There is in the north-west of the Czech Republic in the Usti region, on the very border with Germany, an amazingly beautiful protected place, which is called only Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland. This corner is almost untouched wildlife, a magical protected park that simultaneously covers the territory of two countries - the Czech Republic and Germany.

Many tourists from all over the country and beyond come here every day to enjoy the cleanest air, wild beauty reserve, which is called: park Czech Switzerland. It is interesting that part of the protected lands that ended up on the territory of neighboring Germany is called Saxon Switzerland.

Why are these places so attractive for those who are tired of civilization?

Czech Switzerland - brief description

It all started many thousands of years ago - it was then that from rocks of volcanic origin on the lands of the present national park amazingly beautiful canyons, crevices, gorges were formed, sandstone rocks unusual in their shape and structure, as if endowed with a human soul...

Dozens of centuries passed, and by 2000, a national park with an area of ​​80 sq. km appeared on the map of the country of beer and dumplings. — Czech paradise or Czech Switzerland. But long before that small village urban type - Grzhensk - has become a real tourist center, a pier for everyone who wanted to relax away from noisy cities. It is well developed here tourism infrastructure and, despite its modest size, in this town, always filled with tourists, there is always a place to stay for the night or just have an inexpensive and tasty snack.

Most often, guests come from the capital to admire the protected paradise, and the trip can take only one day. But if you want to have a full and quality rest, it is best to book accommodation in a boarding house or a hotel room for at least 2-3 days, since there is really something to catch the eye of even a very experienced traveler.

Attention! In Grzhensk you can buy cute souvenirs in the form of gnomes and other fairy-tale characters for children or just as a good memory.

Sights of Czech Switzerland

So, you are eager to see with your own eyes what other guests of this magical place are enthusiastically talking about. Then let's together make a list of attractions in the reserve that are simply prohibited by the law of conscience and honor to miss!

Advice! If you want to fully enjoy the bright colors of the luxurious nature of these places, go to Czech Switzerland in the fall, in September or October.

Thanks to numerous signs scattered throughout the protected park, you can choose for your company both more complex, longer, 15-25 km long, and simple routes in Czech Switzerland, 8-12 km long.

Pravcicka Gate

There is a special rock in Czech Switzerland, which is proudly called the symbol of the entire reserve. This is “Pravchitsky brana”, which in Russian sounds like “Pravchitsky gate”. The unique rock is the highest in all of Europe and looks like a monumental sandstone arch created by Mother Nature, 16 meters high and as much as 26 meters long. The width of the rock structure is more than 4 meters

Getting to the Gate will not be difficult - from Grzhensk, where you can leave your car, there is a walking trail about 4 km long. to get closer to the attraction, you will have to pay entrance tickets for 75 CZK and although you are not allowed to climb the Gate, it is worth admiring it up close. Entrance ticket for children costs 25 CZK.

From the grandiose Pravchitsky Gate you can easily reach its smaller copy with a height of only 2 meters - this is the so-called Small Pravchitsky Gate. There is a fairly wide path leading to them, suitable for cycling.

Advice! Do not confuse this trail with the narrow path marked in red on the maps of the area, otherwise you will have to wander through the mountains for about an hour, although in the end you will still be able to reach the Small Pravchitsa Gate.

Schaunstein Castle

Near the Small Gate you can see a sign leading to the rock castle - this is the robber castle of Shunstein, shrouded in secrets. The road to it is quite difficult, about a kilometer long, you will have to climb steep steps and even squeeze through tunnels between the rocks. But, believe me, the views of extraordinary beauty and scale that open from the observation deck of the castle are worth the effort!

Castle "Falcon's Nest"

Very close to the Pravchitsky Gate, right in the rock in 1882, a castle with the romantic name “Falcon's Nest” was built, more reminiscent of a large hunting lodge. It has been surprisingly well preserved to this day, and today within the walls ancient castle– the Clary-Aldringen family estate, you can enjoy dinner in a superbly decorated restaurant overlooking the whole of Bohemian Switzerland. Also in the Falcon's Nest it is worth visiting a museum dedicated to this region.

Mill "Dolsky Mlyn"

This once very popular mill has now turned into ruins, but even today residents of these areas remember how many years ago the fairy tale “The Arrogant Princess” was filmed here. It’s hard to believe that the building, lost in the green forests, was once a very busy place and a crossroads center for several centuries in a row.

