12.10.2019

Saxon switzerland national park. Stone "toys" of the fabulous giant

On Saturday, February 18, responding to an offer to go on a day hike in Saxon Switzerland (not to be confused with real Switzerland), I spent one of the most interesting days In my life.

For a long time I was not impressed by the landscapes, moreover, they were right next to me, only 2.5 hours from Prague. Saxon Switzerland(German Sächsische Schweiz) - the German part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. She is on upstream Elbe river near Dresden. Bastei (German Bastei - bastion; height 305 m above sea level), in turn, is a formation of sandy rocks with an observation deck between the Rathen resort and the city of Velen.

The rocks rise above the Elbe to a height of 194 meters. The Bastei is the most visited tourist attraction in Saxon Switzerland. Part natural park, which includes both Saxon Switzerland and Bohemian Switzerland (in Czech Republic). It is a very popular place for outdoor activities - hiking and cycling tours, as well as rock climbing.

To a traveler who has seen the views, asking himself another question where to go and what to see in Germany, I can safely recommend Bastei as one of the unique and unusual beautiful places in Europe.
Combining desires for wanderings, the Prague and Dresden Russian diasporas met in Saxony to make this fascinating journey together, to which I invite you, friends ...

Our route

The route ahead of us is one of the easiest offered by the Dresden tourist club "IGW". Only 15 kilometers on foot through the mountains, and you are guaranteed a great appetite, and since the best ribs in Prague were waiting for us in the evening, the mood throughout the day was super positive.

"Green" ferry, operates without any fuel. It is attached to the right bank with a long cable and performs pendulum movements between the banks due to the flow of the river and correctly set rudders (with high level water in the Elbe, it is replaced by an ordinary one).

A round-trip ticket costs 1.5 euros.

Meeting with my cat's cousin James.

The sculptural composition, consisting of images of people and animals, are symbols of nearby rocks.

Gaining altitude...

The first peak of Gamrig is taken!

Photo for memory with my Hanover-Brest-Salihorsk friend, the famous joker and traveler Seryozha Kondobarov.

View from the plateau to the mountains and Rathen resort.

View of the rock Lokomotieve, which means locomotive, or our train.

Little climber.

Centuries-old pine trees make an impression, they are just very tall, next to you you feel completely insignificant 🙂

A group of 25 people easily stretches for hundreds of meters, you can’t crowd in the mountains, and everyone has a different one. In order not to lose onlookers, in any professional trip there is a leader and a trailer.

people in winter time practically non-existent in the resort. That's why we actually ended up there 🙂

If you want to test a person, go with him to the mountains, this folk wisdom nobody canceled. We had a positive team, everyone helped each other, by the way, most of the participants in the campaign, if you noticed, were women, for which they have great respect.

Everyone's favorite is the Siberian brown-eyed husky.

Collective photo for memory.

In such places, willy-nilly, you think about the eternal. How many people have walked these paths over hundreds of years, and the trees are still standing and growing.

During difficult descents, I sometimes had to remove the camera from my shoulder in my backpack. The danger of damage to equipment exists even in such a simple walk through the mountains. By the way, I fell out of the blue, but the technique and I remained intact. The effect of fogging the lens can also be used as an artistic technique, right?)))

The Elbe is well frozen in these places, but checking for the sake of just checking the thickness of the ice is very Russian ...

Mountain resorts in Europe attract even more tourists in summer than winter ones. Hiking, horse riding, cycling and other types of tourism are very popular. This is facilitated by good infrastructure, most of the tourist paths, for example, stone or asphalt.

Almost all restaurants and hotels are closed - out of season.

You walk along such paths and you feel like in a real fairy tale.

The power of water is infinite, but it is frost and frost in Saxony. A huge block of ice is a frozen waterfall.

Uuuuuuuhhh, but this is Bastei! When a cliff a good hundred meters high is under you, this is a very strong feeling, a feeling of freedom, at least.

View of the Elbe

The German resort of Rathen from the Bastei height.

