The top of the mountain is crowned by a small chapel, standing on the frontier line of Austria and Prussia. The prospect is extensive when the state of the weather allows it to be visible. On the side of Silesia the scenery is rich and populous; on the south, towards Bohemia, it is wild and precipitous: the mountains at once sink down into the rugged glens of the Riesengrund and Aupengrund, 2000 feet below. Breslau, 45 miles off, is sometimes seen from hence, it is said. The want of water, however, is a great drawback in the landscape.

The sources of the Elbe are situated under the southern roots of the Schneekoppe. Two springs, rising in the Nawarer Wiese and Weisse Wiese, unite in the Elbegrund, and form the infant river. These are troublesome to reach, surrounded by marshy ground; but the vale of the Elbe is very picturesque. The pedestrian has the choice of descending from the Schneekoppe into Bohemia, to the pretty waterfall of the Aupe, through Arnau and Hohenelbe to Trautenau (p. 377.), from whence he may visit the rocks of Adersbach, a beautiful and gratifying excursion. Or if he prefer it, there are paths direct from the Schneekoppe to Schmiedeberg; the time occupied in walking thither is about five hours. The post-road from Hirschberg thither passes near the mine of felspar, which supplies material for the Berlin china. On the way are seen the château of General Gneisenau, and Fischbach, the seat of Prince William of Prussia, with a colossal lion, of cast iron, upon the neighbouring Marianne's rock. Further on is Ruhberg, a country-house of Prince Radzevil.

2 Schmiedeberg, (Inns: Schwartzes Ross; Deutsches Haus) a manufacturing town, in a pleasant situation, with 4000 inhabitants, owing its prosperity chiefly to its extensive iron furnaces. The road hence to Land

shut is the highest in Prussia practicable for carriages. It passes through a delightful country.

24 Landshut. Inns: Schwartzer Rabe; Goldener Löwe; romantically situated at the foot of the Riesengebirge, on the Bober, has 3500 inhabitants, considerable bleachinggrounds, and manufactures of linen. About 15 miles off lies the Rock Labyrinth of Adersbach. The convent of Grüssau, with its ancient church and chapel, are worth seeing.

Adersbach is situated within the frontier of Bohemia, about 19 miles from Landshut, 17 from Waldenburg, and 8 from Trautenau. The Prussian Custom-house, on the road to it, is at Liebau; the Austrian, at Königshaus. There is a small but clean inn at Adersbach, where the traveller may feast upon delicious mountain trout. The Rocks of Adersbach are a singular assemblage of masses of sandstone, extending in all directions over a space three miles broad and six or eight long, separated into fragments of various sizes by openings, gulfs, and fissures. Looking down upon it from a balloon, it would have the appearance of a mass of dried starch, from the number of fissures and cracks; but when the stranger enters and explores it, he might almost fancy himself passing through a vast city, intersected by streets squares and lanes. rocks themselves are not unlike buildings; in many parts their smooth vertical walls are so regular that they seem to have been excavated by art. They often assume the appearance of towers and battlements, sometimes rising in tall, slender pillars, and obelisks; at others taking grotesque forms, to which the common people have given names, from their fancied resemblance to different objects; such as, the Sugar-loaf, (Zuckerhut,) an inverted cone in a pool of water; the Watch-tower (the highest of all); the Pulpit; the Emperor's Throne, &c. In number they amount to many

The

thousands; and often rise to a height of several hundred feet. So numerous and intricate are the passages among them, that they form a complete labyrinth, which it would be dangerous to explore without a guide. There can be little doubt that the whole was at one time a continuous and solid stratum of sandstone, and that it owes its present form to the passage over it of floods or currents of running water, which, having found their way into the crevices and clefts, have gradually worn down the softer parts into gutters and channels.

