Seven nights, GBP 2750
The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, straddling the border of Germany and Czechia (part of which is confusingly known as Saxon Switzerland) lie close to Dresden in what was once East Germany.
This region is an oddity amongst the Central European Uplands on account of the divesity of its landscapes in so small an area. It is transected by the Elbe river valley and lies 30 minutes south east of Dresden, extending over the border into Czechia. Between pockets of rolling agricultural land are the tepui-like table mountains, abysmal gorges and lofty rock pillars the area is famed for. These features trace their origins back to the Cretaceous period when the region was submerged and the sediments from which these features emerged were laid down. Eons of erosion have produced the remarkable landscape we see today, a landscape that has been an irresistible a draw to visitors for 200 years. The dense forests that cloak the area can’t mask its strange beauty and indeed, it is that strangeness that appeals to us.
We will visit during the peak week for autumn colours when the night time temperatures drop and we can expect some misty conditions too. Our friend, the respected German photographer, Willi Rolfes, will co-lead this Retreat, and knows this area well.