You know the fashion of “traveling like a local” in the city you are traveling to.. I’m in no mood to criticize. We normally love to visit tourist spots, but when we look for alternative routes, we naturally attack the recommendations of living people.. On our way back to Prague in April this year, we had the following question in our minds: Where are these people fleeing for the weekend? Is there a place where they camp like Iz Mountains or Yedigöller? If there is, who knows what the national park of a country we passed through, even in its parks in the city, would be?… Then we found ourselves on the roads of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
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About Bohemian Switzerland – Where is Bohemian Switzerland?
Czech-Saxon Switzerland National Park; a huge national park partly located in Germany and partly in Czechia, bisected by the Elbe River and containing the fascinating Elbe Sandstone Mountains. As you can see from the map below, it consists of 4 main parts: Saxon Switzerland (Germany), Tisa (Czech), Czech Switzerland (Czech), Šluknovsko & Lužické mountains (Czech). I don’t want to confuse you, the other name of Czech Switzerland is Bohemian Switzerland.
If you want to tour the whole park area, I think you should spare at least two weeks or so.. What you will see in the national park is not just natural beauties.. It is possible to see castles built in the Middle Ages and other ruins hidden among the rocks.. But I’d better warn ahead of time; Since there is no information in English where there are historical ruins, we couldn’t go beyond looking at the ruins and guessing.
Bohemian Switzerland’s popularity in the country increased with the shooting of The Chronicles of Narnia movie here.. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll remember that magnificent tree-lined region of Narnia.. Here is a part of that geography in New Zealand and some in Bohemian Switzerland.
How to Get to Bohemian Switzerland?
* Departure by Train
If you intend to come from Prague to Bohemian Switzerland using public transport, all you have to do is take the train from Prague to Děčín. Since all trains from Prague to Dresden or Berlin go through the Děčín stop, it is very easy to book tickets during the day, you can find a seat on the trains that leave from 04:00 in the morning.. The journey takes 1.5 – 2 hours, depending on the type of train. You can find more detailed information about Prague’s central train station in the article “PRAGUE TRAVEL GUIDE“.
Your journey will not end in Děčín’. You need to go a little further towards the National Park area.. The place you will go will vary depending on where you start the walk, but if you set out to walk to the most popular spots that I will explain in this article, your starting point should be Hřensko.. That’s why you have to take the bus from Děčín’ and get off at Hřensko’. Since the buses do not pass very often, if you are going to choose this route, you should consider the bus waiting time, which can take up to 1 hour.. (There are also boats going from Děčín to Hřensko during the summer, but I couldn’t find much detailed information about this.)
If you are planning to make a daily escape from Prague, I recommend you to set off as early as possible in the morning.. You can find the route details according to the time and condition in the rest of the article.
* Departure by Car
Hiring a car is the most practical way of transportation, but it is a bit difficult to use in Prague.. For more detailed information on the subject, click on the “PRAGUE TRANSPORTATION GUIDE“. We preferred to rent a car and go because we did not want to waste our time with train-bus transfers by making the best use of our time.. The route to be followed is the same as the train route; From Prague, we took the motorway and headed towards Dresden and arrived at Děčín’ and followed the signs to Hřensko.. The total of this whole journey takes 1.5 hours under normal conditions, but we coincided with the road construction work by chance, so we waited intermittently and arrived in 2.5 hours.
Car from Prague. What is the advantage of renting and going? I mentioned that Bohemian Switzerland National Park is a huge place.. As there are many different route alternatives, you have the opportunity to shape a certain route according to you.. So don’t assume that all inputs and outputs are from Hřensko. As long as you have a car, you can move much more comfortably both at the starting point and in choosing accommodation.. In addition, after a day of constant climbing and exhaustion, it may feel a little comfortable to move by car.
* Departure by Tour
If you are one of those who do not like to deal with a plan, you can join a one-day or a few-day Bohemian Switzerland tours from Prague.. One of the most popular companies in this regard is Northern Hikes.
When to Go to Bohemian Switzerland?
It is said that Bohemian Switzerland offers a different beauty in every season of the year. but you may have heard of Prague’s cold in winter.. Frankly, it’s not for me to go to a place that is further north than Prague and on the hill, and suffer.. If you are good with snow and cold, it is your choice to include it in your plans, of course.. I would like to point out that if you go before April, you cannot do the famous boat tour.
We went exactly during the 23rd of April and we encountered a wonderful weather above the seasonal normals.. The sun was never missing from our top, the wind was not very effective, but we still had to wear underwear early in the morning and in the evening.
How Many Days to Stay in Bohemian Switzerland?
Ugur’s answer to this question “Forever!”. It may not sound very special to someone living in any city in Europe, but we are so longing for green that we pass out when we see such places.. Also, as the name suggests, this is a region known for its resemblance to the Swiss Alps.. The difference is that Czechia is more economical than Switzerland.. That’s why to those who have time, “Stay as long as you can.” i say. But if you don’t have time and want to see the main points, you even have the chance to come for a day.. The house we stayed in was so beautiful that we should have enjoyed the garden of the house as well, but we did not have the opportunity to take a walk in the park during the day.
