Tag: Nature

Winter at last! (Gubałówka)

I love winter, I really do. I think I like it better than all the other seasons. But I mean real winter, with snow, snowmen, sledging, warm coats with fur over the hood, wearing hiking shoes all the time, drinking tea with lemon, ginger and honey… I could go on like that for long but I guess there’s no need. Anyway, Szczecin is a fussy place when it comes to winter. Some years you’ll see one, others not particularly. Some years it will last from Christmas till April (2010 – that’s you I’m talking about!) and others it will take like a few days somewhere in January. It may give us -20 dg Celsius or no frost whatsoever. So it’s always a guess what’s it gonna be like this year and how long it will last. That’s why when winter comes to us it’s a must to take advantage of it!

We went with Dorota and Bartek (my sibling-in-law) to Gubałówka. Not many people know you can actually ski in Szczecin and Gubałówka is the place for that. We never tried that (maybe this winter will be our first time?) but it is kind of a big deal to be able to go skiing in the plains that our city is situated in. There are 2 skiing routes, both around 250-300m long. And the surrounding is good for other winter activities, like sledging, cross-country skiing (off piste) or walking. We chose the last option for the day 🙂

There is not much to write about this walk. The paths are great and as you will see in the photos, I took a pram out there and managed not to knock it down from the hill. I mean, maybe it wasn’t like the place was adapted to wheels but we made it and most of the time it was just fine. The views were great, lots of virgin snow, not many people, super fun for Wojtek. I’m pretty sure we’ll do more of these walks.

Bohemian Switzerland Day 5: Bad Schandau

The last day of our journey wasn’t strictly specified in our plan. We could choose from a couple of places and in the end decided to see Bad Schandau – a small German city on a way back home. Since this was our return day, we calmed down a bit and reduced the attractions for the day. Bad Schandau is well known for two things: 1) a historical tram that goes all the way up to natural reserve (the only tram that is allowed into a natural reserve) 2) a viewpoint tower. We decided to go check out the tram and miss the tower. The track led up very slowly through a forest and stopped at a very small waterfall. There were a couple of short walking routes around but we didn’t have a sling this time and were tired of walking with children so we just hanged around the final stop a bit and returned to the village. The ride itself was pretty pleasant because the view on the trees and rocks was nice. After the ride and a small walk around the city we packed the kids and came back home. This was a really nice get away trip that filled up my batteries. Time to plan the next one 🙂

Bohemian Switzerland Day 4: Jetřichovické skály

How could we spend time in mountains without a full day of proper hiking? Impossible 🙂 So we took our two little ones and set out to see the walls of Jetrichovice. I chose the most popular route around and I wasn’t disappointed. Of course, there were quite many people, but all in all it was bearable and the route was very pleasant. We shortened the original distance we were supposed to do but it was still enough to see the spotlights of Elbe Sandstone Mountains.

The path (rather easy when it comes to technical grade) led through a series of little peaks / view points / towers. So there were: Marina Skala, Vilemina Stena, Rudolfuv Kamen and a couple of more. We didn’t reach Saustejn which is supposedly fun but with two little ones and my stomach starting aching (after surgery I shouldn’t be doing any sports in at least 3 months so I pushed it a little bit) we decided we had enough for the day.

What we both really liked about the Elbe Sandstone mountains is that they offer an Alpine-ish look. I mean that the rock formations scattered around make the area look rough – more like mountains rather than hills. Which is good and we enjoyed it. Of course, 700 m is not really an alpine elevation but as for such little mountains they offer very versatile surroundings.


Bohemian Switzerland Day 3: Bastei and Königstein

Ok, time to explore a bit of Germany too. The most famous place at this side of the border is by no means Bastei which is a complex of beautiful paths, beautiful sandstone rock formations, a bridge, Elbe river and a neighbouring resort. As you see, a lot to explore 🙂 Unfortunately, we weren’t the only ones who had this idea and there were swarms of people! I mean it, there were so many it was actually irritating. I didn’t expect that at the end of September but apparently it is a very famous place and on top of that easily reachable for elderly, families with children or even handicapped.

At first we headed to Schwedenlocher which is a trail of 900 steps situated in a lovely environment of rocks, woods and boulders. Sometimes it gets really narrow. I was lucky enough to have checked the route earlier and we made it going down. Of course, later on we needed to regain the elevation but the path up was a bit milder than Schwedenloche. Plus, we visited Rathen resort before going up, so refreshed after a meal and a beer, we were able to climb up straight to Bastei bridge from where we had a view on Elbe river (one of many this day) and stunning rocks at the other side.

It was a cool place but I was relieved to leave it. Simply too many people to enjoy it properly. Another attraction of the day was a fort named Königstein. We decided to visit it mainly because of the magnificent view it gives on the Elbe river (see the first photo). I’m not particularly into military history but the view was worth seeing. Plus, Wojtek enjoyed the cannons scattered around the place.

Another good day! See you tomorrow!

Bohemian Switzerland Day 2: Pravčická brána and Soutěsky

The next day we headed to Pravčická brána – a rock forming an arc – or a gate as it is called. It’s the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe and makes a great impression on every tourist. An XVIII century building is standing right next to it and adds a charm to the place. Except for the inn and the gate, the view around is spectacular. You can see the whole area together with the neighbouring rock formations. Tourists are not discouraged by the fact that you really need to hike to visit this place. There are various ways to reach Pravčická brána, we started from Hrensko, first by a road, then by a forest and up to the inn.

At the gate we made a longer pause (yep – beer pause but not only – you must eat knedliki when you are in Czech – you simply must do it!). Except for trying local cuisine, we also made a walk around as there are many walking paths that give view on the gate and around from different angles. The view was really great!

