Meanwhile, in the Erzgebirge...

First, before you think I was skipping school (perish the thought), today is Germany's birthday!

Strange as it sounds, the unified Germany we know today is just as old as I am.  (We both look very good for our age.)

The "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" is a national holiday, so I didn't have school today! On the downside, that means everything else in Germany is closed from the banks to the grocery stores.

Since the idea of hanging out in my apartment and doing nothing was not a very appealing prospect, I took an offer from Kaylee, one of the second year ETAs in Chemnitz, to head up into the Erzgebirge (aka the Ore Mountains). Even better, her German housemate, Sebastian, had a car and was willing to drive us.

So we drove up through the winding roads out of Chemnitz and into the Erzgebirge, home to the silver mines that made Saxony very rich.  The mountains also form the border between Germany and the Czech Republic, so as we drove along, we crossed over the border a couple of times!  The Erzgebirge is also home to the famous wooden handcrafts that are found in most German Christmas markets.

Most famously, the design of the nutcracker is based on the traditional garb and colors of Erzgerbirge mining guilds.

By all accounts from both former ETAs and Saxon residents alike, the Erzgebirge are a happenin' place to be in during the Christmas season.

Today, however, we visited the Fichtelberg, the highest mountain on the German side of the Erzgebirge.  During the winter months, it's a popular ski resort, but today, it made for wonderful hiking!  (See, I am slowly becoming German - I went hiking on my day off!)

Border sign with sister cities, including the Czech city
of Vejprty, which can be hilariously mispronounced
in so many ways.

Another border sign.

Once we reached the base of the Fichtelberg in the city of Oberwiesenthal, we took a cable car up to the summit!  It was easy to imagine the climb up when it's covered in snow, but the lush green grass was lovely too.

A view from the foot of the Fichtelberg.

Going up!

On the summit, there's a ski lodge and a restaurant, nicknamed
"Das Guck" which is a nominalization of the German
slang verb "gucken" or "to see/watch".

(It's also one of my favorite German
words just because it's so much fun to say!)

Germany!

More Germany! 

The Czech Republic!

A mix of both, I think.

Another view of "Das Guck"

The clouds were hanging low and gave all our photos a foggy glaze.

That's about 3,986 feet for those of you
playing at home.

Ski lifts and cable car tracks with a view onto Oberwiesenthal.

A cable car, complete with Saxon flags!

The top of the mountain was quite windy and chilly, so we took a hiking path down the mountainside. We took breaks to eat some snacks, take photos, and bask in the warmth of the sunlight.  Here are some of the sights we encountered!

As we walked down the mountain, we meandered and went on different paths.  We even frolicked across a meadow! (Well, Kaylee and I did. Sebastian was just confused by our American antics and refused to participate in our shenanigans.) 

We stopped at a little ski resort to warm up and relax with cups of coffee and hot chocolate before we continued the last bit of our decent.

The lovely Rowan berries (Vogelbeere) were ripe!
They make a delicious liquor, but you can't just eat
them off the tree - they're poisonous!

All in all, it was a lovely way to spend the day off, enjoying the last splendors of the German fall.  But I have to admit, I'm very tempted to return in the winter and practice my rusty downhill skiing skills!