Village "Hrzypska"

The colorful authentic village was loved by guests of this region because it was where an ancient glass workshop once functioned, whose glassblowers produced “Bohemian glass” back in the 15th century. It seems incredible, but the workshop still cordially opens its doors to tourists today: here you can intelligently read account books of past centuries, see live how the most famous glass in the Czech Republic is blown, and at the same time buy your favorite glasses, vases or figurines made of crystal or Bohemian glass

Abandoned silver mines

Arranged in Czech Switzerland and very interesting excursions to ancient mines where silver was once mined. You can personally feel like a real miner by putting on a safety helmet and descending into the depths of the mine under the supervision of a guide.

Falkenstein Castle

Those tourists who take the time to climb higher into the mountains will be amazed by an unforgettable sight - the unusual Falkenstein Castle, located right among the rocks. The views from here, especially if you climb higher, are fabulous!

Panska Skala

This geological phenomenon is a huge 12-meter cliff, which was skillfully assembled by nature from polygonal basalt slabs. There is a similar giant in Northern Ireland, however, the Czech stone relative is quite accessible to tourists and is located 500 meters south of highway No. 13, the landmark is the village of Prachen, located 18 km from Decin.

Kamenice Gorge

To visit this picturesque gorge, you need to follow the hiking trail, marked in green on the map, from the village of Mezna to the canyon of the Kamenice river. In these marvelous lands, you will cross a wooden bridge across a 30-meter-long gorge, and then you can go down to the piers, from where gondola excursions along the Dikoe and Quiet gorges are held. If tourists follow the path marked in blue on the map, they will come to the authentic village of Mezni-Luka.

Gorges Wild and Quiet

Let's take a closer look at these gorges. Once on the steep canyon of the Kamenitsa River, travelers find themselves in places where the river is blocked by dams. Between these dams you can raft on a flat-bottomed boat led by a local gondolier. First, guests of the reserve will sail through the Wild Gorge (“Divoka Souteska”), 250 meters long, romantic and calm. But then the Quiet Gorge (“Tikha Souteska”), almost 500 meters long and “decorated” with a picturesque waterfall, the waters of which noisily flow out of the rock, awaits them.

Suha Kamenica

In early spring and autumn months, the canyon of a small stream flowing into the Laba (arm of the Elbe) fills with water and dozens of miniature waterfalls gurgle merrily between the rocks over a scattering of huge boulders. In summer, the waters dry up, and Suha Kamenica is filled with mystery and cozy silence.

Gazebo

It was once possible to reach the spectacular Belvedere observation deck, hanging over the Elbe River canyon, along a perfectly straight road coming from the castle in the town of Binovce. Tourists at the Belvedere are treated to amazing views of the curving river and bizarre sandstone rocks reminiscent of petrified giants.

Ružovsky Vrh

For those who are not afraid of steep climbs, something awaits! In the thickets of the beech forest that densely covers Mount Ruzovsky Vrch, there are many unique observation platforms. And although there are no special attractions here, the views are worth the effort spent on climbing.

Wolf board

Having passed along the road through the canyon of the Krinitsa River, called Kiyovske Udoli and known for its unbridled beauty, tourists will come to another attraction. This is a stone slab; in the 17th century, a story was carved on it about a hunter who was able to kill two wolves at once.

From Prague to Czech Switzerland: what tourists need to know

It is worth noting that the excursion from Prague to Czech Switzerland is very popular, since the journey does not take very much time, but the pleasure received is worth it!

The reserve is open to visitors all year round: from April to October you can be on its territory from 10-00 to 18-00, and from November to March - only on weekends from 10-00 to 16-00.

How to get from Prague to Czech Switzerland

Let's consider all the options:

• Public transport: in Prague itself we take the train to the town of Decin. Here we change to shuttle bus No. 434, which will take us to Khrzhensko.
• Own or rented car: we drive along the intercity highway to the town of Decin, then from there we go to Khrzhensko. Here you can leave your car in paid parking lots and continue exploring the reserve on foot.
• Steamboat: first you have to take a train to Decin, from Decin you will need to walk about a kilometer to the pier, and from there, on a steamboat plying along the Labe River (aka Elbe), swim to the final stop, which is also located about 800 meters from Grzhenska.

Where to stay

Despite the fact that Grzhensk is a rather small town, there are no problems with accommodation here.