It is unacceptable not to take a picture in such a valid place, especially on a wedding day 🙂

Hike leader Grigory Tsypin, candidate master of sports, championship winner Soviet Union in sports tourism, and just a good person.

The most recognizable place of Bastei is the Bastei stone bridge (Basteibrücke), which is over 200 years old.

Bastei is literally surrounded by viewing platforms. Even in 1800, the place was very popular among tourists, attracting artists and writers. The famous Felsenschlucht (Canyon) painting, painted
Caspar David Friedrich in this unusual place.

Oh, to shoot from such a unit!

Saxon beauty...

Going down the icy stairs is not the safest activity, but there are no insurmountable obstacles. And a little extreme is always fun.

The forest is beautiful at any time of the year, even in cold February. By the way, it is quite hot in the mountains, especially when you are not standing still. Experienced travelers took off their sweaters at the beginning of the trip.

Details of the German resort town of Rathen.

The whole walk took us about 7 hours. Mood for the whole week deep sleep We were guaranteed...

Saxon Switzerland National Park is located near Dresden. Half an hour drive through the picturesque area on a suburban train - and you find yourself surrounded by the Elbe sandstone mountains. The territory of the park belongs to Germany, and the name was given to it because of the fabulous landscape, reminiscent of the mountains of Switzerland.

In the national park Sächsische Schweiz grow rare plants. In the eastern, uninhabited part of the protected area, various representatives of the fauna live, including rare species: black stork, kingfisher, dormouse, martens and otters.

Open for visiting tourist routes, hiking and cycling trails. On the ascents of the mountain there are observation platforms from where you can admire stunning views and take pictures of the fabulous landscapes of the natural park. Most tourists climb along the road to the rock mass (Bastei)(mountain site-fortress, surrounded by protective stone railings). The main attraction of these places is the most beautiful (Basteibrucke) 75 m long, passing through the gorge Mardertelle.

Mountaineering is limited here - you can only climb some peaks. Porous sandstone rocks are vulnerable and subject to intense destruction. Climbing in these mountains is subject to special rules that allow the use of most types of climbing equipment only for insurance. To all the "tourist" peaks, roads and stairs are laid in advance. Safety hooks are driven into the rocks in advance so that amateur climbers do not drive anything else into them.

Flows through Saxon Switzerland Elbe. Along the winding river bed, people are transported by boats and small motor ships, old paddle steamers. You can see from the water Elbe mountains in the most majestic perspective - in their entire height. The most high peak massif - mountain Grosse Winterberg.

A unique tram line has been created to transport people through the local forest - Kirnichtalbahn (Kirnitzschtalbahn). The starting point of the route is in the town Bad Schandau. A single-rail track with several sidings is laid through the valley of the river Kirnich. Since 1898, the tram has run from the city park to (Lichtenhainer Wasserfall). Several floods (the last one occurred in 2010) washed out the tracks and damaged the contact network. Now the cars run on a shortened route about 7 km long. The road runs along the river, past picturesque cliffs and a few half-timbered houses.

Tourists now have to walk to get to the Lichtenhain Falls. There is a small restaurant near the waterfall. A network of hiking trails radiate from here. They are laid out along woodland with tall pines and reddish rocky soil, almost devoid of grass.

Here are some notable objects located near the waterfall. Man-made miracle of the XII century - (Burg Stolpen) carved into basalt rock. At one time it was the residence of the elector, served as a prison. This castle houses the deepest mountain well in the world. It was punched for 22 years.

Saxon Switzerland National Park located in German territory, in Saxony. It includes a geological region called Saxon Switzerland. The total area of the park is 93 km2. The first attempts to preserve the nature of Saxon Switzerland were made at the beginning of the 20th century.

The unique local landscape was under threat due to the construction of sand pits, as well as roads, which were actively built in the region. In 1850, part of these lands received the status of a protected area. This happened thanks to the initiative of numerous opponents of destruction. natural conditions Elbe valley. Various actions to protect the region continued for the next 60 years. The most serious of them occurred in 1880, 1896, 1902 and 1911.
Under the auspices of the public, in 1877 a ban was introduced on the development of sandstone deposits and the extraction of stone, if rock massifs, including the Bastei massif, were destroyed. However, this measure was not enough to fully protect the region from the destruction of natural resources.

