Morning journal and courier., 1894-05-25
SAXON SwITZERLAND.
[coNc1upED FROM FIRST PAGE. 7

lame slRulHee, lS deep gruno OF VaAoy.
This Is one of the deepest and most
of all the crumbs in Saxon
Switzerland, and I feel myself unable to
Adequately describe it's loneliness.
What with Its cool shades and piotur-
esque surroundings, with tall pines, abun-
dant moss, ferns and flowers, with the
omnipresent purling rivulet, the scenery
ia almost fairy one, and could Hnger
long in it's dark recesses. What tpot
for weary brain workers: perfect air to
inhale freighted with fragrance OF healthy
pines, delicious shade and sweet cool wa
ter; one can live whole lifetime here,
and the heated bricks of great cities could
never attract longer. No wonder the
hermits sought the forests! 1 hope to
come to Saxon Switzerland In June, and
then I certainly will leisurely explore the
sweet retreats of this Tiefe GIund. AZ
ter walking for nearly three hours we
arrived at the pleasant little town of
Sohandau, with three thousand inhabi-
tants, built on the bank of the Elbe,
where there are no less than twelve good
hotels; this is favorite resort in summer,
and very many delightful excursions can
be had from Schandau by rail, boat, car
riage, horseback, ehair-pofter, and, best
of all, by using ones own feet and legs,
for the pedestrian Is unquestionably the
most Independent of travellers, and to
him alone the beautiful scenery of seclu-
ded districts is accessible.
Schandau Is one of the most popular
places in Germany. A few hours will
suffice to see the sights here, and after DO
ing the place at our leisure we enter small
steam ferry launch and cross over to Krip-
per, little hamlet under the Gorichstein
mountain. One would scarcely believe
| that nrea VIZ Init tyyanfu Fl va rnt1na
quiet and primitive place is Krippen.
We had two hours before the cars were
due, which afforded Us good opportunity
to partly ascend the mountain and catch
the beautiful view of the farms in Bohe.
mia. We met many peasants ascending
and descending the mountain path, and
more orderly and polite folks I should
never wish to meet. After returning te
Krippen we took cars for Schona, q very
small village just over the Bohemian Dor
der, where the Austrian flag floats gaily IL
the breezs. We arrived there after shor
ride, and stepping aboard the ferry boa
were quickly taken across to the town O.
Herrenskretchen, built along the Eib
bank, with portion of the town extend
ing up very narrow grund.
Here are to be- seen very many quaint
picturesque little houses of unique con
BIZ uCGlOu, Will ISO G1lou IOOlS, tu0 HILL
streets are very clean, and the inhsbitant
seem happy and singularly innocent folk
knowing but little Of the great outsid
| world. Three or four good summer hotel
| are to be found here, and In fact ever
| town in Germany boasts Of comfortabl
guest houses with clean and very easy beds
and the food ought to please every one.
l must, however, confess that in some Of tn
small towns one certainly Is sure to I'm
bedsteads which will suggest to him tina
passage in the book of the Prophet isaiah
For the bed is shorter than that ma
can stretch himself on it, and the cover
ing narrower than than he can wrap hin
self in it." These little beds smack of ar
tiquity, still they are scrupulously clea
and very springy and comfortable.
When you retire within the embrace {
these beds you draw over yourself bed {
down Flaumfeder) of waving ponderos
ty, resembling foaming ocean wave, an
all that is visible of the human body is tn
tip-top of the head; in one of these beds
person Ia as badly lost as nsedle in DO
tie of hay. With these surrounding
however, man would be difficult to pleas
who could not snore away the livelon
night.
From Herrenskretchen we ascended Fl
two and one half hours through the stee
Bi: la Grund, q most picturesque valley,
fact the most interesting of all our elm
ing, and at last We planted our feet firm
on the summit of the great Prebischto
fifteen hundred feet high, whore there
to be found one of the very finest summ
hotels in Saxony; the view here is unsu
passed In Germany.
II This huge Prebiecthor reminded me
, | the famous Rock of Gibraltar. 1t is 4
I kn{~ - l.,
| shaped like great ploughshare narrow
+ | to thin edge, aud right through the t.
| some great earth's convulsion, in the az
. age, or perhaps some mighty force duril
, | tins glacial epoch, has wrencEed and to
l | q ragged hole one hundred feet square;
3 | grand lookout window as it we're, out
which the pizmies and giants gazed in t
oiden days. do not at all wonder til
, these strangely twisted and ghostly roc
in ancient times gave birth to fairy a.
ghost stories that have survived to
present generation.
The arch above the hole in this mou
tain is ten feet thick, and 10 this grt
opening are ali summer long placed
dining tables with their snowy cloths. q
here, when the sun shines, the guests
the hotel take dinner. While taking
noon meal In this charming spot I
dining room to match this peerless &c
lon" which nature itself has prepared
the Prebiscthon.
The view to be seen here ia of incomp
able loneliness, and the eye revels up
delightful Landscapes in Austria on q
side and in Germany on the other. As
as the limit of vision extends, range up
range of great mountains push their he's
high in air, and deep valleys, dark "
ever green pines, are to be ssen in all
rections, pretty farms dot the plains, VII
peerless over all the old "Elbe," that m,
terious river, losing itself in it's males
windings, flows ever smoothly along, see
ing to murmur Of past ages and of forg
ten times. At this glorious landmark
US unpack our kits to spsnd the night,
We have to morrow a long route to tai
and dangerous path to geek.
Thus far we have but taken a snn
= peep into this promised land. and hs
seen but small portion of ''Saxon SN
zerland."
hope to bring my family to this co,
try for few weeks in the summer, for II
restful spot after long winters conf
ment In large city.
Upon my return from Pragus, within
fortnight, will write an account of {
trip from Prebiscthon over the Gabrie
steig to Reinwiese, through the roman
= Edmund's Klsmm to Herrenskretchen, c
Of tbs most sublime pedestrian tours