Relatively affordable hotels are:

• Hotel “Labe”, where bus number 434 stops. The cost of daily accommodation in a room starts from 660 CZK, and in the season (from April to the end of October) - from 730 CZK (breakfast is included in the price). Hotel website: www.labehotel.cz
• Hotel U Lipy offers accommodation in double or triple rooms, which cost 1,100 and 1,650 CZK per night respectively. Hotel website: www.hotelulipy.zaridi.to/lipa.htm

Cost of entrance ticket and excursions

The entrance ticket to the territory of the Czech Switzerland Nature Reserve costs 50 CZK. Excursions are paid separately. For example, the favorite excursion of all tourists - canoeing along the Edmund's Gorge - lasts about 15-20 minutes and costs 80 crowns for adults and half as much for children.

Other excursions vary in price and number of attractions visited. In principle, you can get a map of the territory at the entrance to the reserve and walk around those areas yourself. interesting places that attract you most.

My first trip to “Czech Switzerland” ( České Švýcarsko) was of a random nature: while preparing for a Christmas tour of European cities (the main of which was Prague), I was looking for what to see in the territory different countries and how best to plan your route. And then I came across the Pravchitsky Gate. “What is this, where is it, how is it?” - there were no answers on the Internet, which means you have to go and explore everything yourself!

And on the way from Dresden to Prague after the national park “Saxon Switzerland” (and I already talked about the trip there) I find myself in “Czech Switzerland”. The nature there is really different from what I am used to seeing in the center of the Czech Republic.

Yes, and visiting at least the main attractions promises active recreation. On my second visit to the national park, already in the summer rather than in the winter, I spent the whole day exploring “Saxon” and “Czech” Switzerland: I left Dresden early in the morning and returned to Prague late in the evening. And this takes into account the fact that the distance between cities is some 150 kilometers - no match for intercity trips across Russia.

I had to walk a lot, so I advise you to be fully prepared: sports shoes (preferably with soft shock-absorbing soles, since after just the Pravchitsky Gate my legs were literally “humming”), comfortable clothes, a bottle of water and maybe some kind of... then a snack.

So, what is “Czech Switzerland” and what can you see there? I'll tell you now.

History of the park

I have not heard any legends or epics around the rocks, crevices and canyons formed here several thousand years ago due to the movement of volcanic rocks.

So I had to look interesting information herself. It turns out that in the 13th–14th centuries, colonialists were invited here from the lands where modern Germany is now located, and castles and other buildings were built with their efforts. They also started glass production and coal mining. But due to the lack of plains and dense forests, their life was, to put it mildly, not simple and very specific. In one place, I saw with my own eyes that food and other necessary things cannot be delivered here so easily. But more on that below.

So, all this specificity was reflected in the architecture. But in the last century, many buildings and even settlements fell into disrepair. Probably, the opportunity and availability of an easier life played an important role and people simply simply moved. Now, in some places on the territory of “Czech Switzerland” you can see the most picturesque ruins!

I have already talked about the name of the park, namely the word “Switzerland”, so I will not repeat it. In 2000, this area was given the status national reserve.

Geography of the park

České Švýcarsko- all the same Elbe Sandstone Mountains that I talked about at More precisely, a quarter of this mountain range. National Park is located in the north of the country, its western border runs along the Elbe River. It was from there that I visited “Czech Switzerland” both times. Actually, both national parks (“Saxon” and “Czech”) are separated by the border between Germany and the Czech Republic; they are adjacent to each other.

The most high point National Park - Mount Decin Snezhnik ( Děčínský Sněžník) - located at 723 meters above sea level. When I first heard about this, I smiled: I arrived in “Czech Switzerland” shortly after the Austrian Alps, where I lived in a hotel at an altitude of about 1,200–1,300 meters. But, after all, the reserve is not famous for its mountains!

Further in the text I added some cards. They will help you better understand the geography of the area, but they are unlikely to explain how to get to a specific attraction. But! In the near future locality for each of them (and they are visible on my maps) you can take a detailed paper map, as well as use signs along the roads and trails. The park took care of the convenience of sightseeing, which I personally really liked.

How to get to “Czech Switzerland”

There are basically two options: with a tour or on your own. I chose to travel in a rented car without guides or a group of onlookers. But for those who want to take a tour of the reserve, I advise you to read about tours from Dresden or Prague to “Saxon Switzerland” (I think they also offer tours to the Czech part). The prices, it seems to me, are similar, because there are parks in the neighborhood. Below I will tell you about an independent journey to “Czech Switzerland” by car.