In 1910 a society for the defense of Saxon Switzerland was founded. In 1912, the Polenz area received protected status, and in 1930 a proposal was made to assign protected status to the entire region. In 1938, the Bastei nature reserve was established, and in 1940, the Polenztal. Finally, in 1956, the national park Saxon Switzerland. At that time, its area was 370 km2.
One of the most important conditions for granting Saxon Switzerland the status national park there was an effective division and conservation of dynamic natural zones. In accordance with this requirement, Saxon Switzerland is divided into four such zones.

The root zone occupies 23% of the total area of the park and represents its main natural reserve. Natural zone A is open to visitors and covers 37% of the protected area. natural area B is 58% of the total area of the national park. This area differs in a significant degree of nature protection from human activity. Finally, the protection zone (38%) is regularly maintained by the national park staff.

Among the most important attractions of Saxon Switzerland is a huge rocky massif of stone - Bastei, which rises 198 meters above the Elbe. From many ledges opens beautiful view the Elbe and the mesas. In 1812, the first hotel was built on these lands. Therefore, the rock is popular among tourists not only because of the bizarre shape of its array, but also because there are some memorable places here. One of them is a stone bridge built at the end of the 19th century, as well as the famous Artists' Trail, which was visited by a large number of famous artists, including painters.

In the Saxon Switzerland National Park, you can see animals that are not found in the rest of Germany due to human activity. Many of these animals live on the east side of the park. It is not visited by tourists. Many representatives of the German fauna and avifauna are protected on this territory: martens, deer, wild boars, the bats, viper, kingfisher, black stork, woodpeckers, hawks, owls. Salmon and trout are found in local water bodies.

Bastei

Bastei is the name of a mountain gorge and the most monumental rock that rises almost 200 m above the Elbe River. This creviced and jutting rock offers unparalleled photo opportunities, not to mention the breathtaking views. The local places were discovered a long time ago, and their charm made Bastei one of the very first destinations for mass tourism in the country and Europe as a whole. Already in 1812 a hotel appeared here, and at the turn of the century creative people and just travelers across Europe literally poured here in droves.

The attractiveness of Bastei today is not limited to the views alone. Here is the most famous bridge of the same name, built between sheer rocky cliffs and so organically inscribed in them that in the days of film cameras, the film was tormented by reels on it. Another attractive place of Bastei is Malerweg, the “Path of Artists”. It is easy to guess that this path winds along the edge of the cliff and opens up such landscapes that painters from many countries spent whole days here.

Kushtal

The name “Kushtal” is translated very prosaically (“cowshed”) and in no way reflects the beauty that a tourist who has passed through Kushtal can see through. This is the second largest rock gate in the Elbe Mountains: their height exceeds 10 m, width - more than 16, depth - almost 25. This most interesting natural attraction attracted travelers so much that a restaurant was opened right near Kusztal in 1824. And just above Kushtal you can see the ruins of a medieval fortress, which can be reached through a narrow rocky gap, along the “stairway to heaven”.

Lichtenhain Falls

Saxon Switzerland's most famous waterfall, the Lichtenhain, did not naturally look as dramatic as it does today. But tourists had to be attracted by something, and in 1830 the bed of a small stream was blocked by a dam. Now, in order to sail further along the stream, it was necessary to pay a fee local resident, who opened the dam and very quickly guessed to keep a small restaurant next to it. Later, self-made guides and porters pulled up here, who were constantly “on duty” at the dam, and the waterfall became a full-fledged tourist attraction. And after the Kirnichtal narrow-gauge railway was opened, hundreds and thousands of tourists came to see the waterfall throughout the year. The ancient dam was repaired at the end of the 20th century, and today you can look at the "birth of a waterfall" every half an hour when it is unlocked.

At the Lichtenhain Falls, the Malerweg, the Artists' Path, ends.

