As a self-confessed bookworm for me it is always important to be informed about books in a region. So I had a look how a bookworm would get its food in Saxon Switzerland.
There are several possibilities of course:
Hotels/Accomodations
In many hotels or appartments your can find an assortment of books, that you can read during your stay. Some have more some have less books. In some hotel rooms you will find a test sample and you can buy the book afterwards at the reception. Some suites are also equipped with a handful of books. In other hotels you will see a book shelf at the lobby or they have a library also equipped with nice and cosy armchair so that you can just stay there and get lost in a book. Some times you can order a snack or you will get served coffee and cake.
Library
In case you need more choice try the municipal library in Pirna. It is not only in a wonderful old building with old frescos but also spreads about three several levels and offers views into the past on a few occasions. There are old paintings, antique doors and locks. Everybody will find something here. There are many small rooms and you can get everything from A – Z and even movies and audio files. If you like you can start reading right away because there are cosy corners everywhere with chairs where one can put the head into a book. For tourists there is a day ticket. With that you can not only stroll through the library but you can also borrow books so that you can read during your holiday stay. You should only remember to give them back before leaving. At the lobby you can buy rejected books for the smybolic price of 1 Euro.
Bookshop
Of course there are bookshops in Pirna and surrounding so that you can also buy books.
Bookcase
In Bad Schandau Krippen there is an open bookcase in an old phone booth. The principal of open bookcases is always the same. You can take books or leave some books yourself. Some books are registered with book exchange platforms so you can see where the books are traveling. Other books are just passed on and on. This is a nice thing when traveling. You can take a book and leave it in another open bookcase in a different location. A list with public bookcases you can find here.
Authors
How about books that have been written by local authors? At the library in Pirna they are marked with a special sign. Saxon authors can also be experienced at readings from the „Literaturforum Bibliothek“:
http://www.saechsischer-literaturrat.de/literaturforum-bibliothek.html
Location
And then there are of course those books that play in Saxon Switzerland. It is always fascinating to see the locations where a story takes place right away and feel the action and emotions. Here we have some examples (German):
Jahnslieb – Legende der Sächsisch-Böhmischen Schweiz von Swetlana Neumann
Felssturz von Stefan Jahnke
Birkfalken von Stefan Jahnke
Unterdrückt von Stefan Jahnke
Wie das Leben so spielt von Johanna Ancke
Does anybody know about tranlations of these books?
Reading places
So when you have enough to read – does not matter whether you bought the book or borrowed it, whether from a Saxon author or somebody else – the question is: where to read? Again we had a look around and found some nice places to bury oneself in a book.
At the winter garden from the winter village in Schmilka
Here you can sit all day. In the morning you can have breakfast until noon. After that you can have a snack and in the afternoon you will be served coffee and fresh baked cake. In-between you can change to the sauna and read on there.
Café Central
At the café central you can either sit in the shopping window and have a look outside once in a while or you huddle next to the tile stove. You can get fine hot drinks and tortes or handmade pralines and chocolate.
The Eleven Kaffeebar
Here there is a cosy lounge at the back of the café with much space for reading. You will be served nice teas or coffee specialities and the owner baked gorgeous cakes as she is a trained baker. There you can spend quite some time.
Café and Winehouse Schmolle
Schmolle is a coffee roaster and a wine house and the shop is a master plan. You can sit by the fire side and read or order the fine dishes or nice tortes. Furthermore there are very nice decorations and wines that you can purchase. Also here you can spent some time.
In a ‘Baude'
Many of these ‘Baude' invite you to stay. Why not reading a book and once in a while lift your head and enjoy the nice view? Some of the huts have a fireplace or a tile stove with a fire burning. And some do have a book shelf.
What is your favourite place and book?
All photos © DieMeurers