From Prague

From Prague you can enter “Czech Switzerland” from different directions. There is an option to travel through Hřensko. It is not far from this city that the Pravchitsky Gate is located. By the way, the first time I read Hřensko as Hrensko (I didn’t notice the gachek above the letter “r”, which makes the sound [rzh]), and so it happened: to this day I refer to the innocent town almost as a vegetable (everyone makes associations to the extent of depravity, right?). I marked the route Via Khrzhensko on the map below, the first half of the route will pass through the highway, and then I propose to follow the usual highway past towns and picturesque fields.

You can also enter via Jetřichovice. To reach the town of Děčín, the route is the same as the previous one, and at the fork follow the signs.

Or Krasná Lípa. In theory, you can drive through the same Děčín; it seems to me that it won’t be too much of a detour in terms of time.

But the last half hour flew by faster: there were still no toilets along the way, the flow of hikers was small, but there was always one, so now the attitude is “get there!” was supported not only by curiosity, but also by obvious necessity.

Along the way we came across such cute “installations”: I don’t know who “propped up” the mountain and why, but the spectacle amused me.

And finally you can see the Falcon's Nest estate (now a hotel/restaurant of the same name) and the Pravchitsky Gate to the right of it. It would seem that you just have to extend your hand. This was not the case: the vertical distance from me to my destination was several tens of meters, which also had to be walked in a loop.

But all the efforts were justified. The height of the arch itself reaches 26 meters, so that, standing in this natural opening, you feel all the greatness of nature. In addition, near the gate there was a stall with my favorite ones. By the way, they were cheaper than: only 1.25 EUR or 34 CZK.

Once through the gate arch, you can see many paths leading to observation platforms. And literally “the whole world is at your feet.”

"Falcon's Nest"

Almost under the Pravchitsky Gate is the summer estate Falcon's Nest. Once upon a time, the owners accommodated noble guests there. Now inside the castle there is an exhibition about the history of “Czech Switzerland” and there is a restaurant.

The restaurant has preserved original paintings, and the interior is designed in the style of the beginning of the last century.

I didn’t have dinner at the restaurant, since the local employee, as I understood, had already closed it. To be honest, I couldn’t fully understand him: he agreed to speak only in Czech and German, so the conversation was almost “hands-on”. But they did let me into the toilet.

Near the Falcon's Nest there is a booth with the control of the cable car.

I understand that walking and carrying the necessary things is not easy here, so there is a utility box running along the cable car, where you can put the necessary things and send them upstairs or downstairs.

Lupežnice Castle or Schaunštejn

I heard that the castle used to be a robbery site. That is, it was built as a fortification, but later it was captured by robbers and changed its name. Šaunštejn translates as “thieves' castle”.

The castle itself has not been preserved, so at present you can be content with ruins and a good viewing platform.

Connecting bridges are laid between parts of this site. You know, the feeling is quite exciting when you walk like this literally next to an abyss along a connecting structure that is quite easy at first glance!

Dolský Mlýn

They say that the fragments preserved from the mill date back to the beginning of the 14th century!

I heard that in the middle of the last century the place even became the setting of a Czech fairy tale film. You could even say that the film glorified this landmark.

Over time, without maintenance, the mill deteriorated more and more, until in 2007 it was declared a cultural monument and the process of destruction was stopped.

By the way, a hundred meters upstream there is a unique building: a reinforced concrete bridge. I heard that this is the first such structure (made of steel and concrete) in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the bridge was built shortly before its collapse.

The closest village to the mill is Kamenická Stráň, a kilometer away.

Royal spruce

They say that half a kilometer from the Dolskaya mill there is one spruce. Its age is about 180 years, and the trunk span is about 3 meters. Alas, I myself did not see this ancient tree, since I was limited in time, but don’t be lazy and take a walk to it from the mill.

Hřensko

To be honest, I really liked this small town almost on the border with Germany. Most likely, there are few just residents here: almost everyone runs a hotel, restaurant or something else for the needs of tourists. But the 2-3 storey houses are decorated very authentically, this is exactly how small rural towns or villages seem to me.

I also liked the fact that globally there are only two streets in Khrzhensko, running parallel along the two banks. Of course, high cliffs do not provide space for expanding the territory in depth.

