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Fisherman
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Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland
Discoveries in the Middle East
Canyon landscapes, spectacular rocks, table mountains – no, we’re not talking about the west of the USA, but about east Germany. A wintry trip through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
Uwe Fischer
01/01/2004
With clammy fingers I open the cap on my thermos. The steam of the hot coffee hissing rises and mixes with the mist, which covers everything with its cold clouds. Nothing reminds you of the fantastic view that is enjoyed on a clear day.
The Bastei rock still lies in unreal silence, but in an hour or two the voices of tourists will echo off the rock walls, making it the most visited place in Saxon Switzerland. Another attraction is hidden deep down, the open-air theater “Felsenbuhne Rathen”. Really a wonderful piece of nature, unexpectedly close to Dresden.
Anyone who comes here for the first time can hardly believe how many winding streets and lanes wind through Saxon Switzerland. And now in winter these paths belong to you practically all to yourself. Hardly any other visitors and only a handful of coaches a day. On the other hand, the cold creeps under the station wagon for the first few kilometers, and Jorg and my teeth chatter quite a bit as far as the Hocksteinschanke, which is located on the former »Grobdeutschlandring«. The almost alpine driving pleasure on this largely forgotten race track down into the Polenztal quickly ensures that your hands are moist and warm again. A dream, this tangle of curves. But not on the weekends? where the section that stretches through the valley to the village of Heeselicht is closed to motorbikes. Too many accidents in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the same seductive way, the road leads out of the valley to the town of Hohnstein. The old half-timbered houses cling to the slopes in extremely nooks and crannies. Nothing seems to be level here. The small castle towers picturesquely above everything.
We keep in the direction of the Elbe. Now and then the route runs above the fog line. Then the black outlines of the table mountains that pierce the white mass create an imposing backdrop. Such a weather situation must have inspired Caspar David Friedrich for his picture “Wanderer above the Sea of ​​Fog”.
A while later the haze clears, the peculiar landscape, which was once created by rivers that have cut deep into the sandstone slab, finally becomes visible. Narrow paths meander through narrow gorges, vertically rising sandstone walls come threateningly close to the edge of the road. Huge boulders covered with grass and moss lie scattered over some of the less steep slopes, as if a giant baby had spread its building blocks across the landscape a long time ago.
Shortly afterwards we reach the Elbe valley, follow the road for a few kilometers that leads to the Czech border. The river flows brown and sluggish in his bed, epitomizing tranquility. In Bad Schandau we turn our backs on the Elbe again, turn into the romantic Kirnitzschtal, where we only have to share the narrow, paved road with an ancient tram. The historic railcars twitch with a squeak as far as the Lichtenhain waterfall and shake the passengers vigorously on the wooden benches.
Sitting much more comfortably, we reach Hinterhermsdorf, an extremely idyllic little village which, with its 17th century houses, is now completely under monument protection. On the nearby bank of the Kirnitzsch, we change from our motorcycles to a small boat and drift through a narrow gorge. Dark rocks tower up steeply, trees cling to the walls, washed-out sandstones grimace, and water droplets glisten on the moss ?? a fascinating and eerie scenery.
We calmly stroll back on our machines in the direction of the Elbe, cross the river and get to Konigstein. The mighty fortress can be seen from afar, which was built high above the city. The view from up there is simply awesome, extends over the plateaus to the table mountains. The most impressive is the view of the Lilienstein, which the Elbe surrounds in a large loop almost in a circle. In the past, natural erosion was helped with cannonballs when target shooting was organized from the fortress into the Lilienstein massif. We look over, spellbound, while a falcon glides through the air. He looks equally mesmerized, but not at us, but down, in the hope of spotting a careless mouse.
We stay south of the Elbe, just let the motorcycles swing back and forth, finally aiming for the Pfaffenstein with the famous Barbarine rock needle, then rushing on to Langenhennersdorf. First class, this route. But it has gotten really cold by now; in the afternoon the sun has hardly any strength left. Nevertheless, we decide to take a short walk in the nearby »labyrinth«, a rocky landscape known as this for good reason. Huge blocks of stone, sometimes lying diagonally, sometimes piled on top of each other or randomly layered, make an interesting mess. We climb stairs, crawl through tunnels and are happy about the motorcycle clothes: we have to slide down steeply over bare rock several times. We feel like children in an oversized adventure playground.
Unfortunately, it is gradually time to start the journey home. Via the B 172 we get to the next Elbe bend and at the height of Wehlen with a small ferry to the opposite bank, steer the motorcycles in the direction of Pirna. One last time the striking sandstone backdrop appears in the rear-view mirrors: rugged and unmistakable the Lilienstein, broad the Konigsstein with the now illuminated fortress and further back in the haze all the other table mountains.
The town sign for Pirna flits past. Actually, the place is the gateway to Saxon Switzerland, for us today it means the end of this extraordinary tour. We slowly chug through the winding old town. Only a few thickly hooded figures rush across the sidewalks, some shake their heads at the sight of two motorcyclists, the others nod in appreciation. Motorcycling in the cold season is a special thing.
Info – Saxon Switzerland
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains are a truly unique landscape in Germany. In addition to great routes, there are around 1,100 (!) Summits that can be climbed, as well as a 1,200-kilometer network of hiking trails.
From Dresden you can take the B 172 via Heidenau and Pirna directly into the realm of stones. Much more attractive than the main route, which is often congested, are the numerous, sometimes quite winding, side streets. AccommodationIn practically every place there are hotels, guest houses, holiday apartments or private rooms. The tip: Rooms in country inns are often very cheap and appealing because of their family atmosphere and good cuisine. The following addresses are particularly recommended: “Ziegelscheune” inn and guesthouse, Elbweg 22, Krippen, telephone 035028/80437, per person from 21 euros; Gasthof and guest house “Zum Erbgericht Heeselicht”, Am Markt 8, Heeselicht, per person from 19 euros for two nights, phone 035973/2290; Hotel “Neue Schanke”, Am Konigstein 3, Konigstein, phone 035021/99960, per person from 35 euros, www.neue-schaenke.de; Gasthof “Hocksteinschanke”, Am Hockstein 1, Hohnstein / Rathewalde, phone 035975/81342, per person from 26 euros, www.hocksteinschaenke.de; as well as the hotel »Zur Aussicht«, Am Bergborn 7, Hohnstein, phone 035975/87000, per person from 46 euros, www.hotel-zur-aussicht.de. The Tourist Office Sachsische Schweiz eV, Am Bahnhof 6, 01418 Bad Schandau, phone 035022/4950, www.saechsische-schweiz.de, provides further addresses and practical tips. Information about the boat trip mentioned in the text is provided by the tourist information in Hinterhermsdorf, phone 035974/5210 . The book trade has an almost unmanageable amount of travel guides about this region ready, regardless of whether you want to climb, hike or cycle. Many route tips that can be found in these books are of course also ideal for motorcyclists. The HB image atlas “Dresden and Saxon Switzerland” provides a great overview for 8.50 euros. A good road map is essential. The individual sheets of the General Map by Mairs Geographischer Verlag on a scale of 1: 200,000 are particularly suitable for motorcycle tours in Germany; Put sheet 11 “Chemnitz, Dresden and Erzgebirge” in your tank bag for a trip to the region described.
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