TABLE OF CONTENTS. Dear Viking River Cruises Passenger,

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2 1 Dear Viking River Cruises Passenger, An exciting journey awaits you as you cruise along one of Europe s most important and historic waterways the mystic Elbe River. Along the way, explore the grand monuments of distinguished cities and discover the medieval centers of bustling market towns and sleepy river villages. Spend relaxing hours cruising past lush landscapes hardly changed in hundreds of years. This Elbe River Destination Guide provides you with a kilometer-by-kilometer description of the sites along the river and some of the fascinating history that has shaped its course. The kaleidoscope of architecture, culture, villages and grand cities weaves a tapestry that is sometimes amusing, often intriguing and always enriching. TABLE OF CONTENTS The History of Navigation on the Elbe... 2 Ecological Conservation Berlin and Potsdam... 9 The Elbe River Magdeburg Dessau Wörlitz Wittenberg Torgau Wine on the Elbe Meissen Dresden Saxon Switzerland Prague KM by KM Index We hope this Destination Guide will feed your curiosity about your upcoming trip, answer some of the questions you might have about the sights you ll see and enhance the discoveries you are about to make both ashore and onboard. River cruises show you the world from a new, exciting and more carefree perspective. We wish you a memorable and enjoyable trip one that shows you the real Europe and creates memories that will last a lifetime. Welcome Aboard! Viking River Cruises

3 3 THE HISTORY OF NAVIGATION ON One of the most fascinating things about Along its middle and lower sections, the the Elbe River is the predominantly natural Elbe often changed its course. It silted up state of the river s course, which has been quickly and more than one harbor simply little altered. The Middle Elbe, in particular, dried up. This could now be prevented or at has long stretches of broad meadows, treelined riverbanks and wooded ridges. to navigate around the rocks, shallows and least controlled. It was much more difficult rapids of the Upper Elbe. Thus, it is even The earliest measures against flooding more remarkable that 1,000 years ago were started in the 12th century when freight was taken by river to Litomerice Dutch experts were called in to build the first (now in the Czech Republic), and in the dikes. Jetties were built in the 19th century 14th century ships traveled as far as to prevent whole stretches of bank being Hradec Králové. washed away and, at the same time, the riverbed was straightened. These efforts to prevent flooding were only partially successful, but shipping certainly profited from the measures. In the days before the invention of engines, ships drifted or sailed downstream. It was a relatively easy journey. But traveling upstream against the current was a much more arduous endeavor. In favorable conditions, the journey upstream from Hamburg to Dresden could take as long as six weeks. The ships had to be pulled along the towpath by teams of men. In places where the current was too strong, the wind against them or the ship s load too heavy, a second team would also pull from the other bank. If the banks were marshy, instead the crew would set anchor ahead of the ship and pull the ship forward along the anchor chain. They would repeat this action over and over, moving the vessel forward bit by bit. In the 19th century, there were a great many wooden rafts that traveled down the Elbe from Bohemia and Saxon Switzerland. These rafts were more than 300 feet long, nearly 40 feet wide and exceedingly difficult to steer, so it is easy to imagine the chaos when two of them met going in opposite directions. Not until 1948 did the final raft make its last journey downstream. All these obstacles to navigation made it necessary to regulate the Elbe, particularly when steamships took over. The first steam engines were not powerful enough to propel a ship forward at the required constant speed. On the Elbe, chain shipping solved this problem. The ships had a revolving steam-driven winch onboard, which pulled the ship upstream along a chain that had been laid along the riverbed. At one time, this chain was almost 500 miles long and stretched from Hamburg to Mélník. The mystic Elbe River

4 5 Steam power gradually improved when paddle steamers were developed. Thus, the chain was doomed since it necessitated very complicated maneuvering when two ships wanted to pass. Its use was finally abandoned in Germany in 1943 and in Czechoslovakia in The railway, which connected Hamburg with Prague as early as 1852 and more or less followed the river, provided freight barges with serious competition. But leisure cruising to tourist attractions became more popular from year to year, and paddle steamers filled the need. Eight paddle steamers are still in service in Dresden, most built in the 19th century. Today, there is again a rise in the number of freight barges sailing the river. Traveling on the Elbe was not only subject to natural obstacles, but also made difficult by numerous customs stations and regional control points, much more so than on the Rhine. Today it is an international waterway, which means that ships of all nations can travel freely and convey goods or passengers. This principle was put forth in the Shipping Act of 1821, but it took 42 years for the multiple custom stations to be reduced to just one. ECOLOGICAL CONSERVATION Despite regulation, redirection, artificial A Biospheric Reserve is an area in which embankments and industrial settlements, the balance between nature and human the Elbe is still a very natural river. Here are habitation is carefully preserved and the most important wetlands in Central protected. On the Elbe, this area lies on Europe, as well as rare riverside woodlands. both sides of the river, stretching from Because people were reluctant to settle Wittenberg to Lauenburg and including the swampy areas, they were left virtually the Lower River Mulde, which flows into untouched. Today there are about 170 the Elbe near Dessau. It covers an area of protection areas; three nature reserves 335 square miles and is divided into four (Düben Heath, Elbufer-Drawehn, Harburg protection zones: the prime zone, completely Hills); three National Parks (Giant Mountains, protected areas consisting of the forest Elbe Sandstone Mountains, Hamburg Mud regions along the river itself; buffer zones, Flats); and the UNESCO Biospheric Protection or flood areas with a variety of flora and Area, created after the reunification of fauna which serve to protect endangered Germany and recognized by UNESCO in species; the third zone, where people and nature coexist in harmony but without mass tourism; and the fourth zone, or regenerative zone, in which intensive farming methods Before 1939, plans existed to build sets of locks from Magdeburg upstream, making the river navigable for larger vessels. These plans were discussed anew after Germany s are being abandoned in favor of more gentle and natural forms of cultivation. Some of these areas have been nature reserves since reunification in 1989, but caused a storm of protest among ecologists. The project was finally abandoned for financial reasons. Native storks The Elbe s scenic flora

5 7 The Elbe flows through this protected In spring, large areas of land along the One of Germany s most beautiful national With luck, a visitor can watch mountain region, making a river cruise the ideal method to enjoy the natural landscapes while visiting the historic cities and towns along the river s course. Red and black kites, Elbe and its tributaries are flooded, making them ideal spawning grounds for fish and amphibians, many of which are protected rare frogs and toads inhabit the area and parks lies in Saxon Switzerland, with two types of landscapes particularly worthy of protection: the rugged sandstone crags with bizarre rock formations and the steep-sided goats, owls and perhaps even otters and kingfishers along the streams. Traffic and tourism are restricted to the Elbe itself and to the best-known crags, but nevertheless many other birds of prey and even the provide storks and herons with ample food flat-topped mountains, which are threatened great care must be taken to minimize the occasional osprey can be seen hovering supplies. by acid rain and mass tourism. The flora of damage done by hikers and rock climbers to above the river. In spring and early summer, the region is quite unique, even though the this extremely delicate region. Rock climbing countless different bird songs can be heard, native deciduous forests were to a large is particularly popular since there are more as more than 130 kinds of songbirds breed extent replaced with fast growing conifers than 1,000 registered climbs, some of which here. The nightingale is easily recognizable, during the 19th century. are rated at the highest degree of difficulty. as are the oriole and cuckoo. The river is home to storks, cormorants, various swans, There is a dramatic difference in climate crows and geese. Particularly special are the between the narrow ravines at the foot of cranes, a few pairs of which breed in the steeply sloping cliffs and rock faces and the area and are rigorously protected. sun-drenched hilltops up above. Down in the gorges, it s like being in an old cellar, damp and cool in the summer but mild in the winter. More different species of ferns grow here than anywhere else. Sometimes the difference in temperature between here and up on the hilltops can be as much as 30 C. Natural landscapes along the Elbe

