Searching out snow

Since Dresden hasn’t gotten much (read: any) snow this year, we decided to try our luck in a small town called “Altenburg” near the Czech border.  It was only a 1-hour train trip and a relatively small altitude change, but in terms of snow, it made a world of difference.  Altenburg looked like a winter wonderland compared with Dresden.  We rented cross country skis near the train station and then walked a few blocks to the beginning of the trails.  The trails criss-cross the forest in every direction, which can be a bit treacherous if you aren’t paying attention to directions!  We kept the route simple by trudging directly uphill for the first hour.  At the top of the hill, we found a cozy little restaurant for food and drinks – because this is Europe! – and then we skied back down the hill in about 15 minutes to get back to town.