This impressive scenery along the Elbe River in Germany was given this name by an explorer who noted its similarity to the landscape of Switzerland.

That's the Elbe River way down there. Note the absence of cruise ships. The water level was too low.

Our ship, the "River Allegro" had a shallow draft and
was able to navigate a good portion of the river even in low water,
but this section was inaccessible even to us.

SO, not wanting to disappoint its travelers, GCT (Grand Circle Travel) booked passage for all of us on this 125 year old steamboat
which was able to travel in very low river levels.

Thank you GCT!

Note: cruise lines using larger boats were unable to navigate the river at all. They were stuck in port and their passengers had bus tours of the area.

I enjoyed watching the antique machinery and the paddle wheel itself, but the photo was just a blur.

Now we could look UP at the area we had just walked

We walked that stone bridge way up there

Lots to see along the river itself - houses, churches, hotels and even a castle