6 9 BERLIN & POTSDAM Berlin, a favorite city of Frederick the Great, was founded in the 13th century, and was the capital of Brandenburg and of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1871, it became the capital of the German Empire until World War I, then of the Weimar Republic and Third Reich. After World War II, Germany was partitioned into East and West; East Berlin served as the capital of East Germany. West Berlin, an island of democracy adrift in East Germany, stood as the most central symbol of post-war Europe and the Cold War. Today both Germany and Berlin have been reunified, and the city has undergone a remarkable rebirth as a center of art, culture and great architecture. From Berlin, you can visit the historic city of Potsdam, known for the meeting in 1945 between Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt. Here, in Cecilienhof Castle, these three heads of state determined the shape of post-war Europe, dividing Europe up into zones with Germany (and Berlin) partitioned into Soviet, American, English and French zones. But there is more to the city than its World War II role: Potsdam was settled by Slavs in the tenth century, and played an important role throughout Prussian history. Visit the historic Old Town and Sans Souci, Frederick the Great s magnificent rococo palace surrounded by lavishly landscaped gardens. The main shopping boulevards of West Berlin, Kurfurstendamm and Tauentzienstrasse have elegant boutiques and shops, and the Brandenburg Gate, built in 1791, still stands. Set in the center of the city is the lovely Tiergarten Palace, not far from the beautiful Charlottenburg Palace. Also in this area is the Philharmonic Hall and famed Egyptian Museum with a wonderful collection of artifacts, including an exquisite bust of Nefertiti. The former Checkpoint Charlie features a museum chronicling the history of the Berlin Wall. Here also is the magnificent Unter den Linden Boulevard in the heart of the city with St. Hedwig s Cathedral. See the Quadriga statue atop the Berlin Gate

7 11 RIVER The Czechs call it Labe and the Germans Hamburg is the largest and most important Elbe, but both names are derived from the of all cities on the Elbe and the center of Indo-Germanic albi/albia, or the Latin albus, German foreign trade. The city s docks are meaning white or shining. The Elbe rises accessible to oceangoing freighters, although in the Riesengebirge (Giant Mountains) they are nearly 70 miles away from the between southwest Poland and the Czech North Sea. At the mouth of the River Alster Republic. It flows in a sweeping curve across in Hamburg the Elbe is nearly 1,000 feet Bohemia, breaks through the Elbe Sandstone wide, but at the exit from the docks, its width Mountains and then winds its way through has grown to more than a mile-and-a-half. the countryside of Germany. After a journey This can be considered the beginning of of more than 700 miles, it reaches the the estuary. North Sea in a wide estuary northwest of Hamburg. The river has become tidal about 15 miles south of Hamburg, around the town of The Destination Guide describes the river in Geesthacht (km 584), and there is a danger an upstream direction (from North Sea to of storm floods; dikes were built below the Giant Mountains). sea level to protect dwellings, farmland and the marshes. Another 15 miles south North of Hamburg, the Lower Elbe flows is the historic shipping and fishing town of The road runs close to the riverbank, passing woods and dunes, and the river now flows through the Elbe Marches (marshes) marked by a chain of high sand dunes. On the left bank is Hitzacker, a customs station until 1872 and now a spa and tourism center. The next town, Dömitz, was a customs station until From Wittenberge south to Tangermünde (enclosed by its city wall) the Romanesque Route runs along first one and then the other bank of the river. It is around this region that the North Sea, with its west winds, higher rainfall and milder winters, gives way to the continental climate. The Elbe flows on towards Magdeburg through the Altmark, an area containing many Hanseatic towns with magnificent Gothic red brick architecture as well as storks and wild miniature swans. Magdeburg, a traditional beginning or end to an Elbe cruise, is noted for its most famous citizen, the scientist, mayor and diplomat Otto von Guericke, and as the birthplace of the composer George Philip Telemann. On a plaque on a house in Breiter Weg, once the focal point of Magdeburg s Old Town, an inscription reads: Magdeburg: destruction on January 16, 1945, reconstruction since The effects of the World War II bombings are still visible (80% of the city was rubble at the end of the war) but a new city has developed while still retaining its history. past Stade, Glücksstadt and Brunsbüttel, and Lauenburg, terminus of the Elbe Side Canal when it reaches Cuxhaven (a town at the and Elbe Lübeck Canal. Here is where the end of a point jutting into the North Sea) river becomes known as the Middle Elbe. is no less than ten miles in width; this is where the river ends at kilometer 730. A Magdeburg landmark Serenity and beauty abound

8 13 Otto I founded a monastery here in 937, Magdeburg s Monastery of Our Lady is one Magdeburg s riverfront is lined with Gothic Shortly after leaving Magdeburg city limits, which dispatched monks eastward to Christianize the Slavonic tribes. Magdeburg soon became an archbishop s See and developed into a wealthy and influential of the most important Romanesque buildings in Germany. The church, which now contains the Telemann Concert Hall, was founded as a collegiate convent in and was style buildings such as the Walloon Church, St. Petri Church and Mary Magdalene Chapel. Near the New River Bridge is St. Johannis, a Romanesque church erected in the ship passes the town of Schönebeck, which was incorporated in the early 13th century. The city s new hallmark, the Salt Flower, was designed by the Danish artist imperial city, famous for the Magdeburg transferred to the Premonstratensian Order Martin Luther preached in the St. Johannis Anders Nyborg and erected near the Elbe Law, which secured the administrative in Due to its status, it became the Market Church in 1524, his sermon spurring Bridge in 1997 to symbolize the region s salt independence of municipalities and served driving force behind numerous subsidiary the breakthrough of the Reformation. The processing history. The southern Schönebeck as an example for many towns in the east. monastery foundations. The Thirty Years War church was severely damaged during the district, Bad Salzelmen, boasts the oldest The Hanseatic League played a great part forced the monks to abandon the property, Thirty Years War and 1945 bombing; in salt-water spa in the German-speaking part in spreading this principal of municipal but in , a boys school was set 1991 the decision to rebuild the church of Europe. rights in Germany and abroad as far as up in its remnants. Nearby is Lukasklause spurred renovation, and with its new roof Poland, Russia, Hungary and Bohemia. (Luke s Retreat), a medieval tower that served and refurbished interior, in 1999 it was At kilometer marking is the Elbe as a hospice for the Magdeburg artists made a venue for special events. Concerts, Junction. The old Elbe channel and its side The Cathedral, a three-aisle basilica with association at the turn of the century; today conventions and exhibitions take place here branches end at Pretzien today. The 19th transept, ambulatory and radiating chapels, it houses an exhibition about Magdeburg s today. The southern tower of St. Johannis century Pretzien Lock is one of Europe s was started in With its 328-foot-high mayor, Otto von Guericke ( ). is also used as an observation tower. largest sluice gate weirs; today the gates are towers, it is Emperor Otto s final resting Another highlight is in front of the old raised by electric motors and rope winches place and home to Ernst Barlach s 1929 Town Hall: the 13th century Horseman of In the middle of the city is Magdeburg at high water. The weir is opened when sculpture dedicated to those who died in Magdeburg, probably the oldest freestanding Island, home of the Rotehorn Nature the water level reaches just over 19 feet at World War I. sculpture of a man on a horse north of the Preserve. Despite its central urban location the Barby/Elbe measuring point. Just past Alps. it has retained much of its natural form. the Elbe Junction is Dornburg Castle, and Its meadows, old trees and watercourses afterwards, Barby (km 293), which formed convey the impression of an untouched river. the starting point for conquests into the Slavonic areas east of the Elbe River. Since 1848, the stream flow height at Barby Riverside villages along the Elbe Magdeburg Cathedral has supplied the reference point for the Elbe s water level measurements; the city limits mark the western boundary of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

