Some of the best Vltava views. From Vysoký Újezd to Třebsín

Date of last visit: 8. 5. 2013

Nature will probably become green much sooner than last year so consider one day trip from Prague to this beautiful area for amazing views and hike in forests and meadows.

From Prague, take a bus from Smíchovské nádraží, no. 390, change at Štěchovice to bus no. 438 to Vysoký Újezd. If you want to make your trip shorter or go further to Štěchovice for example, you can also get off already at "Krňany, Teletín".

See map: http://mapy.cz/s/9qGd

 Follow blue trail direction Rabyně for 2 km to crossroads called "Pexův luh" where you change to yellow. From there it is only 6,5 km to Třebsín so it's really not a challenging hike:)

If you have GPS, consider small detour to one extra beautiful view at N 49° 49.505 E 014° 27.012 (or http://mapy.cz/s/9yK0 )

 
 

After passing Teletín, you will reach detour to view called "Máj" (May) which is 101% worth visiting. You may need map to continue as there were too many marks missing in the next part of the trail.

Shortly before reaching Třebsín, take another detour to Smetanova vyhlídka (view).

When you reach road, there is a station of bus no. 438 (station called "Krňany, rozc. Třebsín").

You can also continue further (for example up to Štěchovice); just a little longer on blue marked trail "to the left" (direction Štěchovice) and you can stop at "Usedlost Medník", little local farm. If you're lucky you can get wonderful products (milk, "tvaroh", meat...). It is very close to next station of bus 438 called "Krňany, Závist, u křížku", a bit back following the main road (exactly here: http://mapy.cz/s/9yKA )

Krkonoše in winter - Rokytnice nad Jizerou and surroundings

Visited in: February 2014

As you probably noticed, snow conditions were terrible this winter in the Czech Republic. But who could have known couple of months ago when we booked our winter holiday? Well as I am not a big fan of cross-country skiing we spent most of the days hiking.

Weather can change quickly in the mountains and weather forecast is not always reliable... you can meet all possible conditions in one day so be ready for that:)

 

Tip for cheap accommodation: 170 CZK per night. http://www.erlebaska.cz/ at 1020 m. - noisy but everything else is fine. You have to cook yourself or go up 300 metres to a restaurant. It is a few kilometres up from Rokytnice nad Jizerou or you can order a car from Dvoračky to take you there (and mainly your baggages), 600 CZK one way.

"Dvoračky" restaurant was our base every day with Budvar beer, amazing soup ("krkonošské kyselo") and blueberry cakes and dumplings. http://www.dvoracky.cz/cs/

They have their own lift and short slope but you can ski through the forest and reach Lysá hora slopes for - usually - pretty good skiing. 

There are quite many trips you can do (this one quite easily on cross-country ski, too); the easiest and probably most beautiful is red trail up to the ridge - map http://mapy.cz/s/9qaX - enjoy the view while going towards "Vrbatova bouda" (1397 m). There you can get some refreshment (9.30-16.00) and stop at memorial of Hanč and Vrbata who both died in 1913 during 50 km ski competition because of the weather change (to cut the story short).

From there you can continue on red trail further away from Dvoračky, or, what I would recommend, turn to the right direction Labská bouda passing Pančavský waterfall (vodopád). You can have another beer at Labská bouda, however despite promoting their own microbrewery, they didn't have anything but Budvar at the time we were there. They also offer accommodation which may be an option if you are planning a trip for more days and don't want to go down from the ridge http://www.labskabouda.cz/en

Take a very short detour to Labský vodopád (waterfall) and continue to Pramen Labe (spring of river Labe that is, in the end, 1154 km long) but you won't see anything if there is snow. Here you can turn back to close the circle - follow yellow and later green trail to the crossroads "U Růženčiny zahrádky" where you reach again red trail leading back to Dvoračky.

Another pretty nice hike about 16 km (with more ups and downs on the way) was from Dvoračky to Horní Mísečky on green trail and then up to the ridge following yellow trail to Vrbatova bouda and then red trail back to Dvoračky. 

Trip to Harrachov was mainly motivated by our desire to visit local brewery:) The hike itself is a bit boring despite nice nature around - 7 km straight down the hill on green trail and the same way up http://mapy.cz/s/9qBQ (but if we had a bit more time we would definitely take different trail to go back - specifically the blue one heading to Mumlavský vodopád / waterfall, really nice place! Then we would just continue to "Krakonošova snídaně", then yellow, blue and green back to Dvoračky).

