Obere Schleuse Gorge

Boat trip on the Upper Lock (Obere Schleuse) – historical, wild and romantic at the same time.

One of the most popular destinations in Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland is boating in the gorge of the Křinice River near Hinterhermsdorf.

Words can hardly describe everything you will see while sailing through this narrow gorge on the old Czech-Saxon border. What does silence sound like in the middle of the first zone of the national park? The variety of rock shapes that are reflected in the surface of the Křinice is breathtaking. The experience of a slow ride and the smell of fresh air are refreshing, especially on hot summer days. The stories that the ferryman tells during the approximately half-hour cruise, the beautiful hiking trails that take you through the landscape of jagged rocks, that is the Obere Schleuse. You will experience the feeling that you are in a world where nature still shows itself in its original beauty.

The Obere Schleuse is similar to the Czech Edmundova and Divoká gorges. There is no need to take a boat through the gorge, but it is possible to walk through it. The walking option provides a beautiful view of the gorge. The cruise is 700 meters long and takes about 25 minutes. At the upper part of the reservoir on the Saxon side there is a pier with a restaurant and souvenir shop.

History

The original wooden dam used for floating wood from the surrounding forests to the Elbe was probably built in 1667 (sometimes it is mentioned as early as the 2nd half of the 16th century). The dam has been renovated many times. The current 4 m high, listed stone dam dates from 1931. The reservoir was used for floating wood until 1967, and tourist boats have been operating on the original timber raft since 1879.

You can reach the gorge by hiking/cycling along the Křinice through the Kyjovské Valley or from Mikulášovice via Weifberg. For car travel, use the Dolní Poustevna/Sebnitz border crossing and then to the parking lot above the village of Hinterhermsdorf (marked). The village of Hinterhermsdorf is a 35-minute walk from the gorge. You can also make the journey from the parking lot in Hinterhermsdorf more pleasant by taking a horse-drawn carriage.