If you drive along the river from the highway where you turned to Khrzhensko (remember, I asked you to remember this path?), then at the very end of it, in front of the parking lot, which I mentioned in the part about the Pravchitsky Gate, there is a waterfall.

Near it, I took two identical pictures towards the city: one in winter, and the second in summer.

The difference, in my opinion, is not big.

There are a lot of souvenirs near the track, but I didn’t buy anything there. It’s hard to say what the prices are: on the one hand, this is the Czech Republic, on the other, Germany and its prices are quite close. There is also another parking lot; you can ask the workers about a toilet nearby.

Other attractions

There are places where I was not able to visit, but I will definitely make up for it on my next visit:

• Dittersbacher peaks.
• Waterfalls near Brtnikov.
• A boat trip along the Křinice River (Kirnitzschklamm) on the border of the Czech Republic and Germany.

And this is just what remained in my ears after the trip. I'm almost sure that if you start digging, even less may emerge tourist places national park.

Routes around the park

Currently, there are dozens of well-marked trails throughout the park. hiking trails and routes: signs, certain specifics of the surface and relief for the type of tourism, picturesqueness. In “Czech Switzerland” you can go rock climbing, horseback riding, cycling, and camping in equipped areas (and only in them!).

True, I explored the territory on my own, without resorting to the help of tourist centers, but I can tell you the addresses of organizations that will help, if necessary, organize your leisure time:

• In the city of Krasná Lipa.
  • Opening hours: June - August from 09:00 to 18:00, January - February until 16:00, in other months until 17:00; break from 12:00 to 12:30.
  • Address: Krinicke nam. 5, Krasna Lipa 407 46.
• In Hřensko.
  • Opening hours: November - January from 09:00 to 17:00, in other months until 18:00.
  • Address: Hřensko 71, 407 17 Hřensko.
• In Srbska Kamenice.
  • Address: Nam. Miru 73, Ceska Kamenice, 407 21.
• In Jetřichovice.
  • Address: Jetšichovice 393, CZ - 407 16.

Among the main routes, I know, there are:

• To the rock gate (Pravchitsky): along ornate stones and paths, then along the rock wall (I passed it too). Then the “Falcon's Nest” program - a visit to observation platforms on the tops of the rocks near the gate.
• To the Dolskaya mill.
• To Schaunstein.

Where to stay

If you want to choose camping over a hotel, then in the above mentioned tourist centers You should inquire about special parking areas; you cannot set up a tent camp outside of equipped campsites: it is a specially protected zone, after all.

If you are more attracted to the east, then choose Krasna Lipa or Hřibská.

Room prices start from 8–10 EUR for a campsite and from 45 EUR for a double room.

"Czech Switzerland" in winter

I was in the national park in winter, but their winter was quite slushy at that time, so walking along the forest paths was out of the question. Falcon's Nest Castle is, again, a summer castle. So we had to be content with waterfalls on rivers and towns around “Czech Switzerland”.

If you want to see much more of the above, I recommend coming in the summer!

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Anything to add?

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 the extensive natural complex of Labské Piskovce, and the main subject of protection in it is the characteristic sandstone phenomenon - the “rock sandstone city” of Jetřichovice and Decinske Stena, and the associated biodiversity. Tourists love to visit observation decks with unique species to sandy 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 unique edge 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. The sites along the Elbe River Canyon have become the cradle of 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. Fortresses of the robber knights, rock cities, legends about gnomes and fairies influenced the storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, the poet R. M. Rilke, the 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-covered 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.

Czech Switzerland is the northwestern region of the country in the upper reaches of the Elbe River, which borders Germany. The Elbe Sandstone Mountains are located in this area. Since 2000, this area has the status of a national reserve. The area of ​​the national park is about 80 square kilometers, and its continuation is located in the territory already Saxon Switzerland.

Miraculous sights

Most high mountain The Czech capital of Switzerland is Decinski Sneznik, which rises 723 meters above sea level. This indicates that this mountain range low. Mountain formations arose thousands of years ago, creating a landscape of amazing beauty: bizarre rocks, crevices, canyons. The most picturesque part of the national park is the Kamenice River canyon and the ancient artificial reservoir.

Particular attention is drawn to such a landmark of the park as the Pravchitsky Gate, which has become a kind of symbol of the reserve. They are a natural gate made of rock and are the largest natural creation of this type on the European continent. The span of this miraculous arch measures more than 26 meters, and its height reaches 21 meters.