The actual town Harrachov is pretty scary in my view. "Las Vegas casino, Venice pizzeria, Amsterdam café"... certainly not places I'd visit when being in this region. But we had to pass them all to reach the brewery! http://www.sklarnaharrachov.cz/ - beer and food were pretty good so it was worth it. If you have some time you can also visit excursion in their traditional glass production hall. Of course skiing is another possibility what to do if there is enough snow:)

I'm sure you can see plenty of other possibilities where to go... I have some places on my list for next time, like a farm "Hucul" http://www.hucul.cz/ofarme.php with accommodation, horses and other animals, horse-riding, and allegedly very good restaurant with beef of their own production (Scottish highland cows). 

Btw. if you are interested in the mysterious man with a long beard,  wooden stick and hat with bird feathers - Krakonoš - whose pictures and sculptures and name is almost everywhere in this region - there is a quite nice text in English at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCbezahl

Hike Jestřebí - Peklo (Hell) - Česká Lípa (20 km)

Quite amazine hike...! Check the bus connection in advance and decide whether to go direction to Česká Lípa or the other, finishing in Jestřebí. There are not many buses going back to Prague from Jestřebí but there is a very tempting restaurant in old wooden house I plan to visit next time (website in Czech only but photos are promising! http://www.hostinecnarychte.cz/index.php?stranka=fotky)

Map: http://mapy.cz/s/75Nb

Anyway, we took the 8.45 bus (direct from Prague Holešovice, advance purchase of tickets online recommended) to "Jestřebí, křiž.". Or just take a car to Česká Lípa and take a one-way bus or train to Jestřebí.

You start at the Jestřebí castle ruins with amazing view (following the red mark which you are going to follow all day...).

Then go back to the main road, cross it and start enjoying the forest and rocks. Soon you reach a sign pointing to "Skalní vyhlídka" (rock view) - maybe it used to be there but the trees now cover most of it. 

When reaching a small road, I recommend to leave the red trail for a while. http://mapy.cz/s/75NB going through the swamp area (don't worry, it's a normal path) - if nothing else, it's very interesting piece of nature. Then be careful when reaching the main road and walking on it for a while - it's worth it though - cross it to have a look at "Mnichovská průrva", very old canal built in the sandstone.

In less than 200 m leave the road again to red trail - don't miss a close look at the quite unique statue of a bearded girl! Read her story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilgefortis

Pass the St. Barbora church, the only remainder of former village called Mnichov, destroyed in 17th century. 

Stop at Zahrádky chateau and stroll in its garden. There is a pub and shop if you need refreshment. 

Following the red trail further, you are entering Peklo (= hell)! The most beautiful part of the hike... It's hard to imagine how these "swamps" used to look like in 19th century - stream with boats, ladies in long dressed on a promenade, 3 restaurants, one with dance floor, fields...

 

At one of the signposts next to a small bridge, note a small sign advertising "kozí farma" - goat farm. It's even less than 10 minutes and it's totally worth it! The family made impossible, renovating the ruins and starting a farm there... You can taste all the cheese types before buying and you can even get a guided tour. The prices are higher but you pay for the quality!

When reaching "Skautská skála", the big rock, don't miss a chance to climb up - the view is fantastic! 

The last few kilometres to the centre of Česká Lípa are extremely boring to be honest. We didn't have much time left so we only went to the central square (T. G. Masaryka) to check the very recommended restaurant "U Hrabala". I'd say "average good" but I'm not going back there... 

Buses back to Prague are frequent and cost about 100 Kč per person. 

Organized hiking events

When you don't have time to plan... or just don't want to :)

 

The biggest database of organized hikes can be found at http://www.kct.cz/cms/kalendar-turistickych-akci. Filter date ("od - do" = "from - to"), oblast (= region, "kraj" - there are 14 total) or typ akce (= type of the event, for us the most interesting being "pěší turistika" = hiking). 

Details - you can figure that out (or ask me). 
Usually there is a registration at the beginning (limited time) where you pay a symbolic fee and you are given a map and further information. You are mostly given a diploma if you finish the whole trail.

If you prefer long hikes (50+ km) there is a specific website for those at http://dalkovepochody.cz. It is organized by weekends. 

It's always nice to connect a hike with some culture. Regarding food and beverages culture, check a database of gastronomical events around Czech Republic - http://www.gastronaut.cz. Again in Czech only. You can sort events by date and regions. 

The most famous long-distance organized hiking event is "Pochod Praha Prčice". The main trail is 70 km. This year it is 18. 5. 2013 - it's always Saturday on or around this date. It's been organized every year since 1966! In 2012, 21018 people joined on 20 trails. http://www.praha-prcice.cz/uvod