Individual Days - Czechia
Enjoying Nature
September 5, 2025
Good morning, Prague
One reason we traveled to Europe early was to adjust to the time change. We planned a full day tour at a national park outside Prague to encourage us to get up early, to prevent napping, and to provide fresh air and physical activity.
Look at the fantastic view of Prague from our room window. A fabulous start to the day!
Breakfast service started at 7:00 am, but we needed to meet our guide at that time. The hotel staff was kind enough to allow us to grab a quick breakfast before they officially opened.
Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland National Parks
We met our guide, Martin Pufler, and fellow travelers shortly after 7 am. We began with a 1 hour 45 minutes drive. The parks are located in Czechia and Germany so what’s up with the name? Switzerland National Parks? Martin explained during our drive.
Two painters from Switzerland, Adrian Zingg and Anton Graff, moved to teach at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts in 1766. They were so moved by the resemblance to their homeland that they named the area. The national park in Czechia is called the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, while the national park in Germany is called the Saxon Switzerland National Park.
Tour Path
Our full day guided tour to the Bohemian-Saxon National Parks took us to the following locations:
- Bohemian Switzerland National Park
- Pravčická Brána
- Kamenice Gorge
- Lunch – Resort Mezná
- Saxon Switzerland National Park
- Bastei Bridge
Pravčická Brána
Our first stop was the Pravčická Brána (Pravčice Gate), the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe.
Martin dropped us off at the trail entrance and told us to start the 45 minute hike to the arch. He provided walking sticks. Some of the trail was smooth (paved paths and man-made stairs), but other segments were steep, rocky, and uneven.
After parking the van, Martin caught up to us and offered us bottled water and snacks. He also provided constant encouragement to keep up the pace. There was some urgency in his voice, and we later discovered why.
At the end of the hike, we arrived at the Sokolí hnízdo (the Falcon’s Nest) located right next to the arch. The hotel was built in 1881 as an inn for the wealthy. Today, the building is privately owned and includes a restaurant and art gallery.
The arch was featured in several scenes of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
We arrived about 25 minutes before the park opened. There was a line of people waiting to enter, so why were we rushing? Because Martin’s father, Julius, is a park photographer and was able to open the gates to allow us early access. What a wonderful experience to walk around and take pictures without the crowds.
Julius took pictures of us at different vantage points.
Break Time
Before starting our hike down, we enjoyed a relaxing drink at the Sokolí hnízdo restaurant. Martin told us that it used to be possible to walk across the top of the arch. However, the sandstone is slowly shifting so it is no longer safe.
We visited the art gallery which featured Julius Pufler’s stunning photography. Both Martin and Julius are so passionate about this area.
The morning started off overcast, but the clouds parted to reveal blue skies while at the arch. As we headed down the trail, dark clouds rolled in bringing the threat of rain.
Fire
On our walk to and from Pravčická Brána, we could see the devastation from a forest fire. In July and August of 2022, Czech’s largest forest fire ravaged the area for almost three weeks. A year later, an individual was arrested for having intentionally set the fire. What is sad is that he also confessed to starting other smaller fires.
Martin explained how beautiful the area had been before the fire. What a shame.
Kamenice River
Our next stop, a boat ride on the Kamenice River, was a short drive from the arch. When we arrived at the Resort Mezná in Hřensko-Děčín, dark rain clouds moved into the area. Martin gave everyone the option to stay dry indoors at the restaurant or head to the river. We all opted for the river.
It started misting as we began our descent to the river. The slippery trails slowed our pace through the lush woods. It took us about 30-45 minutes to get to the boat dock. It became a group joke to say “the river is right around the corner – we are almost there”.
The Kamenice River has two gorges – Edmund’s Gorge and Wild Gorge. Due to the damage caused by the 2022 fire, the longer boat ride on Edmund’s Gorge was unavailable.
By the time we arrived at the boat dock, it was pouring. Martin provided umbrellas and raincoats. It ended up being a blessing to have the shorter boat tour on the Wild Gorge.
Hřensko Lunch
The walk back up the hill was slow and slippery, but we arrived at the Resort Mezná with a hearty appetite.
Mark & I both ordered the house specialty – Pašerácká plněná kapsa (a Smuggle’s filled pocket). What’s that, you ask? It is like a hot pocket but instead of bread or wrap, pork roast is used instead. Inside there is ham, cheese, bacon, onion, and peppers. It was excellent!
As an extra treat, the rain cleared up while we ate so our next stop was rain free.
Bastei
After lunch, we left Czechia and headed to our final stop in Germany. The Bastei is a rock formation 636 feet above the Elbe River. The jagged rocks were formed by water erosion. The current Bastei Bridge was constructed from sandstone in 1851. While it is no longer possible to climb on the rock formations, we could see paths and staircases carved into the rocks.
The skies started to clear while we were at Bastei. The rains from earlier in the day must have discouraged visitors because there were very few people. It was a perfect ending to a fabulous day.
Restaurace Červený Jelen
After such a full day, we opted for dinner at the restaurant across from the hotel – the Red Deer. As we were seated, we observed a large display containing opulent desserts. This made ordering easy – time to skip appetizers.
Mark ordered Hovězí tafelspitz – a tender, slow-simmered beef dish served with potatoes and green asparagus. It came as a tray with multiple bowls. The server explained how to eat. First, move the beef to plate and add sauce (horseradish velouté). Next, pour broth into the meat bowl to mix with drippings.
I ordered the daily special – crispy pork knuckle with dark beer sauce, potatoes with bacon and fennel, and granny smith apples.
For dessert, we shared Pivní dort (chocolate cake with layers of dark beer reduction and hazelnut cream) and traditional Bohemian Větrník (choux pastry filled with egg yolk, vanilla cream and Carmel).
The meal was great. The restaurant was filled with locals. Downstairs, there was a lounge playing dance music so as the evening progressed more young people joined downstairs.
During our dinner, it started heavily raining. We were glad that we only had to walk across the street. Actually, we ran back to the hotel.
We walked 10.3 miles today.