and on demand. language courses. video and. anytime anywhere. w. media center. 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. shockley is that there are lovely landscapes here and the tunnel still have neo gothic arches dating back to when they were 1st think about bugs in. the

railway routes are very romantic and they wind their way through long valleys and you get these gorgeous views of nature. sure they're one of the current you know. i don't see how. 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 whole for bohemian station and the line was the saxon bohemian state railway. today the electrified mainline between dresden and it seemed put moakley in the czech republic is called the elba valley railway. i.

industrialisation and burgeoning tourism saw the amount of traffic increase so rapidly that an expansion of the railway station became essential. in 898 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 route 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 dresden to budge on down near the czech border with then switched to a railway that runs on non mainline tracks and connects to adjacent national parks saxon switzerland on the german side and bohemian switzerland on the czech side our final destination was to cina 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. she's 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 elder valley. and. the fingers of the state though the interestingly the 1st. trailers here were built to transport

salt. poured in this then subsided and over time the coal trade grew to be more significant emotion. than bohemia was a world power when it came to deposits of both legs night and but human us call it 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. which 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 did. you when you went across the border national park railway project was inaugurated in 2014 it saved it then partially discontinued line here from complete closure. these tracks were originally laid primarily to transport drama tiriel 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 pinning 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 1004. sitting on stone pillars fashioned from bohemian granite the solid steel bridge towers 34 meters above the village mosque or is even its river. at 1st glance northern bohemia appears in conspicuous loci 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 rebirth

all belong to the story of this region. as does its nature and the lasting impression it made on artists who came here. i. german romantic painter caspar davita fleet's race drew inspiration for many of his melancholic paintings from his hikes through the rocky gorges of saxony and bohemia . and danish author hunts castello undoes and wove the dreamlike atmosphere of bohemian switzerland into the tales he wrote. for national park manager thomas sell 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 some of struggles against real adversaries environmental destruction and ignorance. in their notes in our earthly lucius. it's this distance that will 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 a little still more recently have been returning light and we have lynxes the essence of it 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. a lot of . this is also part of bohemia the railway line along the enchanting sandstone cliffs of the alba valley is among the busiest transit 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 ports of northern germany are particularly loud and have repeatedly prompted protests. a new high speed rail length away from the album valley is set to relieve the noise pollution of the route passes through a 27 kilometer long tunnel through the ask of. 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 little. the belvedere vantage point is located in the village of laps 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 meters 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 trampling 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. and it was track worthwhile.

but the actual destination of foremost hikers is what has become the stone symbol of bohemian switzerland the pressure. measuring 60 meters 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 elba 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.

visitors have to make sure they leave enough time for the 360 meter descent 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 it was testy 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. in. the region around rumble cans along 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 remake hers 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 a chain. fiefdom . 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. calling you we mainly get campers and tourists. but people from the surrounding villages also make the train journey here because of our food. with talking as we've served guests coming from as far away as leto marriage and see prague and even moravia the maps.

so we get home style fare roast duck dumplings filled with meat that roast pork wild game. all freshly prepared in the station restaurant just how nice is that. it's hard to imagine anyone rushing through a meal here and yet all of us 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 tip for a brief 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 elba and 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 a highway connection and several stations along the dresden to prague line to chain is a major transportation hub the railway is one of the most important in europe and.

we arrived at to change central station. check state railways or 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 of 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 the 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 chains 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 this led to a boom in train travel which then subsided somewhat as i'm going up. in the chain the importance of the railway grew year by year it played

a particularly decisive role for armies during the various military conflicts that beset the region including during the 2nd. world war bohemia had been incorporated into the german empire shortly before hand. this signal box next to the town's main station dates from that time. it's now a museum headed by paper china check most of the old equipment has been preserved and the former signal man explains how it worked that it in a car this is a signal box number 15 which coordinated around way traffic in dick cheney 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. in the people of chief. there was another signal tower just like this one on the south side of the station for trains headed to the nightclub. the towers worked in tandem.

with it and together they directed the entire did jean broadway junctions that. literally there was a stance of the rock. in addition to the historical interlocking technology 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 years of could have been answered that it's a vast the technology is for 942 when they set up these electric failsafe facilities that will allow to the proposal that it and because it was during the war you can also see these reinforced doors means that could be there we 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 signal as 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 that was that was the law and it's the studied law the control panel was very modern and was therefore soon removed for use elsewhere that it's going to get a this. then the but after she was told but are still a lead it's gameplay what we see here today in the signaling center heritage site is actually how it looked in 1942 minutes gather. news thought it would have gotten out each day to develop. 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.

bundle up it gets pretty cold here europe's largest ice sculpture festival in the dutch city of. the artists hammer and shocks and shows what. you'll be amazed at these creations. 30 minutes w. . today we speak. she came to her

as a refugee when she was just a john today she's a lawyer author and show host successful and full of bright blue ideas she talks about how kind of became her someone pick me up and help me and now everybody wants me out. getting to know given to me. 90 minutes on d w. i was issued when i arrived here i slept with 6 people in a room. it was hard i was fair. i even got white hairs at. the gym language head nodding off this evening and made up much needed to instruct

words of saying you want to know their story lets her fighting and reliable information for margaret. every 2 seconds the person is forced to flee their home. the consequences of them to say stress our documentary series displaced depicts dramatic humanitarian crises from around the world. for good thing we don't have time to think i didn't go to university to kill people i thought if i acted that way i mean pain people feel for their lives and their future so they seek refuge abroad but what will become of the course to stay behind it's a way our battle my husband went to peru because of the crisis that i wondered if he hadn't gone there we would have died of hunger and i wanted them. to split starts generally 15 years on top.

this is d.w. news live from berlin grief turns to outrage in iran after the military admits it was behind the downing of a ukrainian passenger jet protesters chants anti-government slogans and denounce officials as liars for initially denying shooting down the plane on wednesday 176 people were killed also coming up taiwan reelect its president and delivers a blow to beijing. vows to preserve taiwan's autonomy.