Bohemian Switzerland

Czech-Saxon Switzerland, a small sandstone island in the middle of Europe, was announced the national park on January 1st, 2000. Many touristic paths, marked and linking the unique nature localities with the historically valuable places, together with different types of affordable and cosy accommodation in hotels and family hotels, attract more and more visitors to this area. Canyon of Labe River in the Czech-Saxon Switzerland, the biggest sandstone canyon in Europe and particularly the sandstone rocks themselves, has its almost fanatical supporters. Sandstone which dominates this landscape and creates the rocks tens and hundreds meters high, was due to its malleability plentifully used in the architecture of baroque (the world came from Portugal, where it called the jewellery decorations of the freak shapes.). Thanks to the rough, porous surface and thanks to the fissures, made by rain and wind, a special type of climbing was born here already in the 19th century where no climbing equipment is necessary.

Picturesqueness of the rocks in Czech-Saxon Switzerland is enhanced by greenness of the surrounding woods. When you have a look at the rocks from the valley, interconnected by wild rivers, you will see huge plates of sandstone, which are piled up each on another as if it was done by hand of a giant and you cannot believe that it has been able to cohere for thousands of years. In some places the plates round off, somewhere else they are serrated and they remind you the fortresses with watchtowers and suddenly as if the shapes of rocks looked like the characters from fairy tales, human faces or animals.

If you decide to come over to us to Czech Switzerland, believe, that you will not regret and that you will be coming back time and time again. The employees of our information centres will be always happy to help you with planning of your tour. So do not hesitate to ask them. They are waiting for your questions.

The National Park "Ceske Svycarsko" (Czech Switzerland)

Czech Switzerland is our youngest National Park and thanks its character belongs to the most unique places in whole Europe. The National Park spreads out over a large area with virgin nature and unique flora and fauna.

Rock bridge - Pravcicka brana

Pravcicka Brana is the largest natural stone bridge on our continent and a natural monument of our country. It is considered the most beautiful natural form in Czech Switzerland and is the symbol of the entire area. Its dimensions are remarkable, although when looking at it close up it seems bigger. The span of the arch at the bottom is 26.5 m, the height of the opening is 16 m, width 7-8 m, minimum thickness 3 m, and the surface area of the bridge is 21 m above its base. Inseparable from Pravcicka Brana is the holiday chateau known as the Falcon's Nest. It was built in1881 on the site of a cabin made from oak bark, which served as a tavern. Today the first floor houses a museum of the National Park. The ground floor contains a preserved, period restaurant decorated with original paintings.

Soutesky

You can expect walks through romantic nature along the Kamenice River surrounded on both sides by a wall of high rocks. You will walk beneath rock ledges, through several tunnels and across narrow footbridges. Two sections of the trail are passable only by boat – Edmund Gorge (also known as Quiet Gorge) and Wild Gorge. A boat driven by human power carries us between rock formations and the ferryman acquaints us with the living and petrified denizens of the gorges. Boat rides can be made in both directions on two river segments called Edmund's Gorge and Wild Gorge. Access to the gorges is allowed only by boat. The gorges have the form of a rocky canyon with sheer, often vertical, walls from 50 – 150 metres high. Some pieces of rock broke off a long time ago and slid down to the bottom of the gorge. Many rock towers have interesting shapes ("Rock Family", "Guard" et al.)

Hrensko

The nearest village and summer resort in Bohemia on a confluence of the river Kamenice and Labe (Elbe) close to the state frontier with Germany. Located in romantic rock canyon. Originally there existed only a tavern used by ship´s hands and raftsmen, recorded in 1445, later a raftsmen´s settlement and storage facility. Rapid development in the 19th century when the Bohemian-Switzerland landscape was opened up to tourists, in particular, the gorge of the river Kamenice and the sandstone bridge Pravcicka brana.

Photographs Bohemian Switzerland