9 15 As early as the 13th century, the Saalhorn Elbe and Mulde, spring floods regularly The biosphere reserve is unique, not only Dessau lies hidden behind the areas of at the confluence of the Elbe and the Saale Rivers (km 290.7) was a major salt shipment point. Salt supplied downriver from the Halle region was transferred from inundate large areas of this biosphere reserve. Alternating high and low water, together with the associated ground water dynamics, determine the composition and in terms of its wildlife. The addition of the Dessau-Wörlitzer region brought protection to cultural monuments such as landscape gardens, solitary oaks, meadows and tree- boggy woodland that are part of the Elbe Biospheric Reserve. Dessau gained a reputation as a major cultural center with the Walter Gropius-designed Bauhaus small Saale ships to large Elbe barges. shape of the area s mainly amphibious life lined country roads, as well as historically Center ( ), both an architectural forms. important structures and settlements. and cultural history monument to this The town of Breitenhagen, with its UNESCO has confirmed the creation of an influential movement. Although 85% of suburb of Old Tochheim, lies in one of the most scenic regions of Saxony-Anhalt, the Elbe-Saale Delta. The river here is crossed by a rope ferry that negotiates the distance driven solely by the power of the river s current. The ferryman adjusts the ropes The biosphere reserve s flora is characterized by extensive floodplain forests, river meadows, marshland vegetation of dead river arms, typical riparian life and the dry grassland of the dunes. The floodplain forests are dominated by hardwood. Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve by expanding and combining existing conservation areas. For the first time in Europe, an ecologically coherent river system was granted biosphere reserve status from its mid-course all the way to its mouth. Dessau was destroyed in World War II, the city re-emerged as a cultural and industrial hub in the Middle Elbe region following its reconstruction. The ship sails on through a part of the so that the current forces the heavy vessel Steckby-Lödderitzer Forest, at the core of Reserve that is rigorously protected. towards the opposite bank. the reserve, is a bird paradise. It is home Nowhere else in Germany can so many to 226 types of birds, half of all the species nightingales be heard. Red kites circle above, Soon the river runs past the township regularly encountered in Europe. Most of and herons and crows hardly let themselves of Aken (km 275), founded by Flemish them breed here, but for about 100 species be disturbed by the ships wash. settlers. As long ago as the Middle Ages, the forest serves as resting, feeding and shipbuilding and river trade played an hibernation grounds. The same broad important role here. Since the late Middle diversity can be found in amphibious Ages, Aken has been known as home of animals, reptiles and insects. Among the the Elbe bargemen. 40 mammalian species, there are 15 types of bats alone. The Elbe beaver, an animal In the vicinity of Brambach (km 268.2) is of almost symbolic status, has survived the Elbe Biospheric Reserve. Recognized by UNESCO as early as 1979, this biosphere here and is repopulating much of the Elbe catchment region. Dessau s Bauhaus Center The Elbe is beautiful at sunset reserve is one of the oldest such facilities in Germany. It comprises the east to west section of the Middle Elbe. Central Europe s largest continuous floodplain forests extend between the mouths of the Mulde and Saale Rivers. Since no artificial improvement has been done along this part of the

10 17 Soon Rosslau and its castle come into Further inland and not visible from the The ship soon passes Coswig on the During Luther s time, Wittenberg was an view. Rosslau gained importance because of its favorable position at the junction between the Elbe waterway and the main road from Berlin to Halle. The first bridge river is the little town of Wörlitz with its palace set in Wörlitz Park. Many famous personalities, including the poet Goethe, visited this palace and its lovely English- Elbe s right bank. Its castle, which directly overlooks the river, was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. A former keep (dungeon) stands right on the riverbank; important center of culture and learning. Many famous teachers and students came here from all over Europe. Luther himself was an Augustine monk who taught at across the Elbe was built here in 1583, style gardens. It was created by Leopold the keep served as a penitentiary in 1873 the university. His study of the Bible resulted making this city the second most important III Friedrich Franz of Saxony-Anhalt in and was later converted to house the in his ideas for reformation and led to his crossing point along the middle Elbe after the second half of the 18th century and town archives in St. Nicolai Church stand against Rome and the established Wittenberg. The oldest building in Rosslau was the first park built on the European is Coswig s oldest building. Destroyed, Catholic Church. He remained in Wittenberg is the Moated Castle, nearly 1,000 years continent with garden landscaping in the rebuilt and expanded many times, today with his wife, former nun Katharina von Bora. old. A railway in 1841 brought rapid British fashion. It comprises an array of it incorporates Romanesque, Gothic and industrialization, and a shipyard was added landscaped elements arranged around baroque elements, and its organ and The statues of Luther and his companion, in 1866; by 1900 it had grown into Europe s a network of canals, watercourses and church bells are among the oldest in the theologian Melanchthon, stand in Market largest inland shipbuilding facility. various lakes and islands. These landscapes, state of Saxony-Anhalt. Square in front of the Renaissance Town with impressive trees, meandering footpaths Hall, not far from the Gothic Parish Church After sailing further you can see and numerous bridges, invite the visitor Wittenberg is a quiet town often visited in which they both preached. The church Vockerode Power Station, which began to discover architectural treasures such as because of its Reformation history. In contains several paintings by Lucas Cranach operation in 1938 and was taken out of the Gothic House, the Castle, temples and October 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 the Older. service in A true behemoth of power grottoes. The UNESCO World Heritage Theses to the door of the Palace Church, stations, it was fueled with lignite coal Committee added this to its World Heritage beginning the spread of the Reformation from central Germany. List in 2000, praising it as an exceptional and through Germany. During the rebuilding of wide-ranging illustration of landscape design. the Palace Church the first line of Luther s hymn, A mighty fortress is our God, was added as a mosaic band around the top of the tower. Wörlitz Park is a landscape masterpiece Stately Wörlitz Palace Luther s House, in which the famous theologian lived between 1508 and 1546, contains a great number of manuscripts, printed books and paintings from that period. The visitor enters through Katharina s Gate and can walk through Luther s sitting room as well as the lecture room, which contains Luther s pulpit.

11 19 The cruise through the Elbe meadows is Between Torgau and Annaburg lies the Now the ship approaches the little town of A short distance further on a bend in the a unique experience, with many beautiful views of tree-covered riverbanks. This area is home to the last remaining Elbe beavers, but you are highly unlikely to see one from Annaburg Heath. In Annaburg, Elector Duke August I built a hunting lodge, and both the town and the heath were named after his Danish wife Anna. Dübener Pretzsch (km 184.8), a well-known spa. Christiane Eberhardine left Dresden to live here in the moated castle when she found herself no longer able to endure the lifestyle river, is the village of Prettin. Duchess Anna built herself a Renaissance palace here, which now contains a memorial because the palace was used by the Nazis as a transit the ship, as they build their dams in narrow Heath, embedded between the floodplain of her unfaithful husband, August the camp. Not much of the village is visible streams away from the main river. On the left landscapes of the Elbe and Mulde rivers, Strong. She had the castle extensively rebuilt from the river; all settlements in this area is the mouth of the tributary Black Elster, has been a wildlife sanctuary since in her favorite baroque style and had the were built on the edge of the lowland areas a river of some 134 miles in length, which This unique landscape formed of moraines park and gardens redesigned. Martin Luther and are separated from the river by woods, rises in the Lausitz Hills. For a long distance, is central Germany s largest continuous spent much time in Pretzsch, staying with meadows or marshes because of the it flows parallel to the Elbe. forest area. Pine, beech and oak forests, as his friend, the electoral hereditary marshal continual flooding. well as typical heath and marshland zones Johannes von Löser. with idyllic lakes, are characteristic features of this green heart of central Germany, as The town of Dommitzsch (km 172.5) Dübener Heath is often called. Within this developed because of its favorable location area is Klödener Riss, a national park home near an Elbe bridge and an old road linking to many species of birds. Torgau to Wittenberg, which allowed trade and commerce to develop unhindered. The mighty red brick structure of St. Mary s Church ( ) towers over the town. Enjoy the beauty of the Elbe River landscape

12 21 Torgau, with Hartenfels Castle, is the next Torgau has been the scene of major military Torgau s quadrangle-shaped Hartenfels Castle Outside the castle is the part of the town town situated directly on the river. It presents an attractive picture from the river with its castle perched on the solid rock (harten fels) up above the sandstone quay wall. conflicts, and the town s citizens always suffered; two thirds of the population died and half the town was destroyed during the Thirty Years War. The bloodiest battle is the most important early Renaissance palace in Germany. Five brown bears are kept, in accordance with a centuries old tradition, in the castle moat. Hartenfels that belonged to the merchants and tradesmen. In the 13th century they built the Church of St. Nicholas, dedicated to the patron saint of merchants, near the large In the background are the spires of St. of the 18th century took place here when, was one of the principal residences of the marketplace. The richly decorated Town Mary s Church, which contains a painting by in 1760, Frederick II led the last battle of Ernestine dukes after the dukedom was Hall was built in the 16th century and Lucas Cranach. Torgau was first mentioned the Seven Years War on the Süptitzer Hills divided between the Ernst and Albrecht is clear evidence of the wealth and self- in official documents as Torgov in the year against the Austrian army. In the course brothers in Of particular note is the confidence of Torgau s citizens. It separates 973. Due to its favorable location, it soon of only seven hours, 32,000 Prussian and richly decorated Elbe sandstone staircase. the St. Nicholas Church from the market attracted trade and crafts. For 100 years Austrian soldiers met their deaths. Napoleon The chapel, located in the north wing and square. Entry to the old church is through a Torgau was the preferred residence of was here too, and he demolished a quarter consecrated by Martin Luther in 1544, is gateway that is part of the town hall. the house of Wettin, and their Hartenfels of the town in order to turn it into a fortress. considered to be the first purpose-built Castle was the venue of splendid feasts and After their defeat in the Battle of the Nations Protestant church. royal weddings. in Leipzig, the French withdrew to the castle fortress and during the ensuing siege of Martin Luther, Lucas Cranach the Elder the town, 20,000 people died of typhus. and Johann Weber lived and worked in Torgau, and the grave of the Luther s wife At the end of World War II, Torgau was the is located in St. Mary s. The Torgauer Bund place where Russian and American soldiers (Association of Torgau) was founded here met on the Elbe bridge on April 25, in 1525 to protect Protestants and in 1530, This is commemorated by Encounter Melanchthon, Luther and others published Monument on the riverbank. Since 1990, the Torgau Articles, an essay on church Torgau has once again belonged to the ceremonies written for the Parliament of free state of Saxony. Augsburg. Market Square in Torgau

