Sächsische Schweiz

That’s the German name of the Saxon Switzerland National Park in Saxony (who would have guessed it?). Part of it is the Elbsandsteingebirge, which translates as the Elbe Sandstone Montains in English. The national park is located in the south-east of Dresden and crosses the border into the Czech Republic, where it is called Bohemian Switzerland.

If you live in Dresden, A I do, thIs IS probably the best place for a day’s hiking. The rugged, weathered and steeply rising sandstone table mountains provide interesting trails and views time and time again.

What better way to start this blog than with a brief story of my local hiking trip from this saturday?

View to one of the characteristical sandstone formation

The national park is made up of two parts: the "Vordere Sächsische Schweiz", which is closer to Dresden, and the "Hintere Sächsische Schweiz", which is closer to the Czech Republic. I've been to the least of the two.

That area is a bit more off the beaten track and less touristy than the areas near the Elbe, so you won't meet as many people, which I really like. One downside to it being so remote is that the paths aren't used as much, so you'll have to deal with a lot more local plants. And while ferns can grow to be 2 meters high or more, you won't be able to find your way through that jungle. I had to change my route a lot and take detours. That means you'll miss out on some great views and photo opportunities. But hey, I'd been outside and I was able to wear my new hiking boots, which I'd bought two weeks ago.

The significant detours meant that the whole hiking trip wasn't as interesting as I had hoped. I had to stick to the larger emergency and forestry roads, which aren't overly picturesque. I wouldn't recommend this tour either.

Therefore, this blog is much shorter than I would have liked. Let's just say this is a sneak preview of what's to come.