Of course I tried to quit smoking after some really crappy month, shortly before christmas and all the meetings of the “holy” family 😀 This is me. Oh yes 😀 Anyway, I did and still free of for 27 Days. So I needed something cool to do. And yes, my life is changing completely so why not travel 1 day before christmas some hundred kilometers to to search for a great view? Who keep me away of doing it? None. So i did. We did. I picked up the little princess and we drove to the “Sächsische Schweiz”. No, it’s not Swizz – it’s the “little sister” and in Germany.
We had to drive around 2-2,5 hours but it was not that bad. The weather was nice, we had some food for a picknick, the sun and the wind in our back and I had no old ghosts in my head.
So we drove to the “Elbsandsteingebirge” in the mentioned area of the “Sächsische Schweiz”. There are some really cool spots where you can see the whole area and it’s often like in a fairy tale.
Check here (for example) by yourself: http://www.elbsandsteingebirge.de.
Our main target was the “Schrammsteine” and finally we found them. They are very high stones, look like…did you ever play with sand and water and made some little mountains with it? Then you can imagine how they look.
But our problem was the time. We needed too long for the ride and we hadn’t enough time to climb on the stones. We asked local people and they told us better to stay on the ground, coming back one day and trying to climb on earlier (early morning). They also told us we may need 2-3 hours to climb on the top of them. Tick Tack…then we only had 5 or 10 minutes on the top before we had to climb back and that wasn’t worth it. At the start of the trail up it was around 2pm + 2/3 hours way and around 4pm the sunset is taking away all light for the way back (in winter of course).
Okay, we aren’t idiots and we won’t risk our health and decided to drive to the near castle called “Festung Königstein”. One day we will come back – in the morning!
Thinking short, doing…
As we arrived the castle it was a typically “wow effect”. Simply wow. Whoever was there will know what I mean. You can see the HUGE walls from the parking place and while you’re walking to the castle it takes away your breath. Like I said: the walls around the castle are huge and when you stay in front of them you simply think “Damn, I am a gnome!”.
I am a bit sad about only having videos of the walls but I was able to make screenshots for you. But best thing is always: go there and see for yourself 😉
After some time outside we walked in. Ehm, no. We FLEW in 😀 There are 2 ways to go in the castle: by foot or to take a lift. The way for walking in was closed and we had to take the lift anyway. The lift was big enough for a car! Go figure 😀
As we walked out off the lift we were on the top of the walls. No joke. You can walk on them and what you see there you’ll never forget. Believe me. It’s the highest point in the whole area, I think and we felt like god. A frightened god cuz it was sooo high 😀
Again I only made videos because even Panorama pictures weren’t able to show the spectacle.
We walked around of the “core” of the castle, made some cool videos and tried to make some pictures. But we still had fear to lose our lifes and/or the Handy. Yes, at that time I only had my Handy Cam. And no, it’s not dangerous there but it’s damn high, like I said. There are high enough railings everywhere but we still had butterflies in the stomachs 😀
Of course we had forgotten our food in the car and so we were very hungry. Like always we were lucky guys and in the middle of the castle was an OPEN restaurant. One day before xmass and it was open. Yes! The prices were ok, the offer of food and drinks too. After eating and a warm coffee and tea (you may need if you visit the castle in december) we found a “museum”. Not so big but funny because you had to go maybe 70° downwards into the cellar. It might be not so funny for kids who believe in ghosts but…
I don’t know what they made there. Beer? Wine? Seems they made some alcohol there.
Do yourself a favour. When you’re going home please use the walking way for your way back.
I don’t promise things but we loved what we saw there. It was a HUGE room with a very cool “door”. And like the way into the cellar you’ve to go downwards again. Of course you’ve cuz the castle is built on a higher mountain 😉
Before I leave you today with all the views and experiences I will show you 2 great pictures I made outside of the castle. Have you ever seen more beautiful mushrooms? Me neither.
Thank you for your time and
if you ever visit “Festung Königstein” let me know how it was.
Warm regards,
R
SOSfernweh 