Bohemian Switzerland Day 1: Tiské stěny

The idea to visit Bohemian Switzerland conceived when I was still pregnant. The pregnancy didn't go well and for the majority of it I had to stay home (or around) so I was really in the need of changing places when it was all over. Lots of people think it's impossible or unwise to travel with infants. I'm not one of them and when it turned out that the weather this year couldn't be better, we booked our stay. Bohemian Switzerland and its mountains are the closest mountains from us - ~3.5h drive. They're built mainly from sandstone which makes them particularly pretty. They're not very high, the highest summit in the region is over 700m above the sea level but thanks to the geology they make for great rocks to climb or hike... or simply visit and watch as the sandstone takes on all sorts of crooked and bizarre forms: holes, funnels, pillars - you name it.

On the first day of our 5-day trip we headed to Tisa, from where we hiked up to Tiské stěny (Tyssa Walls). It's a complex of sandstone rocks that first grow in a forest and then stretch in an arc at the level of ~600m. The place is now a natural reserve which I can totally understand because it is simply an awesome place. Actually, I think it was the best day from the whole trip. The rock formations were truly remarkable and opened up countless possibilities for imagination when it comes to their interpretation. Is it a mushroom or an umbrella? A dwarf or a hag? A rabbit or a peacock? Of course, they have all been already interpreted and if you take a map from tickets office you'll know the answer right away, but where's the fun it?

The route was very pleasant. At first we went through rocks and woods (and when I say through rocks I really mean it - the path leads through the cracks in sandstone boulders). Then we got to a restaurant where we made a beer pause. <A side note: throughout the whole trip we made loads of beer pauses. Beer in Czech and Germany is always great!>  <Side note 2: I drank "ne alko" which was still great for me>. Then we moved to a return path that led on a ridge and gave us a beautiful view on Bohemian Switzerland valley.

Discovering Poland and Germany in summer

This summer was a special one for many reasons. The end of my pregnancy and birth of our precious daughter were by no means the highlights but other than that you can see a couple of shots from Radek's sailing adventures, his work trips to Berlin, our weekend at Wiejce Palace and a couple of other snapshots. Enjoy.

Wiejce Palace

We're having such a wonderful autumn this year it would be a sin not to take advantage of it. After a rough maternity start now I feel at ease with the new situation and am ready to explore the beauty of life with my family. So when my husband announced they're having an off-site integration trip for his company workers and their families, we decided to go all four of us.
The place was Wiejce Palace, a 2-hour drive from Szczecin, situated in a lovely little village in the middle of nowhere. The place was so lovely that in the end we stayed there all time instead of doing exploration trips as I planned.

We arrived on Friday evening and had a walk around the premises. There were a couple of houses scattered around the main palace, everything was renovated and very stylish. There was also a series of ponds, horse barn and other animals around. Since we were off the beaten track really, we enjoyed the peace and quiet of this place, especially at dusk and dawn. The next day the integration party started. There were around 200 guests but it didn't feel like so many. After an official opening, a series of team building activities started. That was real fun and ended in a huge water balloon fight. Splash splash everywhere :) That seemed like a real fun.

The weather for such a water activity couldn't be better. The end of September can be very cold in Poland but not this year. Actually, when the sun shined it was hot enough to get sun burnt. At least the clothes dried fast. Splash, splash!

And the team building...

The whole thing ended up with a barbecue till late hours. I can't write anything about it as I didn't participate (someone had to stay with the kids) but all I know was that helium tank was the highlight of it :) We left on Sunday, relaxed, integrated and willing to come back again.

Back in the woods again - Bartoszewo

Oh, how I missed it. Nature and woods. Although our today's trip was a super short one in a not-at-all secluded place (meaning: there were crowds around us), I still enjoyed this possibility to stretch out my legs and breathe deeply in a greenery.