Wandering Saxony — TO FALL UP

May 25

May 25 Wandering Saxony

We had in-between days, or rather quick site-seeing spots between our stays in Berlin, Dresden, and Prague. On one of these days, we stopped in Potsdam, while the other was a hike in Saxony Switzerland.

We spent the day in Potsdam, walking the grounds and gardens in a fashion I’d imagine Jane Austen’s would write about. The air was fragrant and calm - it almost begged for you to walk - not too quickly, as if your only activity for the day was to walk the path between the Palace and the Orangery and then back again. Gravel crunched under our soles as we passed through high hedges and columns of statues. The landscape demanded a stroll, and we enjoyed the yellows and pinks of the palace exteriors.

After our stay in Dresden, we went to the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, hiking the portion of it called Saxony Switzerland. These mountains bordered the Czech Republic, and were our stop before reaching Prague. The rain followed us from Berlin here, and we walked in a heavy sprinkle. But with the rain comes the greens, the mist, and the incredible smell of Earth. As a rock national park, we climbed the entire way to our destination: Bastei Bridge. We hiked 450 steps (approximately according to Google) up the rocks to the bridge. This bridge, first built of wood in the early 1800s, gave access to people and carts to the castle built at the tip of a rock. While the castle is no longer there, it’s rooms are still evident on chiseled out rock formation, much like a left over thumb print. In the mid 1800s, they replaced the wood with stone that is still here today. The very stone beneath our soles - it was truly a Wonder to behold.