Dresden and an Amazing Park

Let me just say first, I really liked Dresden. It’s got a great vibe about it and is very easy to walk around. I can’t quite put my finger on what is so great. It’s fairly modern, since it was pretty much leveled during the war, but there are some reconstructed old buildings and churches to keep it interesting. The people are friendly and there are a ton of little cafes for coffee or wine. It’s one of those cities you could keep going back to just because…

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As I said, the city was pretty much flattened by Allied bombing during WWII. To add insult to injury, after war, the city was in the East, and did not get much assistance to rebuild. I’m pretty sure the GDR received no funds from the Marshall Plan and the Soviets sure as sh#t weren’t going to help the Germans. Knowing all of that, it’s amazing how far the city has come since reunification in 1990.

The stunning Dresden Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady, in central Dresden was destroyed by Allied bombs. From the end of the war until reunification, the rubble of the destroyed church lay in Dresden as a memorial. Reconstruction began in 1992 and used as many of the old, burned stones as possible. You can see them in the exterior of the church (picture in slide show below). The black stones are the old ones. When the church was rebuilt, the mangled cross from the dome was put inside as a memorial (and reminder). The cross that adorns the dome today was donated by the British. It was a British bomb that destroyed the church in 1945. Today, I think the church stands as a testament to peace, understanding and forgiveness.

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One of the best things on this stop was outside the city: The gorgeous Saxon Switzerland National Park. The park is on the border of Germany and the Czech Republic and is definitely worth a visit. I would have loved to have spent more time there. It is supposed to be stunning in Autumn, so I will have to make a plan to return for longer hikes in cooler temps. While Penguin did love being in nature, the heat was a little much for him. He, too, would like to return during a cooler time of the year.

Two of the days I was in Dresden were two of the hottest days of the year, 98F/36.5C and 101/38.3C. As I type this, we are in another heatwave. In Belgium, yesterday it hit 95F/35C and today it could reach 103F/39.4C. Europe is broiling, literally. I read yesterday that a runway melted at Luton airport in the UK. I am glad I bought that portable AC unit in April.

There should be some fun and interesting posts coming up in the next few weeks. Stay tuned and happy travels.

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TRIP TIPS

I used an online tour company to visit Saxon Switzerland Park. This is a good option if you are solo and don’t want to rent a car. The only problem with this approach is you have to follow someone else’s plan and you can only stay one day. If you have more time, rent a car and see more of the park. There are several options inside the park. If you want to stay in a town, Bad Schandau is a great option.

If you are going to go hiking and need any outdoor gear, there is a great shop in Dresden: Globetrotter Equipment. It is a German chain, similar to REI in the USA. The Dresden location is: Prager Str. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany

Czech Republic

Prague alon the river — ***^{Prague, along the Vltava River}***

My final rail adventure of the Spring/Summer was to the Czech Republic and Dresden, Germany. When I first started planning the rail journey for June, Poland was on the itinerary. After what happened in in neighboring Ukraine, I figured the Polish people have more important things to deal with than tourists. I also didn’t want to take a bed that might be better used for someone fleeing violence. I’ve waited years to see Poland and I look forward to visiting in the near future.

After years of wanting to see Prague, I admit I was a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong. The city IS stunningly beautiful. However, like so many places, it has suffered from its own fame and over tourism. Every street is packed with tourists, many of them stumbling and yelling after too many cheap beers in the city’s myriad bars. Every other shop is selling the exact same crappy tourist schlock that was made in China. Nothing felt Czech and I often felt like I was at a frat party at Epcot.

Even with the crowds and rowdy tourists, there are some great parts of the city. The architecture is stunning. Prague survived WWII with little bombing (Allies did mistake Prague for Dresden a couple of times) so almost every building warrants a gaze and possibly a photograph.

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The Charles Street Bridge is the famous one you see all the pictures of. The bridge is lined with incredible statues, mostly religious, and affords wonderful views of the city. There are always people there, but luckily it wasn’t jammed the day I went. This is one of the places where it would have been great to take a tour. Learning more about these statues would have been great. Can anyone tell me what the lettering on the Christ statue says? I can’t tell if it is Hebrew or Aramaic and yes, the latter would make more sense.

The Prague Castle is the crown jewel of the city and is said to be the largest castle compound in Europe. Within the compound walls there are streets, chapels, palaces of the nobility and a very impressive cathedral. The palace you can visit (separate entry ticket from the castle) is the Lobkowicz palace ( https://www.lobkowicz.cz/en/lobkowicz-palace ), which has an amazing history: twice confiscated by governments (first the Nazi’s then the Communists) and now back in the hands of the American descendants. The entire castle compound has been restored and takes an entire day to really see. You can buy your ticket online or at the ticket office on site. See trip tips, below.

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One of my favorite things in Prague was the walk DOWN the hill from the castle. More churches and more amazing views and architecture.

