The Ore Mountains
I used the May Victory day holidays for a trip to Dresden. From the Czech side the Czech Ore Mountains and the “Saxon Switzerland” stand in the way. Stopping at Stadice, where Přemysl, the legendary founder of the Czech royal dynasty left his plough for a throne, I reached the foot of the mountains in Krupka and went up around the local castle (for a while I was also considering local chair lift that reportedly also lifts bikes). Upon arrival to the Ore Mountains it was interesting to observe the class segregation by altitude. The bottom – a landscape covered by smoke from the industrial zone, the decaying remains of the socialist-era industry around the revitalised (= overgrown) former coal quarries, housing only in aging prefabricated concrete projects. The middle – family houses. The top – a recreational area, beautiful nature and prices in a restaurant calibrated to German tourists.
After a foggy sight back down inlands from Krásná Vížka, a short tour of the sandstone towers in Tisá and then already a nice clear view to Germany from the hill of Děčínský Sněžník, I arrived in the valley of the Biela stream.
Saxon Switzerland
From there, I reached the Elbe in Königstadt, already in the Saxon Switzerland region. The Elbe valley is scattered with sandstone rocks with top plateaus, one of which supports a vast fortress just above the city. I enjoyed the view on the area from the other bank of the river: from the Lilienstein Table Mountain. Then passing in between the rocks and sandstone walls to a small town of Stadt Wehlen, back to the Elbe, visiting Pirna and on to Dresden.
As a farewell the East German traffic lights with the little man the Dresdeners are so proud of (Ampelmännchen); here with his girlfriend.
