|   | | | Keadeen | 27.04.2008 15:22:16 |
| | Saxon Switzerland – Nature’s Adventure Playground |
|  To visit the bizarre yet breathtaking mountain range that is Saxon Switzerland is like being transported to another world. There is an inherent gothic atmosphere derived from the vast sandstone pinnacles that dwarf the trees and houses below, and the intrigue of the castles, caves, gorges and forests peppered between them causes your imagination to run wild.
Also known as the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, they were formed by volcanic eruptions that forced up the bed of a prehistoric lake. The River Elbe and its tributaries then cut the resulting chalky, sandstone bed into the pinnacles, mesas and rock buttresses that you see today. Standing relatively undiscovered until fairly recently, this natural adventure playground is now a Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts.
The hundreds of miles of walking routes, paths and trails that Saxon Switzerland has to offer allows for all ages and abilities to explore and marvel the wonder of this place. For those that prefer to keep their feet firmly on solid ground, there are romantic fortresses, pretty villages, old mills and historical inns dotted along well-marked trails and paths to admire.
For the more judiciously challenged, there is the option to ‘free’ climb some of the 1000 towers. Free climbing means that no aids are allowed; only traditional tools like slings and ropes are permitted, but tools made of metal are not – this is to protect the soft sandstone and avoid unnatural destruction and altering of the rock surface. An unusual method of climbing is that of the ‘Baustelle’ (‘construction site’). This is where climbers overcome a difficult part by climbing on the shoulders of other climbers – sometimes several people on top of each other – with everybody involved merely clinging onto the holds the rock provides. Though this would normally be considered a form of ‘aid’ climbing, here it is accepted as free climbing.
For those who prefer things that are a little less ‘invigorating’, |
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