Dresden - Decin: We follow the Elbe - From Bavaria to the Baltic Sea and Back 2011

July 2, 2011

Dresden - Decin: We follow the Elbe

A new country, a foreign language - we decided that was what we needed to pep up our tour. So we set out along the Elbe for the Czech border. The Elbe bike path would take us to Prague.

Leaving Dresden along the Elbe we see this Flea market.

This bridge, called the Blue Wonder or das Blaue Wunder, was completed in 1893. In the 19th century it was a masterpiece of technology to build a bridge of this length without river piers supporting it. Today its technology is less of a wonder but it is a much-loved symbol of the city.

The Elbe Bike Path leading away from Dresden on a very grey day.

The weather wasn't at all nice except for the tailwinds which I appreciated very much. It was one of the coolest days on our trip so far. We stopped in Pirna for a cup of coffee and also hoped to find the Bikeline guide for the bike path on the Vltava going south from Prague. We already had the Elbe Bikeline book which would take us to Prague and at home we also had the Vltava book which would be very useful for the route out of Prague and back to Bavaria. We weren't successful in finding the book and when we left Pirna it started to pour.

Eventually, it stopped raining and we thoroughly enjoyed the landscape of hills, steep rock formations and castles along the banks of the river. We crossed the border into the Czech Republic and while the scenery became even more impressive we saw that the country was much poorer than its neighbor which has prospered considerably since Germany's reunification.

The sandstone formations along this part of the Elbe

Border to the Czech Republic, not far from Decin

There were interesting designs painted on the Czech section of the bike path.

In Decin we rode from the river to the main square. Hotel Cseska Koruna looked inviting and in spite of its three stars wasn't expensive. We paid 58 € including breakfast. We had Internet and quickly checked the weather for the next day - heavy rain was predicted. The next thing we did was book the room for another night.

Just arrived in Decin and trying to get our bearings

On our day in Decin, it didn't really stop raining long enough for us to go out without getting soaked. In a no-rain window we got to a restaurant for lunch and later we braved the rain to visit the main sight, Decin's fortified castle overlooking the river.

Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 2,181 km (1,354 miles)

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