From there we headed to Soutěsky (a ravine). We were not sure if we would make it on time but decided to head forward and see what the day brings. The path continued through a forest and led to a little town (Luka) where we made an ice cream break (that was Wojtek’s idea). Then we continued through yet another forest (this time flat) that seemed a bit fairy-like with its densely growing trees with naked chunks and lots of green moss. This forest smoothly turned into a ravine and by no means it was the most beautiful place of this sort I have ever seen. I know I sometimes fall into exaggeration but I swear it’s not this time. And when I try to put in words what I saw I don’t find anything that would give justice. I mean, there was nothing special – a stream, small rocks, moss, trees – you can find that in many places. But somehow it all added up and created a special mood of this place. Spectacular!

The route continued up to a place where there was no possibility to build a suspended path, nor to pass with dry feet. And that was another attraction of the place – a boat ride guided by a raftsman. It was great because we just sat down and admired the beauty of the surroundings while the guide told stories about the history of the place as well as gave us various interpretations of the rocks. I liked it a lot.

Oh yeah, I forgot – there was an artificial waterfall. Quite an oddity – won’t you say? Anyway, I enjoyed this day a lot and I have to say, I was super surprised we managed to do this we 2 little children. Endomondo showed us the distance of 22 km. Of course, there’s always some margin of error but still it’s quite a walk. And our kids were so great it was a truly pleasant day!

Bohemian Switzerland Day 1: Tiské stěny

The idea to visit Bohemian Switzerland conceived when I was still pregnant. The pregnancy didn’t go well and for the majority of it I had to stay home (or around) so I was really in the need of changing places when it was all over. Lots of people think it’s impossible or unwise to travel with infants. I’m not one of them and when it turned out that the weather this year couldn’t be better, we booked our stay. Bohemian Switzerland and its mountains are the closest mountains from us – ~3.5h drive. They’re built mainly from sandstone which makes them particularly pretty. They’re not very high, the highest summit in the region is over 700m above the sea level but thanks to the geology they make for great rocks to climb or hike… or simply visit and watch as the sandstone takes on all sorts of crooked and bizarre forms: holes, funnels, pillars – you name it.

On the first day of our 5-day trip we headed to Tisa, from where we hiked up to Tiské stěny (Tyssa Walls). It’s a complex of sandstone rocks that first grow in a forest and then stretch in an arc at the level of ~600m. The place is now a natural reserve which I can totally understand because it is simply an awesome place. Actually, I think it was the best day from the whole trip. The rock formations were truly remarkable and opened up countless possibilities for imagination when it comes to their interpretation. Is it a mushroom or an umbrella? A dwarf or a hag? A rabbit or a peacock? Of course, they have all been already interpreted and if you take a map from tickets office you’ll know the answer right away, but where’s the fun it?

The route was very pleasant. At first we went through rocks and woods (and when I say through rocks I really mean it – the path leads through the cracks in sandstone boulders). Then we got to a restaurant where we made a beer pause. <A side note: throughout the whole trip we made loads of beer pauses. Beer in Czech and Germany is always great!>  <Side note 2: I drank „ne alko” which was still great for me>. Then we moved to a return path that led on a ridge and gave us a beautiful view on Bohemian Switzerland valley.

Wiejce Palace

We’re having such a wonderful autumn this year it would be a sin not to take advantage of it. After a rough maternity start now I feel at ease with the new situation and am ready to explore the beauty of life with my family. So when my husband announced they’re having an off-site integration trip for his company workers and their families, we decided to go all four of us.
The place was Wiejce Palace, a 2-hour drive from Szczecin, situated in a lovely little village in the middle of nowhere. The place was so lovely that in the end we stayed there all time instead of doing exploration trips as I planned.

We arrived on Friday evening and had a walk around the premises. There were a couple of houses scattered around the main palace, everything was renovated and very stylish. There was also a series of ponds, horse barn and other animals around. Since we were off the beaten track really, we enjoyed the peace and quiet of this place, especially at dusk and dawn. The next day the integration party started. There were around 200 guests but it didn’t feel like so many. After an official opening, a series of team building activities started. That was real fun and ended in a huge water balloon fight. Splash splash everywhere 🙂 That seemed like a real fun.

The weather for such a water activity couldn’t be better. The end of September can be very cold in Poland but not this year. Actually, when the sun shined it was hot enough to get sun burnt. At least the clothes dried fast. Splash, splash!

And the team building…

The whole thing ended up with a barbecue till late hours. I can’t write anything about it as I didn’t participate (someone had to stay with the kids) but all I know was that helium tank was the highlight of it 🙂 We left on Sunday, relaxed, integrated and willing to come back again.

Sailing: Dąbie Lake

So the time has come for me to sail for the first time without an instructor. I rented the same boat that I had used for training and with a couple of friends I went to explore Dąbie lake again. We had the perfect weather. Unfortunately it was the perfect weather for swimming not for sailing. So for the most of our tip we needed to use engine. But nevertheless it was lots of fun on water and I did not sink 😉

Ahoy, sailing adventures!

A new chapter in our adventure book has started – sailing. This year for my birthday instead of a physical gift I got a new skill (course of sailing). After 4 weekends on boat and one exam later I became a sailor ;-).  Now I can say that this was one of the best gifts ever.

After getting back to Poland we miss hiking a lot. But living close to see, ravers and lakes gives other opportunities for adventures. Some say that the best way to discover our city is from water. This is especially true during „Days of the Sea”, a yearly celebration when lots of polish sailing ships come to Szczecin to celebrate. Also stay tuned in the next year when Szczecin will host the Tall Ship Races and when the biggest sailing ships from around the world will come to our city.