Bohemian Paradise – ancient castles hiking tour

Day 1: Mnichovo Hradiště Castle – Valečov Castle Ruins – Kost Castle

The hiking tour starts in the town of Mnichovo Hradiště. There is a beautiful Renaissance castle with white and red plaster. You can admire collections of paintings, porcelain and ceramics, an old library that was once managed by Giacomo Casanova and the castle park with the church of Saint Anne, where the tomb of the famous czech general Duke of Wallenstein is located.

Following the red route you will reach the ruins of Valecov Castle after five kilometers. The castle was looted during the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century. The remains of the walls used to be covered with a wooden roof. The next castle on the route is Kost. A well-preserved medieval castle, which has been burnt down and rebuilt countless times – hence its Gothic appearance. Inside you can see the so-called “black kitchen” and a historical collection of weapons. In the high season there are performances by a cheerful medieval theater company and beautiful knight tournaments.

TIP: if you have any energy left: hike through the romantic stream valley Plakánek (Údolí Plakánek).
From your overnight stay you have a view to this castle. In case of insufficient capacity, an alternative accommodation will be offered.

• Distance: 19 km
• Climbing: 296 m
• Descent: 221 m
• Overnight: Hotel Pošta, Sobotka.

Day 2: Castle ruin Trosky – Hrubá Skála castle

Right at the start of the day you will see the most famous dominant of the Bohemian Paradise: Trosky Castle. The route leads you to this castle ruin, which is protected as a national cultural monument.

The castle is built on two volcanic peaks and consists of two towers, which dominate the whole area. The lowest and also the thickest is called Baba (Old woman) and the highest and thinnest is called Panna (Virgin). The towers offer great views over the landscape.

From Trosky you descend to the pond Vidlák. Through the forests you come to the castle Hrubá Skála, in its vicinity are many sandstone rocks that are so typical of this area. Hrubá Skála Castle is built on rocky plateaus and, unlike in the past, you no longer have to walk over a drawbridge to reach the courtyard. You can climb the castle tower to end this day and, with a bit of luck, enjoy a beautiful sunset within this romantic setting.

• Distance: 16 km
• Climbing: 308 m
• Descent: 263 m
• Overnight: Hrubá Skála Castle (upgrade) or Hotel Štekl

Day 3: Valdštejn Castle – Hrubý Rohozec Castle

You walk from Hrubá Skála to the castle Valdštejn past innumerable rocks and rock groups and viewing plateaus, so-called rock cities.
All rocks also have their own names: the Evening Tower, the Kattenkop, the Conductor and so on. And with a little imagination you will also find out why. An imposing stone bridge with Baroque statues of some czech patron saints leads to the gate of the gothic castle Valdštejn. This fortress with its chapel was a popular pilgrimage site. The baroque castle was later renovated in a romantic style. Walking through the woods you come to the town of Turnov. A town known as a fairytale city and where traditionally jewelry with dragged stones (garnets) is produced. They can also be viewed in the local museum.

You walk straight through the city to the castle Hrubý Rohozec, where, among other things, the living and clothing trends from the Renaissance onwards. The castle park invites you to rest in the shade of centuries-old beech trees.

You walk to the station in Turnov where your car is parked and / or where you take the train to continue your journey elsewhere.

• Distance: 7,5 km
• Climbing: 93 m
• Descent: 189 m
• Overnight: none

Difficulty Grade: Easy to Moderate ( )

Appropriate for regular walkers. Requires reasonable level of fitness. The trip covers an average of 15 km (5-7 hours) of hiking per day, with a possibility of extended walks (read more about explanation of our difficulty grades). There is a possibility to do part of the route per slow train, thus lowering the difficulty grade to Easy.

Minimum age depends ofcourse per kid but we recommand from 12 years.

Route Navigation in the field

You will walk mostly on sandy roads and even some gravel/asphalt paved roads. All trails are well-marked in the field. We advise  to follow only the marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. Off trail walking is strongly forbidden. We will provide you with detailed navigation instructions and maps (1:40.000 or 1:25.000).  You can call us 24/7 for assistance (however preferably during working hours only).

More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your booking documents.

Best time to go

This trip as available from April until October. In July and August it can sometimes be quite warm so if you want to bus sure to avoid those conditions we recommand april, mai, june, september or even oktober (indian summer :-)).  During weekends it is generally a bit more busy at some hot spots like Prachovske Skay and some catles like Trosky and Hruba Skala.

The busiest months are july and august. If you want to travel in that specific term, it is preferable that you book as early as possible. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your holiday on any date in the season, therefore please indicate desired starting date when booking.

Weather

The climate is typical for Central Europe. Humid summers with occasional hot spells, and cold, cloudy and humid winters. If you are planning a trip to the Czech Republic, weather will probably be one of your concerns. Czech Republic’s climate is comparable to that of southern inland Canada. Summer in the Czech Republic typically covers the period from June through mid-September. Czech summers are usually mild (20-27°C/70-80°F) and somewhat humid, with the highest temperatures up to 30-35°C/85-95°F (occasionally higher) for short periods. Such heat waves can be expected in July and August. Sudden showers and thunderstorms are common, so bring an umbrella or be prepared to dash for cover.

Recommanded weather information: yr.no

What to bring

We recommend that you travel as light as possible because airlines nowadays charge larges fees for luggage above 15kg. Ideally, you should bring one piece of luggage weighing not more than 25 kg (to be checked in) and a daily pack (15 – 20 l backpack) for your daily essentials (snacks, drinking water, camera, etc). Below is a indicative list of what you should bring with you on this trip. More detailed information will be included in your booking information documents. If you need further advice, please contact us or ask at you local outdoor retailer.

• Good hiking boots (we have seen hikers on sneakers though)
• Hiking socks (at least 2 pairs or 3 pairs on the longer trips)
• Several t-shirts (cotton or preferably breathable/fast drying)
• Waterproof and windproof jacket with hood
• Synthetic mid layer or warm fleece
• Shoes/slippers – to relax and wear inside accommodation (shower / toilet)
• Sunglasses, sunscreen skin protector and lip salve
• Hat/Baseball cap
• First Aid kit (aspirine, diaria profilact)
• A good book 🙂