trains and the elder valley. a blend of history and nature our way passengers here when the sun is rising and the sandstone is being the top it's really special to ride through this narrow valley through. this is that there are lovely landscapes here and the tunnels still have neo gothic arches dating back to when they were 1st built. wagners in. the us and i think these are all settled on the railway routes are very romantic and they wind their way through long valiance and you get these gorgeous views of nature. they're one of the cardinal sources i can see all 3. we began our trip to bohemia in the main railway station of dresden in eastern

germany. up until the end of the 1900 century the station was called burma siobhan hall for bohemian station and the line was the saxon bohemian state railway. today the electrified mainline between dresden and a chain put moakley in the czech republic is called the elba valley railway. industrialization and burgeoning tourism saw the amount of traffic increase so rapidly that an expansion of the railway station became essential. in 1908 the bohemian railway station was renamed to dressed and hauptbahnhof or central station which remains to this day.

the local railway service taking passengers to the border with the czech republic runs about every 15 minutes and connects dressed in with the saxon and bohemian switzerland regions. it's a popular railway wrote not just due to the charmingly diverse natural landscape by the river elbe. its frequent and fast connection to the sandstone mountains make it a truly convenient alternative to the car. the 1st stage of our journey took us from dressed in to but shine down near the czech border we then switched to a railway that runs on non mainline tracks and connects to adjacent national parks switzerland on the german side and bohemian switzerland on the czech side our final destination was to cine in the czech republic located just a 20 minute train journey from the german border. works as a tour guide and has spent years studying the history of bohemia including its

railway heritage. acquired expert knowledge on the military geo political and economic developments that were key to the construction and operation of the train line which runs through the alba valley. this days though the interestingly the 1st railways here were built to transport salt. in this then subsided and over time the coal trade grew to be more significant in most of their haul and so then. i was a world power when it came to deposits of both let night and but human us call home and. coal mining saw the start of an economic boom for the entire region one that also had an impact. on its railway infrastructure. but shunned out in

saxony just a few kilometers from the border to what is now the czech republic it's one of many towns and villages in the region that flourished thanks to their location on the elba railway route and continue to do so. with the railway connection the small spa town is also a popular base for hiking trips through the alba sandstone mountains. half a 1000000 visitors use the station here every year which after extensive investments was officially designated a national park station in 2012. 2 years later across the border national park railway was set up a joint venture operated by the national rail companies of the czech republic and germany.

it runs every 2 hours connecting the respective national parks and shortening the journey to an array of panoramic vantage points and hiking trails. from the railway takes passengers across the border and into the czech part of bohemian switzerland. we change trains in the town of rome book and set off on the next leg of our journey following the picturesque route all the way to do. you when the cross border national park railway project was inaugurated in 2014 it saved the then partially discontinued line here from complete closure. these tracks were originally laid primarily to transport bra materials but most of the

small mines and factories lining the route were not able to survive after the communist regimes in east germany and in czechoslovakia ended in 1989. they fell victim to free market forces and competition with big energy corporations. these days it's cross border tourism that the region and the railway companies are paying their hopes on. the majestic infrastructure of the railway line along the border between germany and what was then the austrian empire. shows how important the route was in the early 20th century for example this 190 metre long viaduct in the lame off completed in 1904. sitting on stone pillars fashioned from bohemian granite the

solid steel bridge towers 34 meters above the village mosque or as a burnett's river. at 1st glance northern bohemia appears in conspicuous low key perhaps even behind the times but this is a region with a fascinating history. prosperity and abundant natural resources more and devastation persecution and displacement as well as political and economic rebirths all belong to the story of this region. as does its nature and the lasting impression it made on artists who came here. german romantic painter caspar davi to flee to place drew inspiration for many of his melancholy paintings from his hikes through the rocky gorges of saxony and bohemia. and danish author hunts cost down under us

and wove the dreamlike atmosphere of bohemian switzerland into the tales he wrote. for national park manager tom ash fall off the cabinets gorge alongside the come in it's a stream is more labor of love than professional duty. this litters to the bizarre sandstone formations might daydream about bohemian folklore and legends but solid struggles against real adversaries environmental destruction and ignorance cited in their nuts and their wishes for its defense the bill him in switzerland national park was opened we've seen the return of a number of species there's the peregrine falcon and also a reintroduction program for the atlantic salmon in the common it's a river with books. more recently have been returning and we have lynxes considered