Königstein Fortress

The majestic citadel is located on the mountain of the same name and near the city of the same name. The fortress, built presumably in the 11th-12th centuries, stands on a 240-meter cliff above the Elbe and once belonged to the Czech Republic. In the 15th century she went to Meissen, and a monastery was founded here, but not for long. Subsequently, the fortress was used as a prison. Today it is a unique monument of culture and history and just a wonderfully picturesque place. Stunning views open from the fortress wall, the castle of St. George is stern and impregnable against the background of the sky, on the ramparts there are still old artillery pieces, and the Königstein well (more than 150 m) is still the deepest in Saxony and the second in Europe. Tourists, which is natural, are also enough in the fortress, so there are open historical Museum and a restaurant.

Fortress Stolpen

This fortress is closer to Dresden and lower above sea level, but it also has its famous well. The peculiarity of Stolpensky is that it is punched in basalt, a much harder rock. It took 22 years to hollow out the well (the Königstein one was struck 10 times faster), for which it was heated by making a fire, and then water was poured from above, destroying the rock in such a logical, but not fast method. Moreover, having already reached the water, they managed to raise it from such a depth only 30 years after the start of work. Today, the Stolpensky well with a depth of more than 80 m is the deepest in the world, punched into the basalt rock.

Rathen rock theater

The resort town of Rathen decided to acquire its own summer theater in 1936. What was done, and in Rathen they began to stage plays of simple content with an adventure plot. This tradition took root so much that after the Second World War the theater was used for its original purpose. Today it is still functioning and can accommodate up to 2000 people. In the summer season, plays about Indians, light operas based on fairy tales, etc. are staged here.

Practical information

The national park starts about 30 km from Dresden. It can be reached by train or bus to various settlements, depending on which part of the national park you plan to start exploring. The historical narrow-gauge train Kirnichtal is especially popular, which still carries travelers to the top ten “most-most” places in the park.

During a day trip from Prague to Saxon Switzerland, we visited the largest medieval fortress in Germany - Königstein and the Bastei natural and historical complex. Actually, it was the desire to see the majestic rocks and the Bastei bridge with our own eyes that prompted us to go to these places. Bastei is located in Saxony, not far from Dresden and 2-3 hours drive from Prague. Along with the Königstein fortress, this is the most visited place by tourists in the federal state of Saxony.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

Don't be fooled by the name "Saxon Switzerland", these lands are not related to real Switzerland, but are called so because of their incredible beauty. We drove to Bastei through amazingly picturesque places - the banks of the Elbe decorated with greenery, fields, hills, small Saxon towns with half-timbered houses. Of course, the difference with richer Bavaria is immediately evident, but the places are no less beautiful, albeit in their own way.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

When you drive up to Bastei, in fact, nothing foreshadows what you will see. From the parking lot, where all transport stops, you need to walk 5-10 minutes to the rocks themselves, including past restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and shops. Having passed all these mandatory attributes of a tourist site, you come to the first observation deck, from where magnificent views of the Elbe open, the small town of Reiten below and from where the path to the inspection begins. We had 3 hours for everything. From here, our guide let us go on a “free float”, explaining what time to get together, what and where is located: “you will go to the right ..., you will go to the left ...”.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

In general, there are really two paths for a tourist from the beginning of the inspection: to the right and to the left. If you face the descent, then first you should go to the left. If you immediately go right - to the bridge, then later, when you have already gained impressions on the bridge, the “left” will not be interesting, so enjoy it in stages. There you will walk along the mountain path, climb the narrow steps and go out to the observation deck, from where a dizzying view will open. It is here that you can for the first time appreciate the beauty of the famous Bastei bridge from a distance (everything beautiful looks better from a distance), all the grandeur of the work done by nature, which created amazing columns or "fingers" of stone.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

After taking amazing photos, admiring the breathtaking views, we went the other way. On the right is the same bridge, which we have already managed to look at from a distance, and for which, in general, many tourists come here.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