13 23 As the castle grew in importance, so did On the right is the village of Belgern, After a few bends in the river, Mühlberg, The ship now approaches Riesa, where the town. Silver mining brought it wealth, the beer was good and the town played host to many famous artists and scholars. All this is still apparent to the visitor walking known as the Roland City for its statue of the knight Roland standing in front of the town hall. Almost 20 feet high, it was chiseled out of limestone in 1610 to situated on a dead arm of the Elbe, comes into view. In , German engineering troops assisted by Polish and French prisoners of war erected a POW camp near Mühlberg. wide riverbanks divide the Elbe from the town. It is an ancient settlement with a recorded history dating to the third century. It gained importance through a monastery through the narrow lanes of the Old replace its original wooden counterpart. Liberated by the Red Army on April 23, and the municipal rights it was granted Town where many 16th and 17th century These statues can be found in many towns 1945, the facility was taken over by the very early in its history. The city s origins Renaissance patrician houses have survived. in North Germany, particularly those that East German security services as a special- can be seen at the grounds of the former Here is the oldest chemist shop in Saxony belonged to the Hanseatic League. They purpose camp. In the mid-19th century monastery, around its Town Hall Square and the oldest toyshop in Germany. show a knight in full armor or cloaked, Mühlberg was suddenly cut off from its and Monastery Church. The Town Hall is a holding an unsheathed sword. The Belgern tradition and development as a shipping Renaissance building erected around 1600 Past Torgau, the river flows on through statue is Saxony s only statue of Roland, and harbor town when, due to regulation as a country manor house; the monastery wide, flat countryside. The flow of the river and the only one with a flaming sword and works on the Elbe, it was actually cut was built in Romanesque style between is regulated by jetties, and the birds take bare feet. off from the river itself. Now the town is 1111 and But steam ships and advantage of the calm water. hardly visible from the river. railways made Riesa into what it is today: a manufacturing center and a junction At kilometer 115 is the little village of well served by rail, road and waterway. Lorenzkirch. In the late tenth century, Riesa was a steel-making city for decades, Dutch colonists erected a place of worship its silhouette dominated by the steel mill s dedicated to the martyr Laurentius. It smokestacks and the two Elbe bridges. soon became the most renowned place of The political turnaround in 1985 brought pilgrimage across the wide plains. successful restructuring for Riesa. The steel mill disappeared, its place taken by an The next little town is Strehla. Here array of smaller companies. the town center has been placed under preservation orders, because after a fire in Hartenfels Castle dominates Torgau 1752 it was rebuilt in one homogeneous style, giving it a medieval country town character. The predominance of the potter s trade in Strehla has earned it the nickname Topp-Strehle in the surrounding region.

14 25 Promnitz (km 108.4) was originally built as a ferry and fishermen s town. Castle Promnitz was erected in 1603 with a slender staircase tower and was surrounded by a high retaining wall against floods and river-borne ice. A ruin is all that is left today. Shortly after Riesa is Moritz, a small village with the Hentsch family windmill at its entrance. Until the 1950s, grandfather Hentsch milled grain for the surrounding bakeries, but now the mill is used just for the family. Gödel (km 103.8) marks the starting point of the Grödel-Esterwerda rafting canal built from to supply cheap wood from the large forests to the seat of the court; it links the Elbe with Pulsnitz with a total length of 14 miles. Merschwitz (km 97.6) extends along the eastern bank of the Elbe. A terraced slope separates the town from the frequently inundated floodplains. Originally a fishing and bargemen s village, Merschwitz was home of the trackers, laborers who towed boats and barges upriver. Here they received their wage plus the obligatory pourboire (tip). Before the ship reaches the picturesque twin villages Diesbar-Seusslitz, you can see on a steep granite cliff on the left bank the 300-year-old Hirschstein Castle, in which the Belgian royal family was interned during World War II. Perched on a rocky ledge high above the Elbe, the castle was probably founded by King Henry I (928) and extensively rebuilt in A narrow lane follows the river at the foot of the vineyards, which are interspersed with abandoned quarries, where granite was extracted 100 years ago. The quarries have proved an ideal habitat for many rare species of fauna and have become a paradise for insects and butterflies. The vineyards around Diesbar-Seusslitz remind us that this is the beginning of the Saxonian Wine Route, which accompanies the ship from here on through Meissen and as far as Dresden. WINE ON For most people, German wine refers to Near Pillnitz is a vineyard chapel from wine from the Rhine, Franconia, Baden or the days of August the Strong. It is easily smaller wine-producing areas of Western seen from the ship, as are the famous Germany. But because of the relatively vineyards of Albrechtsburg Castle and Villa mild climate along the Elbe, fine wine is Stockhausen near Dresden, and the vineyard also produced along what is known as the that once belonged to August s jeweler. Saxonian Wine Route. Some 37 miles long, it follows the river from Pirna via Dresden Saxony is not the only wine-producing area to Diesbar-Seusslitz. Along the way are on the Elbe. Melník in the Czech Republic picturesque terraced vineyards, charming is considered the center of viticulture wine villages and lovely parks. in Bohemia. In the 13th century, monks brought vines here from Meissen and the Primarily Müller-Thurgau and white Rhine, and Emperor Charles IV imported Burgundy grapes are grown here. Dozens vines from Burgundy. Litomerice is of wine taverns (many run by the vintners another important wine producing center, themselves) invite visitors to enjoy a glass of and home to a wine research institute. the local dry, mature wine. Along the route Bohemia s largest wine cellars are to be are the villages of Pillnitz, where wine found in Litomerice and Melník. festivals are held, and Radebeul, with its historic Hof Lössnitz vineyard. Meissen and the wine village of Diesbar-Seusslitz, set on the banks of the river, are also known for wine production. Vintners love to celebrate autumn festivals with Federweisse, a young wine still in the process of fermenting. Caption to come Caption to come The remains of a steam-powered crane are still visible on the riverbank downriver of Merschwitz; it was used for loading in a local sawmill and is preserved as an engineering landmark.

15 27 Soon, the ship passes the nearly In 1471, construction was started on The invention of porcelain by Johann In 1710, August the Strong decreed that 1,000-year-old village of Zehren, noted for its kaolin clay, the key ingredient of Meissen porcelain. Zehren is followed by Karpfenschänke (Carp Inn), a romantic beer Albrechtsburg Castle, one of the great achievements of German architecture. Considered the cradle of Saxony, it sits on a rocky spur of the Elbe s left bank. Friedrich Böttger (c.1709) during the rule of the August the Strong made Meissen world famous, and in 1710 the porcelain factory was founded. Böttger, a Dresden Albrechtsburg Castle be turned into a porcelain factory. The factory remained housed in the castle for more than 150 years before being moved into the Priebisch Valley, garden located directly on the Elbe under Later, two brothers, electors of the Duchy resident, claimed he could produce gold where today s visitors can wonder at the old chestnut trees. of Saxony, enlisted master builder Arnold and was commissioned to do so to ease complicated production of the fine pieces. von Westfalenerect to construct an imposing the problems of the Duke s treasury. Even now, many of the lines produced have Finally, the ship reaches Meissen, one of residential castle as the seat of their dual Instead, he discovered the raw material their origin in the baroque and rococo styles Saxony s most famous cities. Slavs settled court. Today Albrechtsburg houses a from which to make reddish brown, that were popular when the white gold here in the seventh century. In 929, King collection of medieval sculptures. porcelain-like stoneware, which became was first created. Henry I built Misni Castle, which became known as Böttger porcelain. By 1709, the nucleus of German rule. His son, Böttger and his team had finally found the Emperor Otto I, founded the bishopric in raw material for making white porcelain, 968. As a result of the Reformation, the using kaolin clay from Zehren. bishopric was dissolved and the court moved to Dresden. Thus, the town s further development was influenced mainly by middle class culture, commerce and trade. Albrechtsburg Castle All Meissenware is handmade The Elbe River is a natural wonder

