I went on a 3-day nature escape with my close friend Linda from Wild & Root (an amazing Berlin-based Food Research Lab and creative event agency which we highly recommend if you are for example in search of a fun Xmas company dinner ☺). We saw a few days of sunshine in the forecast and spontaneously decided to explore the national park Sächsische Schweiz, which is only 3 hours away from Berlin. I have to confess I was a bit suspicious about our choice of travel destination, dreading that it may be packed with german bus travel groups and the likes. Little did I know, what an insane nature adventure was ahead of me.
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Impressions from our first hike
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We left early on Monday morning to make it there in time for an afternoon hike. After driving for about 2 hours, we noticed small hills popping up in the landscape. Soon after, we were welcomed by a friendly motorway sign informing us that we had entered Saxon Switzerland, a region which has allegedly enchanted many creative minds such as the painter Caspar David Friedrich or the composer Richard Wagner with its wild beauty. We drove straight to Bad Schandau, a little town right at the entrance of the national park. After we parked our car, we walked around the cute little city centre in search of a place to have a quick lunch. The restaurant Gambrinus with its small courtyard caught our attention and we enjoyed a nice soup and salad before making our way to our first hike. We had discovered the hiking app Komoot and found a trail which seemed perfect for this sunny afternoon. You can look up the tour here and find directions as well as a detailed description and level of intensity. We walked through a beautiful golden forest for a little while and were soon surrounded by the wild rock formations known as the Elbsandsteingebirge. Their majestic height and shapes reminded me of some national park in the US which I would have never expected in a small national park in Saxony!! We were alone on most of our hike and couldn't stop marvelling at the insane nature surrounding us.
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Up on the Gratweg and walking through golden forests surrounding it on day1 - my HIITU sustainable phone necklace always at hand ☺
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When we got back to our car, it had already turned dark. Starving we drove to a local brewery restaurant in Pirna named "Brauhaus zum Giessen", which was on the way to our holiday apartment and actually turned out to be quite delicious. They served a tasty homemade craft beer as well as a few delicious vegetarian options which we were very happy about.
On day two we got a bit overwhelmed with all the hiking possibilities that we found in our new hiking app. We decided to go for an intermediate 4-hour tour which you can find here. In hindsight, it was not the ideal route as it was very busy because it was the region's school autumn break. BUT, besides the lack of peace and quiet during most of the hike, the landscape is very beautiful - you'll enjoy long stretches through beautiful birk, pine and fern forests and also climb the Pfaffenstein, one of the crazy rock formations of the area. It's a nice and easy walk, which I would recommend for a day that you are not feeling too adventurous.
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Pine, birk and fern forest on day 2 and Linda on the Pfaffenstein.
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For dinner that night we decided to check out the village Schmilka. The whole village has been turned into an organic retreat within the national park. We originally tried to book a room in one of the many accommodations that all seem to belong to the same hotel chain and all follow high organic standards. But everything was booked out, so we ended up renting a little holiday apartment in a village called Wehlen (which I would not recommend because it is difficult to get to depending on which side of the Elbe you are on). So, that night we wanted to check out this organic village directly on the Czech border. After waiting around a bit, we were lucky to get a table at the restaurant Strandgut from two people that didn’t show. Our impression that this was the place to be in the national forest was further consolidated. The food was quite delicious and very bio for sure. Here, you find plenty of veggie options as well as fish and meat. It’s a funny place with a unique character and friendly staff. The village surrounding the restaurant, which seems to be directly linked to the Hotel Helvetia, looked cute and enchanted just like the whole region. If I come back I would be tempted to explore this town a bit more. Maybe not stay in the Hotel Helvetia but in one of the smaller houses also connected to the hotel chain, you can find all info here.
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Exploring Dessau
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The next day it was rainy, and we decided to head back to Berlin and do a stopover in Dessau to go see the newly opened Bauhaus Museum. This was the cherry on the top of our little getaway. It had been on my to-do list for a long time and I was excited to see the place where a great deal of the Bauhaus movement originates from. You can see some more impressions from our visit below.
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The best companion on this trip, besides the wonderful Linda, was my HIITU phone strap in black multi. No matter whether hiking or sightseeing, you always have your phone at hand for a quick snapshot of a beautiful moment, to find your direction or search for a good restaurant nearby.
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Find all the colours of our sustainable phone necklaces here!!