But before you go to the bridge, it's worth walking along the "path of artists" - this is a descent down to the Elbe; during this descent it is worth making pauses on specially equipped observation decks. There are three of them on the "path of artists", as our guide told us, if you are not confident in your abilities, it will be enough to stop at the first two and not go down to the third one, since the ascent will be very difficult. But we are not looking for easy ways, so we went down to the very foot of the rocks. The "Path of Artists" got its name due to the fact that these places were chosen by artists and painters who sought to capture this beauty in their paintings. But not only artists admired the beauty of Bastai. There was also the famous Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, who, under the impression of what he saw, wrote the prelude "Bastei". To be honest, climbing up is really hard, but we didn’t show it, because “both old and young” walked side by side - despite the difficulties, both the elderly and children overcame the path.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

And only after that we went to the "dessert" - we went to the Bastei bridge. The bridge itself is a tourist attraction - it is, without exaggeration, a visiting card of Saxony. Built of stone, more than 75 meters long, rising from the abyss to 165 meters and standing on huge arches, it harmoniously fits into the surrounding fantastic landscape. There are indeed a lot of tourists here. I saw such a pandemonium only at another tourist site in Germany - Neuschweinstein Castle (although, of course, the latter is visited by much more tourists and is more famous).

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

In general, tourists began to come to Bastei at the beginning of the 19th century to admire unusual rocks, which for millions of years have been carved out of sandstone by the wind and the Elbe. Directly over the abyss of the Mardertell Gorge, a wooden bridge for tourists was built in 1951, later the current stone bridge appeared instead, safer and withstanding thousands of tourists. The views from the bridge are amazing.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

Somewhere else before the trip I read that this is a bridge that leads nowhere. This is not entirely true. The fact is that there used to be a fortress on a separate rock formation (historians call it Neuraten). Actually, the name "Bastei" is translated as "fortress", "bastion". You can go to the territory where the fortress was located by paying an additional 2 euros. We had plenty of time, so we could not miss this opportunity. For the first time, fortifications were erected here back in the days of the Roman Empire, but the Neuraten fortress belonged to the period early medieval. And the first documentary evidence refers only to the middle of the 16th century. Due to its location, the fortress was impregnable, and also very convenient for firing stone cannonballs at the enemy from huge catapults. Today, here you can see these same nuclei, as well as reconstructed catapults. There is also a plan - an image of the fortress, as it supposedly looked like.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

There is practically nothing left of the fortress itself, only part of the foundation. But archaeologists and historians are working on the reconstruction of its individual parts - fences, fortifications, outbuildings.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

Walk around the territory former fortress resembles walking through a mountain labyrinth - a metal staircase constantly winds right, then left, then up, then down, revealing amazing views that sometimes make your head spin. In some places, metal bridges are laid between the rocks, and if you look down, you understand that you are standing over an abyss. Particularly impressive was the tree that managed to grow between the rocks. As they say, if you want to live, adapt as best you can. Another interesting object is visible from here - on a separate stone "pillar" there is a figure of either an angel or a saint. We found her during a small repair and cleaning, which was carried out by climbers.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

In general, after these places I want to say to everyone who thinks that he has seen a lot - be sure to come here, you will not leave without impressions. It's really, amazing place. Bastei surrounded coniferous forests, and German pensioners are very fond of coming here, since rest here, on the one hand, is active, on the other, feasible. A lot of groups with people of precisely retirement age passed before our eyes, many elderly couples, many with special sticks for Nordic walking.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

On the way back we stopped at a local restaurant. There are several of them - some are more expensive, some are cheaper. There are also souvenir shops nearby. Saxony is famous for its traditional wooden toys and souvenirs, and there are plenty to choose from. A little further, near the bus stop, there is also a “patch” with a cafe selling traditional German fried sausages, and a souvenir shop. Here you can buy almost the same souvenirs, but cheaper.

Bastei. Saxon Switzerland

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Saxon switzerland national park. Stone "toys" of the fabulous giant

Our route

Bastei

Kushtal

Lichtenhain Falls

Königstein Fortress

Fortress Stolpen

Rathen rock theater

Practical information

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