16 29 Meissen porcelain is unique in that it is still Past Meissen, on the right bank of the river, Dresden was founded at the site of a Covering the façade of the Long Walk at made by hand. During the industrialization of the 19th century there were long discussions as to whether production should be mechanized, but the decision was made are the vineyards of the Spaar Hills. The scenery along the river here is of orchards, vineyards, boggy woodlands, small villages and some elegant houses on top of the Slavonic fishing village. In the 12th century the Margraves of Meissen ordered a fortress erected on a hill near the riverbank to protect the passage across the Elbe. The settlement the Royal Stables is the Procession of the Rulers, a 331-foot-long mosaic of Meissen porcelain tiles showing all the Wettin rulers. August the Strong is prominently portrayed that production by hand, with its high artistic steep cliffs near the river. Coswig and that evolved around the fortress was in this mosaic, and you come across him demands, be kept in spite of the introduction Radebeul first gained importance in 1839 incorporated as early as in From 1465 everywhere on the Elbe in Meissen, of some technical improvements. With luck, when the Leipzig-Dresden rail line was built, to 1918, Dresden was ruled by the same Torgau, Moritzburg, Pillnitz and particularly you will be near the Gothic Church of Our and later the line from Dresden to Berlin. dynasty the Albertine dukes of the Wettin here in Dresden. Born Friedrich August, Lady when the bells chime; made in 1929, This brought industrial expansion and family. The town thrived under Duke George he lived from 1670 to 1733, and when they were the first church bells of porcelain. growing importance to what had hitherto the Bearded. However, since the Albertine his older brother died in 1694, he became just been insignificant villages. Radebeul is court was among the staunchest enemies Elector Duke, taking the title of August I. On leaving Meissen, between the road the birthplace of writer Karl May. of the Reformation, the city played a key and railway bridges, is Fasanenschlösschen role in the controversy about Martin Luther s Young Friedrich August made himself a (Pheasants Castle), built between 1770 Dresden, set in the middle of the Elbe teachings. Following Duke George s death, reputation as a strong and handsome and 1776 for Friedrich August III of Saxony Basin, is the undisputed highlight of any his followers accepted the Reformation. young man. It is said that he fought wild at the site of the former royal pheasantry. Elbe cruise. The river flows for almost 17 boars and bears, ripping them open with The pheasantry had been part of the miles through the center of the city, and his bare hands. He is reputed to have bent zoological garden since 1728 and supplied at the very heart of it is the ship s landing horseshoes into rings and rolled up silver pheasants for the Berlin court s hunting stage. Here, river and architecture blend plates like paper. Being second son with parties. The delicate rococo castle is one harmoniously, as do city and nature. Half no court duties, he set off as a 19-year-old of Saxony s most outstanding late-18th of the 200 square miles of Dresden s area and traveled around Europe to Spain, Paris, century monuments. consists of parks, fields or woodland. This Venice and Florence. These journeys inspired is most noticeable along the banks of the not only his love of art, but also his affection river; the Elbe has not been constrained for pomp, ceremony and beautiful women. and flows through broad, well-tended meadows on which no one has been allowed to build. As late as the 19th Moritzburg Castle The Parliament Building century, the city s inhabitants were still allowed to graze sheep and goats on these meadows.

17 31 On his return he married Eberhardine of In August 1756, Prussian troops conquered Much of Dresden s beauty is due to Close by is the former Catholic Court Bayreuth, who bore him a son in But by then he had already discovered his interest in other women. He admitted to being the father of eight children, but the Saxon capital. In the years that followed, Dresden was besieged several times and entire suburbs burned to the ground. In 1805, the French armies marched into its baroque buildings, with the Italian Renaissance Art Gallery and the 19th century Royal Theater blending in perfectly. From any of the bridges in Dresden you Church (Hofkirche), completed in Although August the Strong had converted to Roman Catholicism in 1607, it was not until the regency of his son, August III, is said to have fathered a total of 300. defeated Saxony, and the state became an have an excellent view of the baroque city that construction could be commenced on When his older brother died of smallpox, ally of Napoleon, who visited Dresden several center on the river s left bank. the Hofkirche against the protest of the August became Elector Duke. In 1697, times, winning one of his last victories here predominantly Protestant population. One he was elected King of Poland, after in Around World War I, the November The Semper Opera House was erected of the four crypt chambers contains the allowing himself to be converted to Roman Revolution of 1918 forced King Frederick from Designed in the Italian heart of August the Strong, whose body Catholicism for that purpose. He ruled as August III to abdicate, and the free state of High Renaissance style, the opera house rests in Krakow, Poland. August II of Poland until he was defeated Saxony was formed. The Nazi rise to power marks a high point of 19th century theater by Karl XII of Sweden and lost his crown. in 1933 put an end to any progressive architecture. Its central portal is crowned In 1709, it was Karl s turn to suffer defeat cultural traditions that had developed, and by a chariot pulled by panthers. and August became King once more. during World War II five successive air raids destroyed the center of Dresden and large As monarch he attached great importance parts of its suburbs. The city s reconstruction to having sumptuous residences. He commenced in the early 1950s. The peaceful simultaneously developed Dresden and revolution that brought down the socialist Warsaw into splendid cities, modeling them German Democratic Republic had its roots on Versailles and the lifestyle of Louis XIV, in Dresden. Following the reunification of as well as on the layout of Venice and Germany, Dresden quickly regained its old Florence. He issued a decree stating that importance as the capital of the recreated all building construction must be done in Free State of Saxony. stone. Thus, baroque Dresden, with all its magnificent buildings, came into being. By this time, his wife had left him and was living in the palace at Pretsch. His Semper Opera House is an architectural gem amorous adventures and his conversion to Catholicism were too much to bear for a woman who lived according to strict Protestant principles.

18 33 Behind the Hofkirche is Zwinger Palace, Just across from the Zwinger is the Dresden The Brühl Terrace is a promenade built on When the ship leaves Dresden to head for considered an outstanding example of baroque fortification architecture. The complex was originally intended for tournaments and court entertainment Residential Castle (Residenzschloss). From the 13th century until 1918, the Castle was the residence and government seat of the Saxon rulers. It underwent much rebuilding top of the 16th century town fortifications. Count Brühl, who was not always selfless in his capacity as advisor to August III, was given the fortifications as a present by his the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, take a look at the other riverbank, the Neustadt (New Town). There you can see the offices of the State Governor. Here, too, there are occasions but eventually served a variety during this period. Further on are the master and had the terrace built for the use splendid buildings, such as the Japanese of purposes. Four wings enclose the huge Secundogenitur, a two-story palace built as of the members of his household. It was Palace, the Church of the Three Kings and open-air ballroom. Countless sandstone residence for the second in line of succession, opened to the general public in It the Blockhouse. There are also impressive figurines on the baroque façade provided and the Academy of Fine Arts. The dome is said to be the most beautiful balcony in statues, including one of August the Strong the decorative backdrop for grand festivities. of the Academy of Arts is striking, and the Europe and is renowned for its splendid known as the Golden Horseman, and streets Guests entered through the Crown Gate, people of Dresden refer to it affectionately vista of the Elbe Valley. of old baroque and art nouveau houses. so called because it is topped by a gigantic as the Lemon-Squeezer. This area of Dresden escaped destruction Polish crown. The best place from which to The Art Gallery in the Albertinum and the in World War II bombings, but the houses appreciate this magnificent and fascinating Exhibition Hall in the Johanneum are close were allowed to deteriorate badly. Many building complex is the middle of the open by and contain incomparable treasures. The of these beautiful buildings have now been square. Albertinum was named for the art-loving restored and fashionable cafés, bars and Saxon King Albert, and is an imposing high small theaters have opened here. Renaissance building lined with sandstone and embellished with six large bronze reliefs. Overlooking the Elbe River from the Saxon Cliffs Also striking is Dresden s ruined Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche); with its 311-foot-high dome, it was once Dresden s landmark. Today it serves as a reminder of the night of February 13-14, 1945 when Dresden was bombed and completely destroyed. It was originally intended to leave the ruined church as a memorial for those who lost their lives in the bombing, but since 1993 it was rebuilt as a sign of Saxony s rebirth since the Reunification of Germany.