The thickness of the gate’s rock is also impressive, being 3 meters at its narrowest point. The upper part of the arch is quite narrow, so access to its platform is closed.

Having passed under the arch of the Pravchitsky Gate, along paths and stairs you can climb to observation platforms, from where stunningly beautiful landscapes of the mountain landscape open up.

"Falcon's Nest" and Dolskaya Mill

Nearby, almost under the Pravchitsky Gate, there is a small castle “Falcon's Nest”, built in the 80s of the 19th century. Today, on the second floor of the building there is an exhibition of the national park museum. The first floor is occupied by a restaurant with an originally designed interior, where amazing paintings have been preserved.

The Dolskaya Mill is also a tourist attraction in the national park. These are the surviving fragments of a water mill, the date of construction of which is said to be 1515. In the middle of the last century, the mill served as a set for the filming of the popular fairy tale film “The Proud Princess” directed by Bořivoje Zemana.

Over time, the building began to fall into disrepair, but recently it was mothballed, stopping the destruction. In 2007, the Dolskaya Mill acquired the status of a cultural monument protected by the state. A few hundred meters from the mill you can see a small bridge that was built at the beginning of the last century. It is a unique historical structure, since it is the first object built from reinforced concrete on the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

To see the 180-year-old royal spruce, you need to travel about half a kilometer along the path from the mill. The diameter of the trunk of the green beauty exceeds 3 meters, and in the sky it reaches almost 27 meters.

Schaunstein rock castle

In the park, in a dense forest, there is Schaunstein Castle, built in the first half of the 14th century. It was built to protect trade routes. Over time, it lost its significance, and after the Thirty Years' War, robbers and deserters found shelter here. The castle received a different name: Lupezhnitsky. Now all that remains of it are ruins.

The upper platform of the structure, approximately 70 meters long and 20 wide, consists of several parts connected by bridges. The ruins give an idea of ​​the impressive size and former grandeur of the castle. During the excavations, a part was found main tower a structure that could serve as a prison or storage facility.

There are several observation platforms in the reserve, one of them is an ancient stone observation tower, which was erected on the top of Dechinsky Snezhnik. From here, as far as the eye can see, wonderful views of Czech Switzerland open up.

Another platform in the form of a huge terrace seems to hang over the canyon where the Elbe flows. It is called Belvedere, and was built by the Kaeri Aldringen family, who owned most of the territory of Czech Switzerland. Their coat of arms, carved directly on the rock, has survived to this day.

A visit to the Bohemian Switzerland National Park gives you unforgettable moments of communication with unique nature and monuments that constitute the historical and cultural value of this land.

We learned about Saxon Switzerland quite by accident; Pasha came across an article describing a trip to Saxon Switzerland with impressive photos. I decided to see what it was and where. It turned out that the Saxon Switzerland National Park is located near Dresden, right on the border with the Czech Republic. And on the Czech side the park is called Czech Switzerland.

The park is not very large, but it has many trekking routes and you can easily spend at least a whole week. But thinking that a week of vacation is an unaffordable luxury, we decided that we would go to Saxon Switzerland one day just for a long weekend.

How to get to Saxon Switzerland?

The easiest way is by car. In this case, moving between routes and attractions in the park will be easy and convenient. The only downside is that the routes need to be planned either there/back or circular to get back to the car.

Getting there and moving around by public transport is also possible. On the German side the closest large city- Dresden, from Czech - Prague. From both of them you can easily reach the park. But on the spot, in order to get to the beginning of routes from surrounding towns and villages, you will have to find out the schedule of local buses and trains.

Where to stay near Saxon Switzerland?

If you are by car, then this issue is not so pressing. From any village you can easily get where you need to go.

If you are traveling public transport, then on the Czech side a good choice would be Děčín or Hřensko. Decin is larger, but from it you have to go to the park. But several routes start directly from Grzensko, including one of the most famous to Pravčická brána.

On the German side there are several options. If you want to visit the Bastei Bridge and take a walk in its surroundings, then best choice will be Rathen or Bad Schandau. If you want to walk along other routes in the park, then you need to choose one of the villages close to the route. Almost all of them have small family hotels where you will feel like a real German.

