Decin Off The Beaten Path

Frydland castle is a great castle north of Liberec and about 50 km off Decin.
It might be worth a side-step on your tour, when you are interested in such architecture.

Frydland is said to have been the castle, that was described by Franz Kafka in "Das Schloss / The Castle", as it consists of several courts , all of which are closed by thick gates and it needs ages to get into the centre of the castle.

Unfortunately Photography is forbidden inside the castle !

For more infos and pics - please click on the link below !!

Every book uses another expression for this unique wonder of nature.
In german guidebooks they still use the german expression, "Herrenhausfelsen", as it was once part of Austria.
In local Czech maps you better search for "Panska Skala" or maybe for the small village of "Prachen" ( but it is not always listed )
" The Stone Organ of Kamenicky Senov " is another expression somtimes to be found in guidebooks.

This is actually the same geological phenomenon like in Staffa / Scotland and Giant Causeway in N.Ireland !

Inside a very small area around a tiny vulcanic pond you will find thousands of Basalt- octagons of vulcanic origin.
The Basalt was pressed out of the vulcan by such pressure, millions of years ago, that it made that regular octagons that you may see still today.

For more pics and infos about this natural wonder - please click on the link below !!

Hrensko / Hernskretschen is a small village directely on the border between Czechia and Germany, 10 Km north of the town DECIN and about 20 Km south-east of Dresden / Germany
In the surroundigs of Hrensko you will find some really great wonders of nature :
Labske piskovce / Elbsandsteingebirge and Pravcicka Brana / Prebischtor

Hrensko is also a popular place to fill up gasoline, before tourists are leaving for Germany.

For more infos about Hrensko and the biggest natural arch in Europe - click on my link below !

Janov is another of the small villages close to the german border, close to Ruzove.
The house on my picture does not exist any more, as the owner told me , when I took the photo, it will be romoved within the next few days.

This is another good reason to hurry up, and go there, as long as such romantic houses and great facades are still there.

Lemberk castle is a lovely castle, close to Jablonne v. Podjestedi, on the road from Decin to Liberec.
I found it accidentally, when passing by and I have to say it really looks great and most of the restoration is finished already.

BUT again, photography inside the castle is forbidden !!

Ruzove is a small village of only a very few houses, but most of them have this characteristic facade, made by very thin layers of stones, and the different colors of the stones make a great pattern.

Ruzove means village of the roses, and in fact roses are to be found in most gardens and make a perfect contrast to the buildings.

Simply drive towards Hrensko, and from there 3 km to the east.

This is another great entrance with a sculptured coat of arms, and it obviously belonged to the family von Thun, the owners of the castle of Decin / Tetschen.

This building is on the main square

At many of the buildings, mainly on town-square you may still see the remains of great architecture of the past centuries, when the artea was more lucky in business and trades.

This seemed to be a shipping office, as it shows an anchor in the coat of arms.