19 35 Quite striking are the three Elbe palaces on the right bank, blending harmoniously with the landscape. The first and largest was built by Prince Albrecht of Prussia. It is called Albrechtsburg and was modeled on the Villa Medici in Rome. Vineyards lead down to the river and are designed to evoke a Mediterranean atmosphere. The palace is well preserved, and even the Roman bath with its pillars has survived and is clearly visible from the river. The middle palace is called Villa Stockhausen and it too lies amidst vineyards. It was purchased in 1891 by the inventor Lingner, who had made a fortune with Odol mouthwash and who used the palace to hold parties and other gala festivities. The third palace is called Eckberg. It is built in English neo-gothic style and is used today as a hotel. The bridge under which the ship passes is a fine example of a suspension bridge and bears the delightful name Blue Wonder. The original coat of green paint is said to have inexplicably turned a blue color. Since then it has always been painted the same color blue and has retained the name, although officially known as Loschwitz Bridge. The bridge connects Blasewitz with Loschwitz, and was the first railway bridge built without river piers. Thanks to the courage of Dresden s citizens, who removed explosive charges laid by SS troops in 1945, the Blue Wonder was the city s only intact bridge by the end of World War II. Zwinger Palace is a Baroque highlight

20 37 The ship now approaches the next palace, The Elbe now flows through almost Wehlen is one of the smallest towns in The mountain range contains some of the larger and grander than the others. The park and gardens are also more magnificent, particularly the open staircase leading down to the river. This is Pillnitz Palace and continuously built up areas from Dresden to Pirna, where the valley narrows. The railway line joins the river in Pirna and accompanies it all the way past Ústí nad Saxony, overshadowed by the castle hill with the remnants of a 13th century walled structure. Its inhabitants earned their living quarrying stone until 1910 when the quarries wildest cliff and rock formations imaginable. They bear nicknames such as Catapult, Sofa, Monk, Locomotive, Wolf s Ravine and Swine s Bottom. Special types of erosion are belonged to August the Strong, who loved Labem and deep into Bohemia. were closed down and replanted with trees. referred to as Turtle, Parson s Hood or Bag to admire the reflection of the front of the Wehlen is known today as a good base of Oats. Erosion has carved the sandstone palace in the water. Strictly speaking, the Here in Pirna (km 34), an easy river crossing from which to tour the Elbe Sandstone into its rectangular shapes and it was also palace belonged to his mistress, Countess was the reason for very early settlement. Mountains, a paradise for hikers and quarried in rectangular blocks, providing Cosel. He had given it to her, but later took Excavations show that people lived here climbers. This mountainous region was the material for many important buildings. it away when she fell out of favor. She was 6,000 years ago. In the 13th century, Pirna named Saxon Switzerland by two Dresden s baroque edifices are built of banned to Stolpen Castle at the age of 36. was the most important trading center visiting Swiss painters. The Elbe Sandstone it, Meissen Cathedral, Saxony fortresses, Strangely, when she was released after 22 between Magdeburg and Litomerice, with Mountains comprise a mountainous area harbor buildings and Town Halls in Hamburg years, she elected to stay and lived there staple and customs rights. In the Thirty Years made up chiefly of chalk sandstone, which and Antwerp, as well as the Brandenburg until her death 27 years later. War, persecuted Bohemian Protestants rises between the Ore Mountains and the Gate in Berlin and even Copenhagen Castle. found refuge here and were even allowed Upper Lausitz. Square-shaped cliffs rise to a to hold religious services in their own height of more than 300 feet. Flat, wooded Between the walls of rock there are deep Czech language. Pirna is the Gateway to high plains spread out above the valley ravines with many waterfalls. Visitors are Saxon Switzerland; walking tours into the carved out by the Elbe River, topped by table particularly impressed by the spectacular Elbe Sandstone Mountains and Saxonian mountains such as Königstein, Lilienstein doors and windows in the rock. A Switzerland National Park begin here. and Pfaffenstein. The highest point is the special attraction is the Bastei Massif, Great Snow Mountain (Hoher Schneeberg) which can be enjoyed from onboard ship in Bohemian Switzerland, with a height of an imposing sight looming above the river. almost 2,400 feet. The cliffs reach down to the right directly to the railway line and the narrow road. Magnificent Pillnitz Palace Saxon Switzerland On the left is barely enough room for a footpath.

21 39 The Elbe sweeps ahead of the ship in a For a short time the fortress was also a South of the town are the famous At the village of Dolni Zleb, you can see great curve and you have a perfect view of Lilienstein Mountain from almost all angles. This table mountain monolith rises out of the plain with 262-foot-high perpendicular monastery. During extension work, a well was dug almost 500 feet deep into the rock. The finished complex was considered impregnable. As a jail, the fortress was Schramm Rocks, the most prominent rock formation in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. The ship sails on to the Czech border. After passport and customs check, the statue of St. Nepomuk, patron saint of bridges, above the river. Statues of him in stone or bronze can be found on many bridges. According to legend, he cliffs. a nightmare for its unfortunate inmates. the ship is underway again, heading towards was tortured with fire and the sword, Böttger, the inventor of Meissen s porcelain, the first Czech village. then killed and thrown into the Vltava River The next spectacular sight, Königstein the social democrat August Bebel, and on March 20, 1393 at the instigation of Fortress, looks as though it has taken root the poet Frank Wedekind were prominent After the border, the numbers on the King Wenceslas IV for refusing to disclose on the rock. The fortress has evolved into an prisoners. But anyone going up to the kilometer signs measuring the river are the Queen s confession. Even before his impressive architectural monument through fortress today does so for pleasure; it has greater. The last one in Germany was 0, beatification in 1721 and his subsequent 750 years and is the largest such fortification been open to the public since but here we are suddenly at kilometer 109. canonization, Nepomuk was venerated as in Germany. It was erected in 1250 as a This is the Czech measurement, which begins patron of confessors, priests, raftsmen, border fortress between the Kingdom of The ship is now very close to the border further upstream in Melník. The last German bargemen and millers and patron saint Bohemia and the Margraviate of Meissen. with Bohemia, and the area that follows village is Schmilka, and the first Czech of bridges. Since 1400, it has been owned by the is known as the Region of the Rocks. village is Hrensko. house of Wettin. Smaller table mountains, pointed rock columns, difficult climbs and fantastic The Kings Stone (Königstein) has played viewing points all attract many visitors. an important role in German history. Several agreements regarding boundaries were When the ship passes under the railway drawn up here between Bohemia and the and road bridges, we are in Bad Schandau, Bishopric of Meissen, the last of which, a German spa town, which has retained dating to 1459, is still pretty much valid some of the splendor and charm of bygone today. days. Iron-rich springs, which were discovered in the mid-18th century, brought visitors to the town. Hotels, a spa house and a park followed not long after, and in 1920, the The rugged landscape of Saxon Switzerland, Germany town was awarded the right to use the prefix bad, meaning spa. For refugees and emigrants during World War II, this was a place of hope. Many were helped to safety by groups of local climbers who knew of secret passes through the mountains and over the border.

