The 120 km Grand Tour: a 4 day hike along the best trails in Český ráj
- This walk provides the ultimate tour of Český ráj. It is a strenuous but rewarding four day continuous walk, with three overnight stops, along nearly 120 km of the best trails in the region. The tour traverses almost every sandstone rock area in the region and all the major castles and chateaux. The chosen route uses segments of the famous ‘Zlatá stezka’ (Golden trail) which is the traditional long distance multi day route through the region. However, the Zlatá stezka misses quite a number of exciting locations, so this tour hopefully provides a more comprehensive itinerary, including some of the best lesser known sights in Český ráj
- The tour can be done in either direction, starting and finishing at two mainline train stations, Turnov and Mnichovo Hradiště, where there are direct and regular trains to/from Prague. The route described below assumes a start in Turnov and a finish in Mnichovo Hradiště, which gives the hardest day on Day 1 (and does mean a very early start is needed if travelling to Turnov that morning). There is also the option of driving to Turnov and leaving the car in the conveniently located large parking at Turnov bus station for the duration of the tour
- Day 1 (or Day 4 if doing the trip in reverse) involves starting and finishing in Turnov, so this provides an option to reduce the trip to three days, by skipping the entire northern section of Český ráj, if needed
Here are the highlights of the four days:
- Day 1 :The walk starts from the main train station at Turnov (to which there are regular direct trains from Prague) . The route traverses four separate sandstone rock areas; the Klokočské skály (with their impressive cliff views) , Besedické (with their intricate maze-like paths) , the spiky Vranov ridge and finally the tranquil Drábovna rocks. The route also visits the romantic medieval rock castle ruins of Rotštejn, Zbiroh, Vranov and Frýdštejn, the town of Malá Skála, the volcanic hill of Sokol and includes a photogenic section along the river Jizera. Day 1 finishes back in the centre of Turnov, where there are various accommodation options (including the Bohemia Inn). This is the hardest day of the four, at 33km long , with approximately 1000m height gained/lost during the trip
- Day 2: This day explores the central area of Český ráj, with most of the time spent exploring the Hrubá Skála rocks, visiting the castles of Valdštejn, Hrubá Skála and the mysterious rock ruins of Kozlov. The route on day 2 passes many Český ráj’s most famous viewpoints, as well as some lesser known lookout places. The day finishes at Hrubá Skála , where there are two accommodation options; hotel Štekl and hotel Zámek Hrubá Skála. Day 2 is the shortest day, at 25 km, with approximately 600m of height gained/lost during the trip
- Day 3: This day follows a section of the classic ‘Golden Trail’ from Hrubá Skála past the lake of Vidlák, the Apolena rocks and on to the iconic castle of Trosky, then diverts for a short exploration of the extraordinary rocks and viewpoints of the Prachovské skály, before returning to spend the night in the historic old town of Sobotka, with its famous examples of folk architecture. The accommodation options in Sobotka include the attractive hotel Pošta. Day 3 is 31 km long with approximately 500m of height gained/lost during the trip
- Day 4 : The final day also uses a famous segment of the Golden trail, between the medieval castles of Kost and Valečov. The route passes through the whole length of the Příhrazské rock area, but before reaching Kost, there is an opportunity to see the Humprecht hunting lodge, the heritage village of Vesec and the fascinating Plakánek valley. The walk finishes at the main train station in Mnichovo Hradiště (from which there are direct trains to Prague, or back to Turnov, if there is a car parked there). Day 4 is 28 km long, with approximately 600m of height gained/lost during the day
- Overall, the paths for this walk are on good trails and some minor roads. There are, however, several steep step sections in the rock formations, and some paths can get very muddy and slippery during wet weather
- The route switches frequently between different marked (and occasionally unmarked) trails, so good route finding skills are necessary for this trip
- Refreshments should be available at various restaurants and kiosks throughout the trip, during the main tourist season from spring to autumn, so supplies other than snacks and drinking water generally need not be carried, unless undertaking the tour from November to March
“One of the goals I set myself when creating this guide was to try to combine all my favourite Český ráj trails, viewpoints, castles and sandstone rocks into one coherent multiday walk, with overnight stays in places I would actually enjoy stopping at. This is my attempt to fulfill that goal. There are a few more places I would ideally like to have included – like the views from the Borek rocks and Přivýšina, or the Komarovský and Věžický lakes – but it pretty much covers the rest! I hope someone, some day, gives it a try. You might even see me on the trail.”
Day 1
- Start at Turnov main train station. If traveling by car, then the large car park ‘Centrální’ which is next to the river and the bus terminal is a convenient option
- From the train station and/or car park, take the YELLOW trail in the direction of the town centre, passing through the main square and continuing on the YELLOW trail in the direction of Postojna
- After a section in the forest near Turnov, then on quiet roads through the village of Běla, the trail enters the sandstone area, approximately 4 km from the town square
- Continue on the YELLOW trail to reach the Postojna sandstone cave complex
- From the caves, continue on the YELLOW trail past the restaurant Na Klokočských skalách (refreshment point) and to the Klokočské skály cliff edge. Continue to the right along the YELLOW trail (direction Rotštejn)
- After a very attractive 1 km section of path through the rocks (steep step sections), reach the rock castle ruin of Rotštejn
- From the castle continue down on the YELLOW trail down to the road, but there leave the yellow trail and turn to the left joining the blue marked cycle trail.