The

rocks resemble the isolated fragments of the Saxon Switzerland, and are a continuation of them. In both localities, they belong to the formation called by the Germans Quadersandstein, corresponding with the Green Sand of England. Adersbach is certainly a curiosity without parallel in Europe, and well deserves to be visited. A recent traveller advises all who approach within 100 miles to explore it. The entrance to the labyrinth is closed by a door, the key of which is kept by the gamekeeper of the proprietor, who acts as guide to strangers.

were demolished by the French in 1806. The Castle, formerly the residence of Piast Dukes, has now become a poor-house. The town itself is dull, but the traveller will find good cause to tarry until he has explored its beautiful environs. The most pleasing excursion is that to the Castle of Fürstenstein, a grand feudal edifice, perched on the summit of a wooded hill. It originally belonged to the Counts of Hochberg, but has been recently purchased by the king of Prussia. Though fallen to decay, it still exhibits a good example of the feudal residence of the middle ages. It has an armoury; and a few family portraits decorate its walls. Its towers command an admirable panorama of the surrounding country.

12 Freyburg. Inn: Rother Hirsch. A town of 2000 inhabitants, under the Furstenstein.

The battle of Striegau, gained by Frederick the Great, in 1745, was fought near this; in the vicinity was his fortified camp of Bunzelwitz.

Five miles from Freyburg are the Baths of Salzbrunn. Inns: Preussische Krone; -Sonne;-and six miles south of Freyburg is Waldenburg, a good station for visiting the rocks of Adersbach, about 17 miles distant. (See page 376.)

14 Reichenau.

2 Landshut, in page 376.

4 Trautenau, the first town in the Austrian territory; it has a population of 2400. Much linen is made here. Adersbach is about 12 miles off in a direct line.

2 Arnau (or Nieder Oels) has 1500 inhabitants, chiefly weavers. It lies on the Elbe, which takes its rise about 25 miles north of this, among the roots of the Schneekoppe. A pleasant excursion may be made to the source, following its banks, and passing the pretty town of Hohenelbe and the cascades of Elbfall and Weisswasser. 2 Neu Paka.

2 Gitschin; the castle was built by Wallenstein, 1610.

Tycho Brahe

inhabitants, on the Iser, manufactures

much printed cotton.

died 1601, in the small town of Neu Benatek, not far from

2 Alt Benatek. In the town of Alt Bunzlau, opposite Brandeis, is an image of the Virgin, which attracts many pilgrims. At the door of the Collegiate Church, Boleslaw, king of Bohemia, murdered, at the instigation of Drahomira, his brother Wenceslaus, who was afterwards canonized, and now ranks as a patron saint of Bohemia. Beyond this the road crosses the Elbe by a bridge to

2 Brandeis. Here Charles X. resided with the Duc de Bordeaux.

3 PRAGUE. Described in the Handbook for Southern Germany.

ROUTE LXXXV.

BRESLAU TO GLATZ AND PRAGUE.

36 Prussian miles=168 English miles. The road is macadamized, and Fahrposts go twice a-week.

N. B. An Austrian signature on the traveller's passport is indispensable before he can enter Bohemia.

2 Domslau. The country is pretty and fertile. The Zobtenberg is conspicuous on the right; it is about 10 miles distant from 3 Jordansmühl. 2 Nimptsch. Inns: Weisser Schwann;-Schwartzer Bär. A prettily situated town of 1600 inhabitants. The old castle is seen on the right in entering. Many bloody contests took place here during the Hussite wars. Beyond Zützendorf the road passes in the neighbourhood of the Chrysoprase Mines of Kosemitz (now disused), and of Schrebsdorf. Near Protzen there is a mine of opal.

2 Frankenstein. Inns: Deutsches Haus;-Schwartzer Adler. A town of 6000 inhabitants. Seven miles to the westward is situated the mountain fortress of Silberberg; it may be called the Gibraltar of Prussia, in so far as its defences, bastions, casemates, &c.,

are almost entirely hewn out of the solid rock. They were constructed by Frederick the Great, to guard the passage from Bohemia, at an expense of 4 million of Prussian dollars.