After four days in Prague, I hopped a sloooow train to Cesky Krumlov, one of the prettiest cities in the Czech Republic. And, keeping in Czech form, it has a great Castle.

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The history of the town is fairly calm, by European standards. Today, it has protected status and is truly a delightful city to walk around. Definitely spend time walking around the inside of the castle and the walled paths. If you are short on time, you can bypass the gardens. They have not gotten the same attention as the grounds. Also, close your eyes when walking past the bears. It might spoil your day.

My last stop in the Czech Republic was Karlovy Vary. I have no pictures as there really wasn’t much to photograph. I was told it was a favorite destination of Russian tourists and it has clearly suffered a lot over the past few years. A lot of it reminded me of the downtown’s of cities in the US south in the 80’s; before urban renewal. You can tell it was once a nice place to go but now it’s run down and a bit creepy.

If you are wondering about Penguin. He is fine. He was on the trip but the heat was too much for him. He hung out in the hotel and enjoyed hearing about each day from the comfort of air conditioning. He had a great time in Dresden at the Saxon Switzerland Park, our next stop.

TRIP TIPS

Buy your tickets for the Prague castle online and in advance. Click here for Castle Ticket info. The tickets are good for two days so you can take your time.
Do not use trains to get around the Czech Republic. They are infrequent and PAINFULLY slow. Connections in/out of Prague are fine but outside of that, you could ride a bike faster. I was traveling on a Rail Pass, which I now know is NOT a good plan. Take the bus. FlixBus ( click here )is Europe Wide and I have heard good things about it. My friend Cathy just took it and had good things to say about it. As on the train, keep an eye on your belongings.
In Prague, I stayed in a great Aparthotel called Orea Place Seno. Super nice staff and lovely studio apartments. The AC worked well, too. I would definitely recommend it.
The Hop-on/Hop-off bus is not worth it here. The trams are easy, efficient and cheap. You can take a trap UP to the castle and then walk down.

Lovely Lucerne

^{Central Lucerne – Covered bridge and old town.}

This may be my new favorite city in Europe. It’s compact for easy navigation, has a wonderful medieval center which has been lovingly maintained, boasts stunning scenery and has a nice easy going vibe. I spent 3 days here and look forward to going back soon.

Lucerne is on a lake of the same name straddles the Reuss river. The water in the lake is crystal clear and with the surrounding mountains, it reminded me of Lake Tahoe. There wasn’t much snow left on the nearer mountains when I was there, but the place is still strikingly beautiful. I took a boat trip around the lake which was wonderful and Penguin really had a great time. Summer hadn’t fully kicked in yet so the choices were limited. I hope that as tourism rebounds things will be back to full operation.

As you can see, the dramatic weather really made for some cool pictures.

There is also wonderful walking path around the lake which is a great way to spend a morning. The views are stunning and it is great to see locals taking advantage of their wonderful resource. I even saw several people swimming so I am guessing the water isn’t as cold as Lake Tahoe. I got very lucky with this shot on one of my walks along the lake.

Near Lucerne is a mountain area called Jungfrau; nicknamed the Top of Europe. The nickname is a bit misleading as the highest mountain in Europe is actually Mont Blanc, in France. Like the Matterhorn, reaching the top requires the purchase of a pricey ticket and several gondolas or trains. I enjoyed the excursion but it really wasn’t that different from the other mountain tops. The weather was a bit cloudier, so the photos are different. Also, Penguin had a blast inside the glacier. When he saw his cousins, he couldn’t contain his excitement!

As I said, the weather wasn’t that great the days I was there and there were some pretty heavy downpours which isn’t great for pictures. My trusty Dutch rain poncho (https://rainkiss.com/) kept me dry while walking around the town and along the old wall. The views from the wall are wonderful and I am sure really spectacular when it isn’t dumping rain.

I also enjoyed some indoor time at two of Lucerne’s very good museums: The Rosengart Collection and the Kunstmuseum. The Rosengart Collection is really wonderful if you like early 20^th century modern art. They have a very good collection of Klee (of course) and a lot of Picasso. They also have a few Kandinskys, Miro’s and Chagalls. If you are in Lucerne, don’t miss the Rosengart Collection.

I really hope to spend more time in Lucerne in the future. I am sure it would be wonderful in Winter. My next stop on this trip was the Czech Republic. I hope to get that post done in the next week or so.

TRIP TIPS

Lucerne is compact and getting around on foot is easy. That said, unless you have a car, try to book a place close to the train station. Walking around with luggage is not fun, especially on cobblestones.

There is a good COOP grocery about three blocks from the train station as well as a COOP Express inside the station. It is very easy to buy items to eat at the stores to avoid spending a fortune at restaurants.

Locals warned me against visiting in November. They say it’s grey and rainy the whole month. Don’t know if that is true, but I thought I would warn you just in case.