- Follow the blue cycle path along the road for 800m into the village of Klokočí. Stay on the blue cycle path, past the Klokočí signpost post, turning to the left 100m after this signpost
- After 1.7 km on this road, reach the Betlémský mlýn signpost, and join the YELLOW hiking trail again
- Follow the YELLOW trail in the direction of Michovka for 1.6 km to reach the 1st World War memorial. At the war memorial turn left to follow the red cycle trail
- Follow the red cycle trail for 1.1 km along the road until meeting the GREEN hiking trail. Turn off the road to the right, up the hill, following the GREEN trail marks
- After 200m reach the rock castle ruins of Zbiroh. From Zbiroh, continue on the GREEN trail down the hill to the signpost of U tůňky
- At U tůňky take the BLUE trail (direction Kalich) for 800m through the intricate and unusual Besedické rock formations, finally joining up with the RED trail 100m after leaving the last of the rock sections
- Turn left along the RED trail and follow this for 200m until meeting the YELLOW trail at the Kalich – Na Rovně signpost
- Take the YELLOW trail and stay on this trail through the second section of rocks for 700m. Leave the rock sections and reach the signpost of Pánovo pole.
- At Pánovo pole stay on the YELLOW trail to visit the taking the lookout point on the volcanic hill of Sokol (views over the Suché skály)
- After visiting Sokol, return back along the YELLOW trail to the signpost of Pánovo pole road. There join the RED trail and follow this down for 1.2 km to the town of Malá skála.
- At the signpost Malá Skála – kap, in the town centre, there is an option to visit the famous pub/restaurant of Boučkův statek which is 100m along the road to the left (follow the BLUE trail).
- From Boučkův statek, return back to the Malá Skála – kap signpost and take the RED trail. Follow this alongside the river for 500m, and cross the river on the footbridge to reach the Malá skála parking area.
- From the car park take the RED trail (behind the Pizzeria) steeply up to the castle of Vranov , diverting briefly to the left to visit the impressively airy lookout point vyhlídka Zahrádka and then on to the castle itself
- From Vranov continue on the RED trail up the sandstone ridge. After 1.7km reach the medieval castle of Frýdštejn
- From Frýdštejn continue on the RED trail, initially on the road and then turning into the forest, following signs for Drábovna
- 300m after leaving the road there is small detour to the Pantheon viewpoint, at the beginning of the rock city
- After 800m reach the signpost of Nad Malou Skálou. Continue on the RED trail through the rock formations, crossing the main road and continuing on the RED trail towards Dolánky ( which is reached approximately 4.2 km from Nad Malou Skálou)
- At Dolánky, pass the Dlaskův statek open air folk muzeum and after 300m turn onto the BLUE trail and cross the Jizera river via a footbridge.
- Continue on the BLUE trail for 200m and just before the footbridge over the canal turn right onto the asphalt path marked as the red cycle trail. Follow this trail along the attractive canal for 1.4 km back towards the Centrální car park.
- Before reaching the car park, take the footbridge across the canal, and then after a further 50m, up some steps which lead up to Skálova street
- Turn right along Skálova street, past the interesting Muzeum of Český ráj (worth visiting with any spare time) and into the town square. If staying at the Bohemia Inn it is 150m from the square along the 5. května street.
Day 2
- Start Day 2 at Turnov main square, and take the GREEN trail in the direction of Valdštejn.
- Join with the RED (Zlatá stezka) trail and continue towards Valdštejn, past the Hlavtice viewpoint (worth a quick ascent), and on to Valdštejn castle (which is worth a visit)
- Return back 600m on the RED trail to reach the signpost of U Konic. Turn left onto the YELLOW trail (direction Kacanov)
- After 2km reach the hotel/restaurant Králiček
- Continue on the YELLOW trail for 900m to reach the Podpohoří signpost. Turn left onto the GREEN trail (direction Podpohoří)
- After 65m pass a statue on the left and turn immediately to the right down a wide unmarked track, heading towards the half-timbered house
- Continue down this path for 700m, alongside the photogenic Vústra pond, to meet the YELLOW trail just past the pond
- Turn right onto the YELLOW trail and follow this for 1.1 km through the forest and then steeply up to the rock castle of Kozlov (Chlum)
- Continue on the YELLOW trail on steps through the rocks, past the viewpoint and down to hill to reach the Podpohoří signpost again
- Now take the GREEN trail in the direction of Pohoří, up the hill to reach the village. Continue on the GREEN trail through the village. Just past the newly constructed Penzion Na Pohoří there is a short (200m) diversion to the quiet Bezděz viewpoint
- From Bezděz return back to the GREEN trail and follow this through the woods/along the road to reach after 1.5 km the Rybníčky signpost. Here take the BLUE trail (direction Kacanovy)
- Follow the BLUE trail for 2.9 km through the village up the hill to reach the farmhouse Kopicův statek. Just before the farmhouse there is an (optional but interesting) trail to see the unusual rock reliefs carved into the sandstone rocks last century
- From the farmhouse continue on the BLUE trail for 1.3 km to reach the U Kavčin signpost. Stay on the BLUE trail for a further 2.1 km to reach the signpost of Antonínův pramen.