Recommendations for Accommodation in Bohemian Switzerland
The most popular Bohemian Switzerland If you are going to make the route that includes the following points and you do not have a car, the most suitable point for your accommodation will be Hřensko or Mezní Louka. Here you can find a wide variety of hotel and chalet alternatives.. From what I saw from the outside, the bungalows of the U Forta Hotel in Mezní Louka were very attractive in a lush garden.. I can recommend it to those who come without a car as there is a bus stop right in front of it.. If you wish, you can also set up a tent right next to the hotel.
We were a little late in booking, so we found the hotel prices high, so we rented a charming chalet in an area a little further from the center.. The house we booked through Booking.com is not a property; Furnished house of a local woman: Apartment Renata. It contained every material that could be needed.. Even though the weather was not very cold, they burned the heaters in the evening, we did not have a heating problem.. The only problem was that the host woman didn’t speak a word of English.. It had no effect other than worrying that we would have trouble meeting up.. A place that I can strongly recommend to those who will come by car.. The nightly rent of the house for four people is 50 €.
The fact that it is far from the center, the comfort of using a huge house of our own, the possibility of having a barbecue, etc.. Considering the features, the chalet seemed warmer to us, but there are points in this region where it is more advantageous to stay in a hotel.. There are not many restaurants around, most of the places to eat are the kitchens of the hotels.. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of cooking, you should choose a hotel.. Click here to review other accommodation alternatives in the region. We planned that we would at least have breakfast at home, but we couldn’t even find a suitable market in the area; we were able to buy drinking wine under the blanket at most in the evening. If you intend to cook at home, do not forget to do your grocery shopping before you come here.
My last warning is for those who are looking for an alternative location… Since this place is very close to the Dresden border, when you search for a hotel or house in Bohemian Switzerland, you can find a place in Dresden, Saxon Switzerland. can show you alternatives. You should not miss the full address, phone number code, website extension of the place you are looking at, and check whether it is in Czechia or Germany.
Food and Drink Advice
Do all the food and drink before you go. I didn’t do a venue research because we thought we would handle it ourselves.. But when things didn’t go as planned, we ate at the central points on the route or in places we found empty.. Potato dishes, chicken varieties and local Czech dishes were available in all the places we saw.. As we did not encounter a place we were not satisfied with, I would like to share a few points with you.
After arriving at Pravčická Brána, the famous natural gate, beer-potatoes against the view I can’t describe the joy. Whether you carry your own food and beverages; if you want, you can use the restaurant under the structure built into the rock, known as Falcon’s Nest, but I definitely recommend you to take a break here.
For dinner, we chose U Raka, one of the restaurants in the center of Hrensko.. There is no English menu in the place. Since we don’t want to take risks with the order (Meat with whipped cream can come, because Czechs like it that way.). You can find the details in the article FOOD AND BEVERAGE IN PRAGUE.) We ordered schnitzel and cordon bleu for sure.. We were served huge portions that we couldn’t finish and it was amazingly delicious. In addition, the interior of the place is completely 19. It’s like a tiny museum full of rifles and accessories from the 19th century.
We were a little worried about breakfast because we couldn’t shop for food and we thought that we would have a hard time finding an open space because we would start walking early.. On the second day, we went to Mezní Louka, where we will start our route, and were included in the breakfast buffet of The Brana Way Hotel.. And we got rid of the hassle of parking by parking our car in the empty area in front of the hotel before the weekend crowd increased.
Trekking Details – Most Popular Hiking Routes
Countless hiking and cycling routes in different regions within the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. there are alternatives. All of the trails are shown in different colors on the map.. The trees on the route are painted in accordance with the universal coding system.. We followed a route that we could finish at the point where we started, and we walked two different routes in two days, as we had the aim of returning to the place where we left the car.. In order for the points I wrote on the routes to make sense, let me first talk about the places that must be seen.
• Pravčická Brána
The names are very confusing, I know.. This is Bohemian Switzerland’s iconic nature formation and also Europe’s largest natural gateway. It was possible to climb on this rock until 1982, but when it started to be damaged due to erosion, the climb was prohibited.. There is also a scene of walking on this rock in The Chronicles of Narnia, actually a montage.. Pravčická Brána, with its surrounding sandstone formations, offers a magnificent view due to its hilltop location.. There is also a castle built between the cliffs on its side, called Falcon’s Nest.
