Autumn is just around the corner which reminds me of a wonderful family trip we went on last year. I love the Autumn months and all the colours of the trees. So I suggested we head North of Prague to visit Bohemia-Saxon Switzerland (České Švýcarsko), and to hike up to Pravčická Gate (Pravčická brána) – Europe’s biggest natural rock gate/bridge formation.
Pravčická brána is a sandstone formation discovered in the late 1870s and a symbol of this beautiful National Park. The owner of the estate, Prince Edmund Clary-Aldringen, built the cheateau, called Falcon’s Nest (Sokolí hnízdo), at the gate, which took about a year to build and once the restaurant was opened he started to charge people entry.
It is probably possible to visit in a day but we made an overnight trip to fully enjoy this stunning area of the Czech Republic and one day is really not enough! The journey by car takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes from Prague to Hřensko and you will pass through some amazing scenery on the way and see the villages of Ústí nad Labem and Děčín.
There are two different ways to walk up to Pravčická Gate. You can either park in Hřensko, walk along the street and up a short steeper option or park at Hotel Mezní Louka and enjoy a longer winding more gentle slope up which is about 6 km. This time we decided to take the longer winding route.
Once you reach Hřensko, continue to drive through the village and stay on the road and in a short time you will reach the Hotel Mezní Louka which is located at the right side of the road. The car park gets busy so go early to get a place or if possible, maybe avoid weekends. There is a second slightly larger car park just down from the hotel.
Map showing the road from Hřensko to Pravčická Gate
The start of the walk is right by the car park, opposite the hotel (see map below). The route is red, is also known as the Gabrielina stezka, and uses the symbol of the white box with the green diagonal line – Naučná steyka Okoím Pravčicke brány. On the map this is the green dot and dash line. Good shoes are recommended as the path is rocky and uneven in parts. We enjoyed the gradual climb up through the variety of trees, views and rock formations and the sun was shining through the trees.
Map showing the red route from Hotel Mezní Louka to Pravčická Gate
Map of Hotel Mezní Louka and start of the red route and the blue route
As we approached the gate we caught glimpses and different angles of the building and the adjoining rock formation as went round each corner. It was quite magical. There is a fee to enter the gate area, where there is a restaurant, refreshments, toilets and places to sit and a view to admire. Above the restaurant on the first floor is also a photo exhibition that has some great images of the area.
Then round the back of the pay desk and restaurant we found the steep stairs and climb up to another view that is absolutely worth the effort. It felt like being on top of the world between pine trees and breathtaking view. Just stunning.
Once you have taken in all the views and beauty of this amazing part of the Czech Republic, you can either return back to the car taking the same route or take the shorter steeper route down where there is a bus stop. We went down the shorter route and waited for the bus at the bottom that took us back to the car park.
Last time we visited this area we stayed 45 minutes away in Krásná Lípa in good value accommodation called Aparthotel Lípa. The two bedroomed apartment is clean and modern with a small kitchen. We loved it so much we stayed here again and this time the winding drive from Hřensko to Krásná Lípa was even better – the countryside is magical and the roads dotted with beautiful cottages and houses. This is only an option if you have driven.
On our second day, we again parked at the Hotel Mezní Louka and then took the blue route (start of which is just off the main road opposite the campsite Mezní Louka) down a wooded path to join the yellow route which heads to the right and took us to the river where we walked along for a while taking in the beautiful autumn colours.
This yellow route took us to the Wild Gorge upper dock (Přístaviště Divoká soutěska – horní konec) where we bought tickets for a ride on a gondola-style boat. When we reached the lower dock, we get off and continued on the 1.5 km winding yellow marked path along the river to the Edmund Gorge and upper dock (Přístaviště Edmundova soutěska – horní konec).
After buying our tickets again we enjoyed this slightly longer boat ride. On each boat ride we had a guide steering the boat with a long pole and entertained us with funny and weird stories about the different rock formations along the way, and pointed out rock structures of faces, animals and more. These fun boat trips are a must.
When we reached the next and last dock, we joined the yellow route again and after approximately 1.8 km we reached the main street in Hrensko. We then grabbed some lunch in a cute restaurant on the left and afterwards wandered along the main street into Hřensko where there are some quaint and beautiful buildings and dotted along the river, a few restaurants and many Vietnamese stalls where you can buy bags, clothes, belts, toys, gnomes, garden ornaments and more.
There is a church by the river and one side of the road at the bus stop you can also catch a cute little red bus, the Nationalpark Express, that operates in a loop between Hřensko and Hotel Mezní Louka. There is a timetable at the bus stop. This is how we travelled back to our car and where we finished our two-day adventure and drove back to Prague.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip in one of my favourite locations in the Czech Republic and cannot wait and do this all over again in a few years time. We went in Autumn but this whole trip is also amazing in the summer months. Hurry now if you want to squeeze in a trip this Autumn before they close the gorges in November for the winter months!
Sandra moved to Prague with her husband for two years, and twenty years later, they are still here enjoying Prague life and love exploring the Czech countryside together.
INFORMATION
Travel by trainThere is a train every two hours from Prague main station to Děčín main station (takes 1 hour 40 minutes) where you then have to change and travel from Děčín main station to Schöna station (18 minutes) – total just over 2 hours. When you reach Schöna station you have to then take a small boat across the river to reach the start of the Hřensko village. There are quite a few penzions and hotels in Hřensko (and also of course Hotel Mezní Louka just passed Hřensko reachable by bus) so you don’t need a car and can do lots of hiking.
Opening hours of Pravčická Gate
April to October, daily, 10:00 – 18:00
November to March, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 10:00 – 16:00
26 December to 1 January, daily, 10:00 – 16:00
Entrance fee; adults 75 CZK, children 6-14 years 25 CZK, students/seniors 25 CZKOpening hours of the gorges
Edmund Gorge:
30 March to 7 October 2019, daily, 09:00 – 18:00
8 October to 4 November 2019, daily, 09:00 – 17:00Wild Gorge:
30 March to 7 October 2019, daily, 09:00 – 17:00
8 October to 4 November 2019, daily, 09:00 – 16:00
- the National Park area at www.ceskesvycarsko.cz
- the Pravčická Gate at www.pbrana.cz
- the Gorges at www.en.hrensko.net
- Hřensko at www.hrensko.cz
- the accommodation Aparthotel Lípa in Krásná Lípa at www.aparthotel-lipa.cz
- how to travel by train at www.cd.cz
Gallery
(click on photos to enlarge)
