Travel Germany - Visit the Saxon Switzerland National Park in Saxony

It is winter in Germany and most of the times the temperatures linger at slightly above or below zero degrees Celsius. It does not mean that no one ever leaves home from December to February, or at least till it gets a little bit warmer again. It would be a shame to stay indoors and to just make your way from your bed, to the kitchen, and to your desk before you go back to bed again. You know, you can wrap up warm and you are good to go and to discover the world … even when it is freezing cold outside.

Saxon Switzerland National Park

Saxon Switzerland is a national park at the Elbe valley, only a short 30-minute car ride south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Why is the area called Switzerland, when it is so obviously not even near that country? Two Swiss artists working in 1766 in Dresden felt it looked like home and came up with this fictional name. The public loved it and the name is still in use today.

Fog is wavering over the valley

I am intrigued by the National Parks name and when I arrive I am overwhelmed by the sheer grace of this wilderness. The rock formations formed by water erosion over one million years ago tower high above the Elbe River. Fog is wavering over the valley, and the peaks of the sandstone formations are partly hidden by the very low hanging clouds. At times there is a very fine rain, as in a soft mizzle, and that also adds to the mystique atmosphere. Trees are overgrown by moss, and there is grass growing stubbornly between rock columns. Water drips from the lush green pines, the naked birch trees and the heather. This is nature in its raw beauty. There is no make-up, and no sunrays illuminating this forest stage. Everything is just as it is, mostly grey and forcefully marvellous.

Medieval Neurathen Castle

Walk over a 76.5 meter long stone bridge to reach medieval Neurathen Castle. Back in the day’s people built wooden constructions between the mountains, to create a home and shelter. Today there is not much left of the castle, but when you walk over the newly constructed iron walkways you get a pretty decent picture of the castle grounds. And then, it is all left to your imagination.

 

From the Saxonian Swiss National Park you can hike over the borders into Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic. Visit the national park information centre to learn about the Saxon and Czech areas of the national park: Tourismusverband Sächsische Schweiz (Information is in English).

Do you also sometimes ignore the weather for some fun in the great outdoors? Looking forward to hearing from you.

From Berlin with love