You can stand under this natural gate or go up to the viewpoints from afar, but you have to pay a certain fee for all of them.. Full 75 CZK (3 €), student 25 CZK (1 €)
April – October visiting hours: 10:00-18:00
November-March visiting hours: 10:00-16:00
• Kamenice Gorges
This route, where the Kamenice River breaks through the rocks and surrounded by giant pine trees, is one of the most magical places of Bohemian Switzerland National Park.. The real beauty of the walking route here is this; In some places, you have to go by boat because the road ends.. This boat trip consists of two parts, Wild Gorge (Divoka Soutěska) and Edmund Gorge (Tichá Soutěska) and has a breathtaking nature that cannot be described in words.. The guides driving the boat give detailed information about the ruins hidden left and right, but in Czech.. The one-way fare for each boat trip is 80 CZK (3.5 €), the student 40 CZK (1.5 €). don’t let the walls come. 14 here. There was a small castle in the 19th century, but there is no structure now.. However, they provided the opportunity to climb by mounting irons on giant rocks.. Behind the climbing made by holding your breath, there is a lush landscape reminiscent of the Swiss Alps.. In my opinion, the main thing is the roads you take to get here!
1. ROUTE: Hřensko – Pravčická Brána — Mezni Louka – Divoka Soutěska – Tichá (Edmundova) Soutěska – Hřensko (15 km)
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As we set off from Prague in the morning on the first day and were caught in traffic on the way, it took us 12:00 to start the route.. I would definitely not recommend starting this late!! After leaving the car in the car park at No:1 on the map, we started walking towards the famous gatePravčická Brána.. The part up to here is a very comfortable track, it is difficult for people of all ages to walk.. The road to be walked is surrounded by wooden fences. Even if you don’t look at the map, the road takes you. We reached the door after 1 hour, walking briskly and taking photo breaks in between.. After wandering around the view points at the gate and taking a small snack break, we continued towards Mezni Louka at 14:30.
The road between No:2 and No:3 takes about 70 minutes on a brisk walk without a break.. The difficulty level is simple, but when there are ups and downs in between, it is a bit tiring. Mezni Louka is another center with hotels and restaurants. You can meet your toilet needs, water from the market, etc.. you can do your shopping. Lunch or coffee break at U Forta’s restaurant can also be a good alternative.. Since we didn’t have time, we continued on our way without lingering here because we have to use the boat to complete the route and the closing time of the first boat is 17:00, we have to catch it!
She runs from Mezni Louka to the point where the first boat at No:4 leaves. Our walk took about 40 minutes and we managed to catch the last boat.. After a 15-minute strait crossing, we reached the second boat by walking again.. The last departure time of the second boat is 18:00.. After completing the last boat, it was 19:00 when we returned to the place where we left the car in Hrensko and it was about to get dark.
I have a suggestion for those who want to see only the sights without walking too much: You can walk up to 2 and come back. Then you walk to No:5 from the same point, use the boats in the opposite direction and return.. But when you follow this path, you should not forget that you will give 2 times money to the bots.. In addition, since there are many people who want to take a boat tour without walking in this way, you may encounter a busy queue when you want to go in the opposite direction.
2. ROUTE: Mezní Louka – Malá Pravčická brána – Šaunštejn – Vysoká Lípa – Mezní Louka (11 km)
Because we will be tired and want to return to Prague early on the second day, it is more convenient we thought a short route would be appropriate. This time we chose Mezni Louka’ as the starting point and parked the car at the part seen at No:1, and then we started walking.
The first part of our route is more difficult than yesterday because it is a continuous climbing state. there is. Also, there is no clear path in the forest, we just have to find our way by following the colors engraved on the trees.. This is a natural door made of sandstone, but much smaller than the other.. From here, the road we walk until we reach Šaunštejn‘ at No:3 is too fascinating to be true. In Šaunštejn’ , I climb to the very top of the rocks even though my knees are weak.. We decide that this is the most challenging part of our tour.
From here on, the road until we return to Mezni Louka is very comfortable.. Vysoká Lípa at No:4, a storybook village surrounded by endless grass, is definitely worth a visit. You have to meet all your food and toilet needs here, because it is difficult to find a suitable place on the remaining road.. We start this route at 09:00 in the morning and finish at 15:30.
Recent Tips
* I would like to underline again and again that no one here speaks English.. All signs, boards in Czech or German. If you don’t know German, be prepared to speak in style
* No matter how hot the weather is, you will be exposed to some coolness in the mountain environment, you should have a jacket that will keep you warm even in summer. It can be very cold especially in the morning. A beret is also a good savior.
* After checking the weather forecast that it would not rain at all, I walked with flat sneakers, but trekking shoes must be worn if the ground is damp.. If you don’t have suitable shoes, you can get them from Prague at very reasonable prices.. “SHOPPING IN PRAGUE: THE CHEAPEST SPORTS STORES“ might be helpful for you.
Because Prague is an extremely touristic city, just think about the Czechs you deal with when you visit this place. You might think you’re a very cold nation. However, Czechs are an extremely friendly and helpful nation.. When you come to Bohemian Switzerland, you will be dizzy with what nature has to offer you and you will have the opportunity to encounter the sweet faces of Czechs.
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