Guide through Carlsbad and its environs/The Drives
IX.—THE DRIVES.
1. To the village of Hammer.—We drive to this place with the intention of visiting its porcelain manufactory or the Atelier of Giinther, a cabinet-maker, after which we ascend the Mecséry Höhe, at the back of the factory, where we see basalt columns, and enjoy a fine view. An omnibus leaves for here daily, starting from the place before the Theatre.
2. To Aich and the Hans Heiling Fels.—We drive past Hammer, and passing the so-called Aichen Gelenk, arrive at a place, whence we must walk to the Heiling Fels, which takes us about twenty minutes. Rumour says, that those interesting rocks on yonder bank of the Eger represent a wedding-party turned into stone. In Aich there is a porcelain manufactory, and the Restaurant of the Schlösschen affords a fine view. We return by passing the villages of Maierhöfen and Donitz.
3. To Fischern or Altrohlau we take a drive, on account of its fine porcelain manufactories.
4. To Elbogen is a drive of an hour and a half’s duration. If we go by rail, we have about half an hour’s walk from the station. The town is situated on a rocky plateau, surrounded by the Eger like an elbow (hence the name), and its principal attraction consists in a chain-bridge and Haidinger’s porcelain manufactory. We advise good pedestrians to drive to Elbogen before dinner, to dine there at the Hôtel Zum weissen Ross, and then to walk along the banks of the Eger to the Hans Heiling Fels in about two hours. The carriage may in the meantime proceed to Aich, from which place we return to Carlsbad.
5. To Schlaggenwald.— Passing Elbogen, we drive through the pleasant valley of the Flutbach, called the Zeche, and visit the porcelain manufactory, or the tin mines. This drive takes us two hours and a quarter.
6. To Falkenau.—We drive past Elbogen and the village of Altsattel, either by carriage or rail. In the neighbourhood of Falkenau hops are much cultivated. Its principal attraction is Count Nostiz’s park. This drive takes two hours and a half.
7. To Schlackenwerth we drive in an hour and a quarter, for the purpose of visiting its large and formerly celebrated garden. Returning, we may take the route past Welchau, Rodisfort, and the Giesshübler Sauerbrunn, in which case we must dine at Schlackenwerth.
8. To Hauenstein, we drive past Schlackenwerth in about two hours and a half. To make this excursion pleasant, we start before dinner, so as to dine at Hauenstein, and ascend the Himmelstein during the afternoon, where we can enjoy one of the finest views of the valley of the Eger, and see the ruins of four old knights’ castles. Going by rail, we have about an hour’s walk from the station.
9. To Joachimsthal and the Sonnenwirbel (Keilberg).—The former is celebrated for its mines; the latter is the highest point of the Erzgebirge, 3927 feet above the level of the sea. This excursion requires a whole day.
10. To Kupferberg; a very nice excursion. We go by rail to Schlackenwerth, and drive past Joachimsthal and the beautifully situated village of Oberhals to Kupferberg, where, with good horses, we arrive in about four hours. The view from the church-crowned Kupferhügel is one of the finest in Bohemia. We return by driving to Klösterle, and thence by rail.
11. To Engelhaus and the Schömnitzstein.—We drive from the Prager Strasse to the ruins of Engelhaus in about an hour’s time. From the Klingsteinkegel (468 feet high), adorned by the ruins, we enjoy a fine panoramic view. The Schömnitzstein (now Hermannstein), affording a fine view of the Eger valley, is about a quarter of an hour distant to the left of the carriage road. We return along the Eger on the Giesshübler Sauerbrunn Strasse.
12. To Neudek we drive in two hours, passing Altrohlau. We visit an excellent rolling-mill, a wool-spinning manufactory, and the ruins of an old castle.
13. To the Gresshübler Sauerbrunn we drive in an hour and a half, past the villages of Drahowitz, Satteles, Schömnitz, and Eichenhof. This is the most favourite drive. It is worth while to alight at Eichenhof, and to walk the remaining portion on the footpath winding along the Eger on the left-hand side of the carriage road. We may for this excursion go by omnibus, starting daily from the Becherplatz.
14. The excursion to Marienbad, Königswarth, Eger, and Franzensbad takes two days. Immediately after drinking the waters, we drive past Petschau and Einsiedl through magnificent valleys to Marienbad, where we arrive at about 1 P.M., and remain over night. Next morning, we join in the promenade at the Marienbad springs; then drive past Königswarth (stopping here for an hour) to Eger and Franzensbad, where we can see everything worthy of notice in one hour, and thence return by rail to Carlsbad.