- At Antonínův pramen take the YELLOW trail in the direction of Hrubá Skála, and follow this for 1.5 km stopping off at the famous viewpoints, before reaching the signpost of U Adamova lože
- Here it is worth diverting 1.6 km along the RED trail through the Arboretum to visit the most famous Hrubá Skála viewpoints of Na Kapelu and U Lvíčka, then return back to U Adamova lože signpost
- From here, the final section of the day is to take the steps down on the BLUE trail and then the GREEN trail up the steps through the Myší díra canyon to reach the Hrubá Skála square [Note this final tiring, but interesting, step section can be avoided if required by simply following the RED trail along to Hrubá Skála]
- On the square are the two accommodation options for the night: hotel Štekl and hotel Zámek Hrubá Skála
Day 3
- Start Day 3 on Hrubá Skála square, and follow the RED (Zlatá stezka) trail in the direction of Trosky. The trail descends to the attractive Podtrosecká valley, past the Vidlák lake, through the Apolena rocks and arrives at Trosky castle (7.2 km from Hrubá Skála)
- The castle is worth visiting, if there is time, for its spectacular views from the towers
- From Trosky, take the BLUE trail in the direction of Mladějov. After 4.9 km reach the signpost of Mladějov are there connect onto the RED trail in the direction of Prachovské skály.
- After 3.9 km reach the small rock fortress of Pařez (climbing to the top is optional…) and from there it is a further 1.9 km to the start of the Prachovské skály
- There are several trails within the rocks, which can be explored with lots of time available. However, to get a sample of the views, take the RED trail after passing through the ticket office (payment requirement) to visit the Vyhlídka Českého ráje and from there take the GREEN trail to visit the Míru and Hlaholská viewpoints. Return back to the ticket office on the RED trail down the famous Císařská chodba steps
- From the entrance to the rocks return back to Mladějov along the outbound route – 5.7 km back to the Mladějov signpost.
- From here walk 500m along the main road, following the route 14 cycle trail, past the train station and then turn to the right onto a side road, still following the cycle route 14.
- After 1.3 km on the cycle route, the trail joins up with the GREEN hiking trail at the Podhura signpost. Turn left onto the GREEN trail and follow this for 4 km to the centre of the town of Sobotka. If staying overnight at the hotel Pošta, it is located directly on the town square
Day 4
- Start Day 4 from Sobotka main square. Take the GREEN trail through the old town and after 600m turn right onto the BLUE trail the BLUE in the direction of Humprecht, diverting briefly to visit the Baroque hunting lodge if desired
- Continue from Humprecht on the BLUE trail to reach the main road where there is a car park for the Hunting lodge. Turn left and continue walking straight along the road – do not follow any of the marked trails (these take longer to reach the same point without being in particularly interesting terrain)
- After 1.2km, the BLUE hiking trail joins the road. Continue straight along the road (also on the BLUE trail) for a further 300m. On the left , just after the cross, take the turning into the attractive heritage village of Vesec
- From Vesec continue on the BLUE trail through the start of the Plakánek valley for 2.3 km to reach the signpost of Plakánek – údolí. Here turn right onto the YELLOW trail and follow this for 1.7 km to reach the castle of Kost . At Kost there are various refreshment options including Restaurant Kost.
- From Kost, continue on the RED trail (the Zlatá stezka) through the village of Srbsko to reach the signpost of Hynšta after 6.9km. There is an optional detour (0.3km) to visit the small rock fort/cave of Hynšta.
- Continue on the RED trail for 1km to reach to car park of Příhrazy. From there the trail climbs up to the small rock fort of Stará Hrada (steep steps) after 1km
- Continue on 1.4km to reach Krásná vyhlídka viewpoint, where there is an excellent restaurant Na krásné vyhlídce
- Continue on the RED trail passing through the Studený průchod rock cleft and past the Vyhlídkové místo and Heroldova viewpoints
- After 1.5km reach the interesting rock castle of Drábské světničky.
- Continue on for 500m to reach the signpost of Klamorna (optional detour to the small rock fort)
- From Klamorna, continue on the RED trail for 3.6km to reach the castle of Valečov
- Continue past the car park of Pod Valečovem (refreshments available in the kiosk) into the village of Zásadka and then across the fields to reach Mnichovo Hradiště train station (4.1km from Zásadka).
- With some extra time consider walking into the centre to visit the large baroque chateau of Mnichovo Hradiště (note: it is a 1.3km walk to the chateau from the train station)