the cold hard knocks or. so this place is more than something for tourists to see and it's an interesting section of nature and it was going through this there's a lot. this is also part of bohemia the railway line along the enchanting sandstone cliffs of the elba valley is among the busiest chancet brutes in europe and an increasing source of irritation for residents freight trains running through here on the route between eastern europe and the major parts of northern germany are particularly loud and have repeatedly prompted protests. on the a high speed rail link away from the album valley is set to relieve the noise pollution

the route passes through a 27 kilometer long tunnel through the ask of aga. the plans envisage increasing capacity for international freight traffic along the new line. furthermore the journey time for passenger trains between dresden and proc would be cut from the present 2 hours and 15 minutes to under one hour. but that would come at a price passengers would see much less of the stunning natural scenery of bohemian switzerland on the route. a lot. of. the belvedere vantage point is located in the village of lapps gusts around in the heart of the national park the small stone theater stage on the plateau was created in the 18th century and was initially only open to the

aristocracy. today the view from a height of 130 metres can be enjoyed by all the hikers and other visitors from around the world. some say it reminds them of their childhood model railway. the national park railway is a convenient link between the various natural attractions and as an environmentally friendly form of transportation it helps to preserve the local flora and fauna at home and the 80 square kilometer national park. but national park railway has one big advantage and instead of having to do a round translation of the bikers can take the train to a particular location and then make only the return journey on foot or with other means of transportation. but anyone who wants to get a closer look at the bizarre and beautiful rock formations that adorn bohemian

switzerland has to go on foot. only those who master the 7 kilometer long hike to the top get to take in this scenery. these sandstone cliffs have served as a backdrop for fantasy movies like the chronicles of narnia. even the view from halfway up makes the strenuous track worth while. but the actual destination a for most hikers is what has become the stone symbol of bohemian switzerland the private cheek of. measuring 16 metres high and over 26 meters wide it's the largest natural sandstone arch in europe making it one

of the most memorable natural monuments of the sandstone mountain range. the restaurant right next to the arch was opened in 826 and is a popular attraction in its own right especially for those keen to recharge their batteries with hearty local cooking and the famous bohemian beer. this is hers have to make sure they leave enough time for the 360 meter descends before sundown. once back down in the valley of course the national park railway provides a relaxing homeward journey. room book a small town in the ted ski region of northern bohemia. the

local station is served by both the national park railway and trains from other regional networks the latter are mostly used by commuters on their way to and from ditching 50 kilometers away. some of the trains running here are practically vintage models like ivanka a reconstructed diesel locomotive dating from 1969 now powered by a modern engine. that. the region around rome book has a long industrial heritage. both coal mining and textile production were keen to the growing economy in the 1900 century joined later by glass blowers cut the

remembers industrial spice mills and engine makers all of them dependent on the railway for transporting their products. by the mid 19th century trains had become part of the landscape in northern bohemia originally run by an austrian railway the roots were taken over by the newly founded czechoslovakia and state railway in 1918 following the creation of the country after world war one. this single track non electrified line runs through the bohemian part of the cross border loose asia region. our next stop is the remote station of yet love on.

the tiny station is surrounded by forests and seemingly in the middle of nowhere. it was built in 1969 as a junction connecting 2 major regional railway lines leading to van stalled. and itchy. feet . i as the ivanka continued her journey we stayed behind to take a look around this unusual station at the foot of the yet lava the mountain that gave the stop its name. time and history have clearly taken their toll on the station building but nobody here seems bothered by such superficial considerations the station is a convenient starting point for walking tours of the surrounding area and as

a meeting place for local hunters. some passengers even come specially to savor the hearty traditional food served up here but i'm. what. we mainly get campers and tourists or you. but people from the surrounding villages also make the train journey here because of our food. we've served guests coming from as far away as legal marriage and see prague and even moravia the maps of. the king so we get home style fare got roast duck dumplings filled with meat that's roast pork wild game. all freshly prepared in station restaurant. and. it's hard to imagine anyone rushing through a meal here at yeading of a station where time seems to pass at

a slower pace. originally there was just a solitary forester's house in the entire region around the yell of a mountain eventually joined by a handful of hamlets in the early 20th century people from the cities began discovering the region as a welcome retreat. since then the tiny station has served as a common area insider's tips for a free stopover and as a base for hiking tracks and an oasis of tranquility before returning to the hustle and bustle of life in the city.

