wild nature, which developed for a long time without human intervention, was 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 poetry, they quickly spread its fame throughout Europe. Places along the Elbe River Canyon have become a cradle modern tourism, becoming one of the first actively visited tourist attractions in Europe.

One of the most famous landscape painters of all time, Caspar David Friedrich, came here to get the motives for his paintings. The owners of the local estates quickly realized the attractiveness of the local dense forests and romantic contours of the cliffs, and they made a lot of efforts to make these places more accessible by building roads and bridges. On Mariana Rock, Welhelm's Wall and Rudolph's Stone, steps were made, benches were placed, and gazebos were placed on the tops. New taverns and places to stay overnight were opened for tourists along the roads, walking paths appeared, and the wild Kamenice River began to be used for movement between gorges.

Not only artists came here for inspiration. The fortresses of the robber knights, rock cities, legends about gnomes and fairies influenced the storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, the poet R. M. Rilke, composers K.M. von Weber, Richard Wagner and others.

And today the Pravcicka Gate, a symbol of “Czech Switzerland”, captivates artists, for example, the snow-capped Quiet Cliffs became the backdrop for the film “The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” It was here that Lucy visited the cave of the faun Tumnus, and all four siblings crossed the rock bridge for the first time and looked at the endless forests of Narnia.

One of the main attractions of Czech Switzerland, along with the Pravcicka Gate, is a romantic boat trip along the Quiet and Wild canyons on the Kamenice River. It's a short but spectacular boat ride with a gondolier between two sheer cliffs - so deep in places that there's almost no direct sunlight.

This was once a major obstacle for local villagers. Once in 1877, in the tavern “At the Green Tree” (U Zeleného stromu) in the town of Hřensko, five daredevils made a bet that they would sail on rafts from the Dolskaya mill to the place that was then called “the end of the world.” On rafts 4 meters long, they actually reached Grzhensk safely, essentially becoming the founders of the tourist water route. The local prince Clari-Aldringen invited specialists from Italy, under whose leadership, with the work of over two hundred workers, these areas became accessible to the public. Suspended bridges were thrown here, and tunnels were built with the help of explosives. On May 4, 1890, the grand opening of the “Quiet” (“Edmond”) canyon took place. Since then, “at the very end of the world,” in fact, nothing much has changed, the beauty of nature remains untouched, and the carriers, as more than 130 years ago, push and guide their boats with poles.

Bohemian Switzerland National Park: Google panoramas

Bohemian Switzerland National Park: video

In the north-west of the Czech Republic, near the border with Germany, in the Usti region, there is a one-of-a-kind nature reserve. The continuation of the reserve is located in Germany and is called Saxon Switzerland. Tourists love to come here to take a break from the bustle of city life and admire the magnificent nature. Czech Switzerland attracts vacationers with its boarding houses with excellent hotel service and relatively low cost of vacation.

The originality and uniqueness of Czech Switzerland are the sandstone cliffs. The spectacle is amazing. Rocks, different heights, surrounded by green velvet forests. Rivers seem to crash into them, flowing from the valleys. One of the rocks, over thousands of years, has become the pearl of the Pravčicka brana nature reserve (Pravčicka Gate). The highest rock in all of Europe, it is one of the significant attractions of Czech Switzerland. The height of the sandstone arch, formed thousands of years ago, is 16 meters, width - 26 meters. Not far from this statue, right in the rocks, there is a small castle - Falcon's Nest.


One of the attractions of the reserve is the ancestral castle of Clary-Aldringen, erected back in 1882. This house can only be called a castle. In fact, this building looks more like a hunting lodge. Now there is a photo gallery telling about the history of the entire Czech region, as well as a beautifully decorated restaurant with excellent cuisine. Through the windows of this castle you can see all the charm of Czech Switzerland.

And in this place, the filming of the Czech fairy tale “The Arrogant Princess” once took place. This is Dolsky Mlyn. The mill, the ruins of which you will find today, was once a fairly crowded place.

But the lowest point in the Czech Republic is Hřensko (110m). There are always a lot of people in this small town. There's something here. The subject of trade in this town are numerous fairy-tale characters and gnomes. It is for them that many who arrive in Czech Switzerland come here.

IN Czech Switzerland is the village of Hřipska. This village is famous for the fact that the oldest glass workshop is still located there, in which the famous “Bohemian glass” was made back in the 15th century. The workshop contains antique ledgers. You will be shown how glass products are made by hand. Throughout Czech Switzerland, there are shops and stalls where they sell products made of crystal and “Bohemian glass”. Production is also located here.

Another attraction that deserves the attention of tourists is the ancient mines where silver was once mined.

One of the most beautiful and unusual, due to its location, is Falkenstein Castle. The castle is located in the rocks. If you go higher, the spectacle will be unique.

Not far from the village of Na Tokani, you can come across a path that leads through a mouse hole. Not everyone can get through this narrow passage. This place was once very popular. Daredevils came here to try to crawl through the hole.

In 1972 it acquired the status of a National Nature Reserve. deep canyons, lush forests and valleys covered with wildflowers. Many places are still preserved in their original form. The national park stretches along the Elbe River. And most high point is the Dechinsky snowfield (723m). The descendants of the forester, about whom history was hewn out on a stone slab in the 17th century, live in these places. The board was called the Wolf Board. You can get to this board through the canyon of the Krinitsa River (Kiyovske Udoli).

IN Czech Switzerland It's better to go in the fall. You are unlikely to see such a golden autumn, such landscapes anywhere else. One of the most interesting routes, from which you can learn a lot about Czech Switzerland - this is a boat ride along a narrow gorge. The trip is mainly intended for lovers of exotic tourism.

The entire walking route to the Pravchitsky Gate takes about nine hours. If tourists come by car, it is better to leave it in Khrzhensko. From this place to the Pravchitsky Gate is about 4 km. Parking is provided only in specially designated areas. If you leave your car in the wrong place, you will have to pay a fine.

Czech Switzerland can also be reached by public transport. First, by train from Prague (about 100 km) to Decin. From Decin to Grzensko the bus is coming. In Hřensko or Mezni Louka, you can stay overnight in an inexpensive boarding house.

Park opening hours: from April to October (from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and in winter, from November to March (on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Travelers have two restaurants at their disposal. If you want to eat nourishingly and cheaply, it is better to order beer (the famous Czech beer is famous throughout the world) and pork.

Photo http://huskyw.blog.cz/0907/ceske-svycarsko

 

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