We had to stay for two nights, on a holiday weekend, plus we were by car and not tied to buses. Having looked at the options on Booking.com and Airbnb (we wrote more about what airbnb is in the article Airbnb - what is it? How to use it and how to book accommodation in any city?), we chose accommodation on airbnb in Decin, but for now we were thinking about this apartment already passed. Therefore, the next suitable room in terms of price, comfort and location was family hotel in the village of Ceska Kamenice.

What to do in Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland?

1 full day - Czech Switzerland

The route starts in the village of Mezni Louka and gradually gains altitude and goes towards Pravcicka Brana. Along the way there is a beautiful forest, rock walls, individual rock outcrops - in general, very beautiful!

Next is Pravcicka Bran and the 19th century building - Falcon's Nest. Login to observation platforms 75 CZK. You can check the opening hours and current prices on the official website www.pbrana.cz. Most of it can be viewed for free, so it's up to you to decide whether to go to the paid part.

After this trail, you can go to Mezni Louki through the forest, or you can, like us, continue along the canyon. There is a second route Divoká soutěska and a second crossing - it will cost 60 CZK. We really liked the trail, it goes almost over the mountain river itself, sometimes overhanging it. There are beautiful rocks around. On the first section there is a waterfall attraction - they take you to a wet wall, tell you some fairy tales, it depends on the boat manager, and then... suddenly a powerful stream of water falls from the waterfall like a fountain. Nobody expected this...

During the boat ride you will see not only a waterfall, but also beautiful wooden figures, each with its own story, you will be shown interesting rock formations that look like something or someone. The second part is less interesting, simply because it repeats the first. Although... Can nature repeat itself in such unusual forms - controversial issue. From the end of the second trail, another 20 minutes and we go out to Mezni Louki, straight to the central parking lot. By the way, parking is the most expensive “entertainment” - 100 CZK / 1 day.

This route can also be taken from Grzensko. You can go in the opposite direction, but I don’t recommend this since the climb from Grzhensko is long and monotonous, it’s much better to quickly descend there.

2 day or half day Saxon Switzerland and the famous Bastei Bridge

Most often, the route to the Bastei Bridge starts either at Basteistraße - in this case, parking will cost 3 €/day plus 1.5 €/person shuttle bus to the beginning of the route. The second option is the village of Rathen, almost all large parking lots are located in most of the village on the other side of the Elbe and you will have to take a ferry to get to the beginning of the route.

Only residents and hotel clients are allowed to enter the part of the Rathen village, which is located on the same bank as the Bastei Bridge. However, you can leave your car in private parking lots just before reaching the village. Cost 3€/day.

Before the start of the route, 15-20 minutes through a pleasant forest. At first, the signs took us to Basteistrasse; after looking at the prices, we returned to the idea that we would leave the car in the village itself. But... we saw a sign prohibiting passage for non-residents. There was a private parking nearby for 3€, but it was almost all occupied. There were cars parked nearby on the side of the road; there was no sign prohibiting parking. Of course we parked and headed to the Bastei Bridge.

Bastei is a group of sandstone rocks that, under the influence of time and nature, have taken on very beautiful and unusual shapes. Bastei is also famous for the Bastei Bridge. The Bastei Bridge was built in 1824 and was originally made of wood. In 1851 the Bastei Bridge was replaced by a sandstone bridge and it has remained that way to this day.

If you have at least 3-4 hours, then it’s worth visiting not only the Bastei Bridge, but also walking along the route further, going down to the Elbe and returning along the bike path to Rathen.

We were unlucky on the first evening, the weather was not very good, and as soon as we began to climb to the bridge it started to rain... Without thinking twice, we took a quick look at the bridge and went to our overnight stay. The second attempt was in the morning before going home. The sun was shining and the weather was just perfect. But we had very little time, so we limited ourselves to going to the Bastei Bridge and all the observation platforms and back. This route took us about 2-2.5 hours of a leisurely walk from the car. There is an optional paid section on the route, the cost is 2€/person. The route runs along footbridges between the rocks. There is a description of several historical details, although little remains of them. But beautiful views to the Bastei Bridge and surrounding rocks.

By the way, the most famous photos of the Bastei Bridge are taken from free viewing platforms. True, fog or beautiful sunset/dawn rays must be specially waited for. Although maybe you'll be lucky?!

As a result, I would like to say that if you are in the area and have 1-2 days free, then you should definitely stop by Czech and Saxon Switzerland!