The Elbe, which the Czechs call the Labe, does something dramatic here: it cuts its way out of Bohemia through a deep sandstone gorge, and the village of Hřensko sits right in the neck of it, on the Czech side of the border with Germany. This is the lowest point in the Czech Republic, around 115 metres above the sea, and the river leaves the country here to run on through Saxony towards Dresden and the North Sea. The data labels it a German point, but you are right on the line, with the cliffs towering above.
The sandstone is the star. Over millions of years the rock has been carved into towers, chimneys and narrow canyons, and the best known of them lie a short walk from here. The Pravčice Gate, the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, stands on a ridge above the village, and the gorges of the Kamenice river, where flat boats are poled through narrow cliffs, are open in the warmer months. This is Bohemian Switzerland, a national park, and a magnet for hikers.
The road along the river from Děčín is narrow and winding, with the cliffs on one side and the water on the other, and in summer it fills with coaches and cars. The best time to ride is early, before the first tourist buses, or on a weekday in spring or autumn. The border town of Hřensko itself is a bit of a tourist trap, with rows of souvenir stalls and cheap goods, but the setting is spectacular, and a coffee by the river is good value.
Děčín, with about fifty thousand people, is the nearest large town for fuel and shops, while Bad Schandau, on the German side, is smaller but has a pleasant riverfront. The surrounding forests are home to deer, wild boar, and, quietly returned in recent decades, lynx. Take your time; parking is limited, and the gorge is worth walking. It is a short, steep detour that stays in the memory longer than most.