22 41 Soon you can see a castle perched high up The river flows on towards Ústí nad At Ústí nad Labem, below the ragged rock At Melník the Vltava flows into the Elbe. on the cliff. This is at Decín, a town with a number of old patrician houses and a baroque church. Like Ústí and Litomerice, Decín is one of the towns on the Elbe whose Labem. The town was founded as a traders settlement at the confluence of the Elbe and Bilina Rivers (Ústí means river mouth). Until the first third of the 19th century, on which Castle Schreckenstein sits perched, the river encounters the largest barrage weir along its course. Wagner composed Lohengrin while living in this imposing It is here that the measurement of the river begins with Kilometer 0, although the river is already 175 miles from its source. The River Eger flows out of the Fichtel Mountains and citizens were mainly German speaking. Ústí nad Labem was a small agricultural castle. Schreckenstein means rock of into the Elbe near Terezín (Theresienstadt), Most of them were driven out in 1945 and town. In the 19th century it attracted terrors, and before the Elbe was artificially founded as a fortress in 1780 and later today only a few of the older people can entrepreneurs from Bohemia, Saxony and improved in the 1930s, the raging river infamous as a concentration camp. speak German. Still, as in Prague, the dual Bavaria because of its favorable location for lived up to that epithet. language tradition is evident in the names transportation along the Elbe, the Prague- In the course of its journey through the of the towns, buildings and streets. Dresden railway and the rich coalfields. In It is here that Elbe cruises generally end Bohemian Basin, near Stará Boleslav and 1938, Ústí nad Labem was occupied and or begin for the downstream journey. Brand ys nad Labem, the river comes within annexed by the German Reich. The leaning Nearby Prague, set on the Vltava River, is a 20 miles of the Czech capital of Prague on tower of the Assumption of Mary Church short coach ride away. From here on, the the Vltava River. At Kolin, dominated by its (the tip of the tower is 1.92º off vertical) river (known in the Czech Republic at the Gothic church, the river turns east. Shortly stands as a memorial to Allied bombing in Labe) is known as the Upper Elbe. after the town of Pardubice, the Elbe turns north towards its source in the Giant At Lovosice the Elbe forces its way through Mountains. This whole town, with city the basalt and volcanic rock formations of rights dating to 1340, is one of the most the Bohemian Mountains. The resulting beautiful in Bohemia and is protected by gorge, only 536 feet wide, is known as the preservation laws. Porta Bohemica. The 328-foot-high rock face, on which Schreckenstein Castle near Ústí is perched, is part of it. During the Age of Romanticism, it inspired poets, painters and composers. Particularly well known Decin s Town Square Decin is Ludwig Richter s painting, Crossing the River at Schreckenstein. Indeed, many German and Czech artists discovered their love of romantic castle ruins and beautiful, unspoiled landscapes here in Bohemia.

23 The last large town on the young river is Hradec Králové, built around a tenth century Slavonic castle. The Hussite Revolution started in this royal city: Jan Huss doctrines of Czech nationalism and religious reform found many followers but met considerable opposition from within the Catholic Church. He was burned at the stake in Constance as a heretic but declared a national hero and martyr by his countrymen, to whom he had given Czech literature and a unified written language. The town of Hradec Králové is also known for the bloodiest battle of the 19th century, which took place here in 1866 between Prussia and Austria; 50,000 soldiers lost their lives in a single day. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Germans settled this area and the towns and villages have names that reveal their German origins. The Germans brought their language with them, as well as their skills in mining copper and iron ore. They built iron foundries and glassworks, fired by the abundantly available wood. The towns were wealthy, with beautiful churches and impressive castles. As part of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, the German language survived. 43 St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague

24 45 PRAGUE From Ústí nad Labem, it is only a short Prague boasts two castles, the Vyscherad distance by road to the Czech Republic s and the Hradcany, one on each side of the capital of Prague, set beautifully on the Vltava. The first dates to the beginnings of Vltava River. It is said that every visitor the city, when it was established to control to Prague leaves his heart there and can road and river traffic. The latter took never forget the Golden City, the City of a centuries to gain its present form. Together Hundred Spires. with the Royal Palace and St. Vitus Cathedral, it is the world s largest fortification. It is Prague s long history can be read from its a massive complex of palaces, churches beautiful architecture, which fortunately and museums, the seat of government for survived World War II virtually intact. There emperors and kings, with each one adding were the two Defenestrations of Prague, to it. The present-day Czech president has one of which started the Hussite War and his seat of office there. another that began the Thirty Years War. To defenestrate means to throw out of a window; during the second Defenestration, Hapsburg officials were literally thrown from the windows of their palaces. There were also two Treaties of Prague, which Gothic buildings abound in Prague. In the Old Town there is Teyn Church with its unique towers, the arcades in Galli Lane and St. Agnes Monastery, St. Vitus Cathedral and the Charles Bridge. These last two were both designed by Peter Parler for Emperor Charles IV, who founded the New Town (now more than 600 years old) and the Charles University of Prague, the very first German language university. Gothic Charles Bridge is the true center of Prague and the main pedestrian link between the right and left banks of the Vltava. The 30 statues on the balustrades are wonderful examples of Bohemian sculpture. Walk through one of the gateways on a warm summer s evening and you seem to be in the middle of a festival. Traders are selling jewelry and wooden crafts, and buskers provide the right background music. The Renaissance period also left its mark. Many magnificent buildings were constructed, including the Royal Palace and the Schwarzenberg Palace on Hradschin Square. The past aristocracy summoned everything in their power to create a city of splendor. The Catholic Church, proud of its victory over Protestantism, did the same. During this time more than 200 palaces were built, as well as churches and monasteries that looked like palaces. heralded times of great change and positive development in Europe. Prague s riverside scenery Old Town Square

25 During the 19th century, the bourgeoisie gained new strength and a new sense of national pride developed. Many artists lived in the city. The National Museum exhibited Czech art and history, and the National Theater supported this self-confidence, which had been suppressed for so long. Thus, art nouveau flourished here. Fans of this style should visit the Municipal Hall, which is one of the very finest examples. Another remarkable example is the Central Railway Station ( ), which fascinates everyone arriving in the city by train. The streets in the old Jewish Quarter of Josefov are also pure art nouveau. During the course of civic rebuilding in that period, the old houses were demolished and rebuilt. Each house is different in detail, but exactly the same in height and style. Prague s rich Jewish heritage stretches back for centuries, and the city is home to Europe s oldest synagogue. The great theologian and scholar, Rabbi Löw, created the mythical Golem of Prague here. The golem is said to have been formed from clay and magically endowed with life to help protect oppressed Jews. The rabbi is buried in the remarkable Old Jewish Cemetery where thousands of graves are crowded together in a dozen layers, due to space limitations and the Jewish tradition that graves never be disturbed. Supposedly, a scrap of paper placed in the golem s mouth could bring protection or fulfillment of a wish, and Prague s Jews historically placed these scraps of paper in the crevices of Rabbi Löw s tomb. During World War II they continued this practice, leaving records of their deportation and jewelry and other belongings for safekeeping. NOTES 47

26 KM KILOMETER BY KILOMETER The Mystic Elbe K ILOMETER BY K ILOMETER

27 THE MY STIC ELB E THE MY STIC ELB E KM THE MYSTIC ELBE FROM MAGDEBURG TO PORTA BOHEMICA Km Km Km Km Km Km Magdeburg. Georgi-Dimitroff-Allee. New River Bridge and St. Johannis Church. Monastery of Our Lady. Lukasklause (Luke s Retreat). Magdeburg Cathedral. Buckau lift bridge. Württemberg paddle tug steamer. The last of a fleet of paddle steamers that navigated the Elbe from 1818, converted into a museum and restaurant in Km Km Km 264 Km Km Km Km Km Km 245 Km 237 Rietzmeck. Brambach. Elbe Biosphere Reserve. Rodleben. Dessau. Mouth of the Mulde River. Rosslau. Klieken. E51 autobahn bridge connecting Vockerode to Nuremberg and Berlin. Vockerode. Coswig to to Km Km 319 Km 317 Km Km 310 Km 305 Km Magdeburg Island. Abandoned chemical and mechanical engineering plants. Magdeburg city limits. Schönebeck. Grünewalde, a city district of Schönebeck. Ranies. Monplaisir. Km 229 Km 224 Km 220 Km Km 214 Km 214 Griebo. Apollensdorf. Piesteritz. Now a municipal district of Wittenberg. Kleinwittenberg, a western suburb of Wittenberg. Old railway bridge (the lowest of all Elbe bridges). Wittenberg. New railway bridge. With a length of almost 1,100 feet, this new railway bridge has formed part of the Berlin-Munich line since May Km Glinde. Km Rope ferry. Km Elbe Junction. Km Gallin. Km 300 Dornburg Castle. Km Elster. The Elbe changes its direction here in a narrow double bend. Km 295 Old and new Maizena flour works. Km Mouth of the Black Elster. Km 293 Barby. Km Dübener Heath. Km Saalhorn mouth of the Saale River. Km Klöden. Km Tochheim. Km Pretzsch. Km Old Tochheim. Km Pretzscher Bach. Km Breitenhagen. Km Greudnitz, a municipal district of Grommitz. Km 283 Zerbst. Located about 6 miles inland. Km 177 Wörblitz. Km 280 Km 275 Steckby. Aken. Km 175 Former exercise grounds of the Soviet army, marked by a seemingly endless line of abandoned freight cars on a length of railway track running at an angle to the river. Km Steutz. Km Grenzbach.

