River Elbe: A Voyage Across Germany

As soon as the Elbe crosses the Czech-German border, it crosses a very special landscape: the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. Bizarre rock formations, beech forests, and torrents characterise Saxon Switzerland. For the inhabitants, the Elbe habitat is a natural paradise that they protect and preserve. By saving fire salamanders or paying attention to sustainability.

The Elbe flows picturesquely out of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, revealing a vast, hilly, and romantic landscape. Here, the river "cuts through" the idyllic small town of Wehlen. Everything is meticulously restored—it's like being on a lovingly crafted model railway. A few bends further along lies Pirna, with the Sonnenstein Castle perched high above the Elbe. The famous Malerweg (Painter's Way) runs directly through this medieval town for good reason. The riverbanks become more populated from here on. Gradually, the sophisticated suburbs of Dresden appear, followed soon by one of the city's most famous landmarks, the "Blue Wonder," a historic bridge. What follows is a showcase of cultural heritage: Dresden, the "Florence on the Elbe."

From the Teichlebermoos to the Steileiche, from the Heldbock beetle to the Elbe beaver. With their abundance of life, the floodplain landscapes are considered the primeval forests of Europe. Unfortunately, there are hardly any left. Today, people are rediscovering the natural river landscape. As a Noah's Ark of biodiversity, an effective CO2 reservoir and protection against increasing floods. A fairytale landscape that has almost disappeared. You can experience it on the Middle Elbe.

From Hamburg, the rhythm of the North Sea determines the Elbe. Influenced by harbour activity and tides, the river is characterised by container ships, but also by fertile marshland, rare freshwater mudflats, and beautiful islands and beaches. Whether fishing, driving Galloway cattle to the islands, or rescuing seals, life on the Lower Elbe is fascinating with a diversity that is worth discovering.