Ahoj.Minuly vikend som sa vybral konecne do Ceskeho Svycarska - uz som to dlho planoval.V sobotu som rano som siel vlakom do Usti nad Labem a odtial busom do dedinky Tisa - prvej zastavky. V tejto dedinke sa nachadza area Tiske steny s unikatnymi skalnymi utvarmi.Presiel som si velky okruh (je tam aj maly) a pokracoval som dalej cestou na najvyssiu stolovu horu - Decinsky Sneznik.Na vrchu je vyhliadkova veza, z ktorej mal byt podla fotiek paradny vyhlad na okolitu krajinu.Bohuzial nebol, kedze bola husta hmla.Tak som po malom obcerstveni z vlasntych zasob pokracoval dalej lesom k obci Maxicky [View Full Entry]

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With time getting short and the weather finally being sunny and warm we decided to return to Hrensko for a weekend of hiking. We enjoyed this area so much last year and wanted at least one more visit to this beautiful region. The small village of Hrensko is located right beside the Labe River. Across the river is Germany. The border crosses the river about a mile north of Hrensko and beyond that is also Germany. The Czech customs station is only about three hundred yards from the village. Here cars entering the Czech Republic are checked. Ships going up and [View Full Entry]

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Day tripped to this little slice of paradise near the border of eastern Germany. A stunning day of serious tranquility and beauty. Was all zen like when I returned to Prague... felt like engaging in some contemporary dance to really top it off. "Sway like the wind, willow..........." [View Full Entry]

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The area known as Czech Switzerland, or Bohemian Switzerland is located on the German border between Prague and Dresden. The Elbe River has cut a deep canyon through the mountains leaving behind high sandstone cliffs. To avoid river taxes in centuries past, smugglers used this area to carry goods into both countries. Small villages developed in the mountains to provide services to the smugglers. I am not sure if smuggling still exists, but surely tourism is the major business of the area. There has been a national park on the German side of the border for a number of years. Now, [View Full Entry]

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We set off up the trail. Our destination was four kilometers away, the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe. A huge group of school kids were ahead of us ... thank goodness they were ahead of us. In fact, we slowed so they would get far enough ahead that we could not hear them. When in the woods we prefer the sounds of nature to the sounds of 40 excited school children. I must say the kids were having a great time, and that is good. We had been told the trail is quite steep and difficult. Pleasantly surprised we did [View Full Entry]

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Climbing on up the mountain we finally reached the top of the mountain where the largest natural bridge in Europe stands. Below and at one end of the bridge an old hotel still operates as a restaurant, but accepts no overnight guests. The employees have to hike in each day to their job. All supplies for the restaurant are brought up the mountain in a small cable car. The cable car is not large enough to carry any passengers. In fact, when I saw it in operation I think I would call it the cable bucket. The motor is tiny and [View Full Entry]

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During our hike through the mountains we were pleased at the number of wild flowers we saw blooming. I wish I knew the names of all of them. But I needed and did not have a Central European Field Guide to Flowers. Some, like the Foxglove, I recognized, but there are so many that were unfamiliar to me. [View Full Entry]

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Do you remember in the blog on going to Dresden that I mentioned the beautiful mountainous country we passed through and I said, "Nancy and I have to learn more about this area. There must be some wonderful hiking in that area." Well ........ when we returned to IBTS we metioned the beauty we saw to several people. Each enouraged us to return and hike there. In fact PP said, "Take two days off. Go there and see the beauty." So, we did. But this trip will take several entries. We left Prague on Tudsday, going by bus from Prague to [View Full Entry]

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