Pillnitz Castle is only a stone's throw away from Dresden's centre. Stone steps lead directly from the banks of the Elbe River up to the Chinese-style pleasure palace, which once belonged to the famous mistress of August the Strong, Countess Cosel. The Elector August of Wettin was an absolutist aristocrat of his time: animal fights, parties, fireworks, it could not be big and expensive enough. He originally had the castle built for his excessive water festivals, directly on the Elbe, then known as the "Canal Grande". Continue reading »
To the beach! To Thailand or to the Caribbean Islands! Traveling like this is always tempting for us, especially in winter, and if you can afford it and have time, you can quickly book a cheap flight into the warmth. Ahhhhh sun... after all the winter months we have earned that too! But you don't always have to go far to do something good for yourself. Today I take you by the hand and show you what you can do in my hometown in the dark season. I'll show you places to keep you warm and get you through the rest of the winter. Continue reading »
A nice day trip from our hostel leads with the S-Bahn or by Bus to the winter sports centre Altenberg. The excursion is very worthwhile if you want to spend a few days in Dresden and its surroundings. The journey takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Around Altenberg you can do wonderful downhill ski or longer tours. Continue reading »
The "Obere Schleuse" track: A hiking description for one of the most beautiful hiking tracks in the Saxon Switzerland: the core zone of the National Park. The track leads you to the biggest tourist attractions during the GDR time: the "Obere Schleuse" (upper watergate): use the romantic rowing boats to get through the "Kirnitzsch Gorge" (Kirnitzschklamm) or just go on foot, continue your way by following one of the cleanest rivers in whole of Germany: the "Kirnitzsch" along the German and Czech border. Listen carefully when you are in the mountains and no other tourist is around! Complete silence! You do not know the word silence yet, if you do not travel much to lonely spots. This is such a place! It is just amazing, but also frustrating to see how much we are used to car noises. Even the animals here seem to hold their breath. It is a bit like beeing blind on your ears. Impressive! Continue reading »