The Catholic Church, in the market-place of the little town of Wartha (through which the road passes), contains a miracle-working statue of the Virgin, to whose shrine, in some years, 40,000 pilgrims repair to offer up their Vows and prayers. A steep road, marked by chapels, leads up to the chapel on the Wartberg, at a height of 1772 feet above the sea: the view from thence is fine. The banks of the river Neisse are very picturesque; near the town it forces a passage through the rocky gorge called Warthapass. After a steep ascent and descent, the road enters Glatz over a wooden bridge, between the ancient and modern fortress.

31 Glatz. Inns: Weisses Ross; Krone;-both in the suburb. A strong fortress on the Neisse, having about 9000 inhabitants, garrison included. A special permission from the commandant is necessary in order to view the works. The statue of St. John Nepomuk was placed upon the donjon, by order of Frederick the Great, after he had taken the fortress. Baron Trenk escaped from its dungeons by jumping from the ramparts.

15 miles south east of Glatz are the baths of Landeck.

3 Reinerz. Inns: Goldene Krone; -Schwartzer Bår. A small town of 2100 inhabitants, surrounded by mountains. About a mile off, in a secluded valley, are some mineral baths, much frequented in summer. A few miles to the north of Reinerz rises the Heuscheuer, or Heuscheune, (Hay-barn, so called from its shape :) the highest point is the Grandfather's chair, 28,000 feet above the sea; from it the Carpathians are visible. At its foot, near the little village of Carlsberg, is an enormous assemblage of rocks, intersected in all directions by cracks and fissures. They cover an

extent of several hundred acres: many run to a great height, commanding a fine view from their summits, and assuming singular shapes; sometimes the masses resemble a vast fortress. The innkeeper at Carlsberg is also magistrate and guide, and conducts strangers up to and through the rocks for a fee of 5 S. gros.

Not far from this is the village of Alberndorf, remarkable for containing a much frequented Pilgrimage Church, with several minor chapels and stations, ornamented with figures of saints, and rude paintings representing the history of Christ.

In

the printed description of this town it is called a second Jerusalem; and in order to make out a resemblance to the real Jerusalem it has 12 gates: while a stream running through it is called Brook Kedron; and the pool of Bethesda, the house of St. Anne, and the palace of the High Priest, have each their representatives within the walls. The traveller puts up or is taken in at the Judgment-hall of Pilate!

The last Prussian village is Lewin; beyond it is the Austrian customhouse. About four miles from Lewin, off the road, lies Cudowa, whose mineral springs furnish a very strong chalybeate. There are two lodginghouses and an assembly-room on the spot. The inhabitants of the village are chiefly descendants of Bohemian Hussites.

3 Nachod. Inn, Lamm. The first

town in Bohemia; it has 2200 inhabitants, chiefly weavers. Its castle, which belonged originally to the Picolominis, commands a fine view of the whole range of the Riesengebirge. Near

2 Jaromirz, on the Elbe. this, on the left bank of the river, stands the fortress of Josephstadt.

21 Königsgratz. Inn, Das Goldene Lamm. Another frontier fortress, with large barracks for a garrison, and 7500 inhabitants; lies on the Elbe. The Cathedral, and the Church and Convent, which formerly belonged to the Jesuits, are the most remarkable buildings. Much cloth is made

here.

The public conveyances to Prague sometimes take a circuitous route by Chrudim and Czaslau, 18 German miles (861 English miles), where they fall into the high road from Prague to Vienna. The direct postroad is only 12 German miles (57% English) through

3 Chlumetz, a town of 2600 inhabitants, with a fine château belonging to Count Kinsky.

3 Podiebrad, a town of 2800 inhabitants, on the right bank of the Elbe. The ancient castle near it was the family seat of George Podiebrad, King of Bohemia.

2 Wellenka.

2 Gross Nehwizd.

3 PRAGUE; described in the Hand-book for Southern Germany.