28 THE MY STIC ELB E THE MY STIC ELB E KM Km Km Km Km 155 Dommitzsch. Prettin. Repitz. Lowermost tip of the Torgau industrial region. Torgau. Km 99.8 Km 98.6 Km 98.1 Km 97.6 Leckwitz. Bortiz. Althirschstein. Merschwitz to Km Encounter Monument. Km 96 Neu-Hirschstein. Km Hartenfels Castle. Hirschstein Castle. Km Km Km Km 135 Km Km 133 Km 130 Km Km Km 121 Km Km 118 Km 115 Km 115 Km 115 Km 112 Km Km Km 109 Km Km Km Km 102 Km 102 Elbe Bridge. Built in the early 1990s, it replaced the original structure that became famous as the place where Soviet and U.S. soldiers met. River branch to the harbor, just upstream of the city. Belgern. Stehla. Altbelgern s. Martinskirchen. Brottewitz Sugar Factory. Köttlitz. Mühlberg. Gaitzschhäuser. Kreinitz. Görzig. Lorenzkirch. Rope ferry. Strehla. Gohlis. Riesa. Röderau-Bobersen. Railway and road bridge. Promnitz. Moritz. Gödel. Leutewitz. Nünchritz. Km 94.6 Km 93.8 Km 93 Km 92.5 Km 92 Km 92 Km 89.8 Km 87.8 Km 87.8 Km 85.8 Km 83.5 Km 82.2 Km 81.9 Km 80 Km 79.7 Km 77.8 Km 76.5 Km 76.1 Km 75.8 Km 73.2 Km 73.1 Km 72.9 Niederlommatzsch. Diesbar-Seusslitz. Start of the Saxon Wine Road. Hebelei. Löbsal. Göhrisch-Felsen. A wine producing estate. Nieschütz. Rope ferry. Zehren. Zadel. Karpfenschänke (Carp Inn). Meissen. Road bridge. Fasanenschlösschen (Pheasants Castle). Railway bridge. Spaar. Siebeneichen Castle. Start of the Spaar Hills and Boselspitze Peak. Scharfenberger Ecke, river bend. Scharfenberg. 19th century silver mining center. Scharfenberg Castle. Coswig. Gauernit. Coswig-Kötlitz.

29 THE MY STIC ELB E THE MY STIC ELB E KM Km 72.5 Km 69 Km 65.4 Km 65 Wilde Saubach (Hog s Creek). Power station. Radebeul. Dresden city limits. Km 49.8 Km 49 Blasewitz. The three Elbe Castles of Dresden. Blaues Wunder (Blue Wonder) railway bridge. Suspension railway and funicular railway to to Km 63.1 Chemnitz autobahn bridge. Km 47 Tolkewitz. Km 62 Briesnitz, a suburb of Dresden. Km 47 Wachwitz. Km 61.2 Cotta. Km 45.3 Laubegast. Km 61.2 Übigau Castle. Km 44 Hosterwitz. Km 60 Mickten, an industrial area of Dresden. Km 42.7 Pillnitz Castle. Km 60 Dresden Harbor (Albert s Harbor). Km 40 Dresden city limit. Km 59.7 Former shipyard. Km 39.5 Birwitz. Km 58.5 Dresden-Pieschen. Km 39.5 Mügeln. Km 57 Dresden freight harbor. Km 39.2 Weesenstein Castle. Km 56.9 The Yenidze, Dresden s elaborate former cigarette factory. Km 38.5 Heidenau. Km 56.7 St. Mary s Bridge. Km 37.4 Birkwitz-Pratzschwitz. Km 56 Dresden. Km 36 Gross-Sedlitz. Km 55.6 Hofkirche (St. Trinitatis Cathedral). Km 34 Pirna. Zwinger Palace. Km 29.7 Obervogelsang. Japanese Palace. Km 29.7 Zeichen. Dresden Castle (Residenzschloss). Km 26 Wehlen. Augustus Bridge. Km 22.7 Oberrathen. Taschenberg Palace. Km 22.7 Rathen. Brühl s Terrace. Km 16.3 Königstein Fortress. Blockhaus and Golden Horseman. Km 15.3 Königstein. Km 55.1 Carola Bridge. Km 15 Lilienstein. The Albertinum. Km 13.2 Prossen. Academy of Arts. Km 11.9 Rathmannsdorf. Km 54.5 Albert Bridge. Km 10.2 Bad Schandau. Km 50 A subdistrict of Loschwitz. Km 9.1 Postelwitz. Weisser Hirsch, a former spa. Km 8 Krippen.

30 THE MY STIC ELB E INDEX Km 5 Km 3.9 Km 2.7 Km 0 Km 103 Km Km 98 Km 95 Km 91.8 Km 90 Km 76 Km 74 Km 71.4 Km 70 Km 70.8 Km 67.5 Km 68.8 Km 56 Saxon Switzerland National Park. Customs Checkpoint. Schmilka, now part of Bad Schandau. Border Railway Station of Schöna. Hrensko, a border town on the Czech side. German/Czech border. Start of the German/end of Czech distance measuring system. Dicker Mönch and Schlanke Nonne (Fat Monk and Slim Nun); two oddly contrasting rock formations. St. Nepomuk statue. Decin. City center of Decin and ship moorings. Large shipbuilding yard. Renaissance Castle of the Thun-Hohenstein family. Schäferwand (Shepherd s Wall). The Central Bohemian Mountains. Large soda factory. Harbor and transshipment facilities. Marienberg (St. Mary s Mountain). Ústí nad Labem. Ferdinandshöhe (Ferdinand s Hill). Ústí-Vanov. Castle Schreckenstein. Porta Bohemica/Elbe Gate. A Aken Annaburg Heath B Bad Schandau Barby Bastei Massif Belgern Berlin.... 9, 16, 28, 37 Black Elster Bohemia....3, 10, 12, 25, 38, 40, 41, 45 Brambach Breitenhagen C Coswig... 17, 28 Cuxhaven D Decín Dessau... 5, 15 Diesbar-Seusslitz , 25 Dommitzsch Dresden...3, 4, 19, 26, 28-33, 40 E Elbe Basin Elbe Biospheric Reserve Elbe Junction Elbe Marches Elbe Sandstone Mountains5, 10, 33, 36-37, 39 G Giant Mountains... 5, 10, 41 Gödel H Hamburg...3-5, 10, 37 Hirschstein Castle Hradec Králové.... 2, 44 Hrensko K Kolin Königstein Fortress L Labe... 10, 41 Lauenburg , 10 Litomerice... 2, 25, 36, 40 Lorenzkirch Lovosice Lower Elbe M Magdeburg...4, 11, 12, 13, 36 Meissen , 37, 38, Melník , 39, 41 Merschwitz Middle Elbe...2, 10, Moritz Moritzburg Mühlberg P Pardubice Pillnitz Palace Pirna... 25, 36 Porta Bohemica Potsdam... 9 Prague...4, 40-41, Prettin Pretzsch Promnitz R Radebeul , 28 Rathen Riesa Romanesque Route Rosslau S Saalhorn Saale River Saxon Switzerland...3, 7, Saxonian Wine Route , 25 Schmilka Schönebeck Schramm Rocks Spaar Hills Strehla T Terezín (Theresienstadt) Torgau , 19, 20-22, 29 U UNESCO....5, 13, 14, 15, 16 Upper Elbe.... 2, 41 Ústí nad Labem...36, 40-41, 44 V Vockerode W Wehlen Wittenberg... 5, 11, 17, 19 Wörlitz Wörlitz Park Z Zehren... 26, 27 INDEX

31 The intrepid Vikings, Nomads of the North, were sailing the waterways of Europe in their longships on voyages of exploration and discovery more than 1,300 years ago. Viking River Cruises is proud to be sailing these same rivers today, and wherever you see the sign of the Viking longship with the red and white sail, you are looking at the emblem of the world s largest operator of river cruises. There is still much to be discovered. Look for the emblem on our ships sailing the other great waterways of the world. Waterways of Holland & Belgium The Rhine & Its Tributaries The Danube France s Seine France s Rhône & Saône The Volga Moscow to St. Petersburg Ukraine s Dnieper China s Yangtze ELBTC CST: # vikingrivercruises.com