we next headed southwest travelling around 20 kilometers through the ditching district. in addition to tourists the regional railway also conveys schoolchildren and commuters to towns in the area. among them is the town of ditching an important industrial and administrative center. rural bohemia meanwhile is suffering from the impact of young people leaving to try their luck in the cities. the exodus has left behind dying villages and a shrinking infrastructure. both sides of the border are intensifying cooperation to improve prospects across rural bohemia and at least slow down the drain of talent. ditching a town known for its economic stability and its history dating back over 1000 years

standing over the confluence of the alba and the rivers is the famous palace serving 1st as a residence for bohemian royalty then as a military fortress and today as a museum. boasting an inland harbor by the elba highway connection and several stations along the dresden to prague line the chain is a major transportation hub the railway is one of the most important in europe. we arrived at the chines central station. check state railways or a day is to this day one of the biggest employers in the town with its $50000.00 plus residence. tourism is another pillar of the

local economy. the palace with its cliff top location the flood plains lining the banks of the elbe and the sandstone cliffs make the area up popular destination for visitors including many from just across the border to germany. to change railway heritage also attracts its fair share of tourists. the past years the stay in enveloping a 279 metres long railway tunnel has always been a much loved photo motif. its name means shepherd's rock from the german she found itself a mispronunciation of sheaf of ont or crooked wall in the 19th century it was a popular vantage point but when the elder valley lined opened in 800 $51.00 only the wealthy could afford to take the train. people back then didn't take trains on a regular basis at that time no one would have dreamed of taking the train every

day. but doing it once or twice a year was an option for people from rural areas as well or at least for the wealthier ones and a lot of people were very curious at the beginning and this led to a boom in train travel which then subsided somewhat. and this going up. indeed cian the importance of the railway grew year by year it played a particularly decisive role for armies during the various military conflicts that be set the region including during the 2nd. world war bohemia had been incorporated into the german empire shortly before hand. this signal parks next to the town's main station dates from that time. it's now a museum headed by peter chen a check most of the old equipment has been preserved and the former signal man explains how it worked that it's in

a. busy signal box number 15 which coordinated around way traffic in decima on the northern part of the train station. there would be a dispatcher working here as well as a signal month and someone keeping a record of all the train journeys in a register outdoor not a little survey dispatcher organize train traffic. there was another signal tower just like this one on the south side of the station for trains headed to. the towers worked in tandem. and together they directed the entire ditching way junctions that. there was a ditching for stance of the rock. in addition to the historical interlocking technology in the museum also includes a range of original documents. a small collection of historical telecommunications equipment. and other features such as

a reinforced door installed to protect staff from air raids. that they then pulled the as it occurred about an outage that it's advice they did the technologies for $942.00 when they set up these electric failsafe facilities that will be allowed to the port authority and because it was during the war you can also see these reinforced doors means that could be really could show you but a little their purpose was to protect strategically important facilities such as railway stations that you. would use still in the towers then gradually modernized the light signals the shunting signals and here in the middle where you once had the mechanical signaling center they built a relays station with an electrical control panel those it was the law that it's studied law the control panel was very modern and was therefore soon removed for use elsewhere and it it's great that this. then the but after she was told but it's

the last in a letter it's gameplay what we see here today in the signaling center heritage site is actually how it looked in 1942 minutes gathered with a simple word you store took it over the knowledge that it's a device. our journey through bohemian switzerland ended in ditching but the story of the bohemian railway continues thanks also to new ideas on cross border transportation strategies for an environmentally friendly future. including a new e.u. funded joint project by the german and czech authorities aimed at promoting sustainable tourism in this treasured corner of central europe.

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what secrets lie behind swallow. discover new adventures in 360 degree. and explore fascinating world heritage sites. w world heritage 360 get kidnapped now. believe. this may look like a scene from a bunch movie but it's actually europe's highest ranking based. and i welcome to your own max will return to that later but 1st let's take a look at what else we had.