Bohemian Paradise- Česky Ráj

Flourishing with deep valleys and decorated with tall pines, Česky Ráj is truly a Bohemian Paradise where you can escape city life and experience nature's tranquility. Just an hour outside of Prague in the Czech Republic is this beautiful little region. Alongside tiny patches of houses and village centers, the majority of Česky Ráj's landscapes range from vast fields to thick forests. This region is known for its naturally formed geo-parks and castles, castles, castles. There are over 50 still standing castles and castle ruins, not to mention all of the others surrounding the region of Česky Ráj. Massive stone fortresses were strategically built into towering rock formations in hopes of creating an impenetrable structure which are enclosed in forests of lush green trees. This landscape is truly like something out of "Game of Thrones" and I am surprised it hasn't been used on the show yet. Excluding the natural beauty of the enchanting Bohemian Paradise, Česky Ráj is also home of expert Czech Bohemian glass artisans. Bohemian glass is one of the most desirable products in all of the Czech Republic and if you want to real deal, why not come to paradise to get it all while basking in Mother Nature's splendor.

It is recommended to visit during the warm Summer months when the flowers bloom, the brush is full and green, and hiking out in the fresh air is a pleasurable experience. However, having only visited during the peak of Winter, I had the most amazing time witnessing a true Winter Wonderland with white washed blankets of snow and frosted treetops covering an already stunning landscape. Come in Summer and hike through an Eden of green and contrasting grey stone rocks. Or come in Winter and stroll through a giant natural snow globe. Though both wether conditions have appealing features, determining your visit in either Summer or Winter depends entirely on your comfort level with the cold. If you can't handle the chill, I do not recommend hiking in Winter conditions only because of all the sliding on your butt you will do :) But in any weather, Česky Ráj is a nature lovers delight. The official Česky Ráj website is an excellent resource for your visit.

MY VISIT

A group of friends and I headed up to Česky Ráj in February for a weekend of fun and adventure. We stayed in the lovely town of Lomice on the outskirts of the Česky Ráj region. Fortunately, everything is within short distance and is easy to reach almost any destination in 20 minutes by car. It is highly recommended to rent a car for the weekend and split it with a few friends to save some money. Our rented car out of Prague cost about $25/ person between six people for three days. This also leaves room for those ridiculous car ride games you can play which are almost as memorable as the trip itself.

The only problem we came across was driving in the snow. Without 4 wheel drive and with a tiny car holding 6 people, your little road runner will never make it up the icy snow laden hills that are all around Česky Ráj. We had to get out in the middle of nowhere in the darkness and push our little car up the hill. Even though providing laughs and memories, you do not want to be caught in the middle of an isolated road without 4 wheel drive or tire chains. So it is recommended to get a more powerful car if you are visiting in the Wintertime.

The airbnb we stayed at was awesome. Located in the town of Lomice, it was the perfect hub for our adventures around Česky Ráj. Here's the link for the exact airbnb we stayed at which houses 6 people. Veronika is the owner of this large loft and lives close by. She was very helpful in accommodating us, communicating with us, and gave us countless recommendations for food and attractions. Even though the town is slightly desolate, there's a Penny Market within walking distance and a fantastic "Al Capone" themed pizza place 2 minutes away from the airbnb. Their pizza's are delicious and the beers are cheap. $1-$2 for beer and the "Desperado" pizza comes with all the fixins.

TROSKY CASTLE

Sitting atop a massive hill, located in the highest room in the tallest tower within the fire breathing dragons keep....

This is something you could expect to hear in fairytales about castles that look exactly like this one. A medieval style castle with two large spires built into the steep rock cliffs of the mountain with a long wall linking the two. This is truly something of a fairytale where the mysterious Evil Queen would live and it would always be surrounded by dark swirling clouds and lightning would strike all around the fortress as the fend off anyone who approaches. Trosky Castle is exactly what I could picture.

Aside from all of the ominous references, this castle is absolutely amazing to see. It was built in the 14th Century and was nearly impossible to conquer because of the location. The address of Trosky Castle Ruins are:

hrad Trosky

Troskovice, 512 63

Trosky Castle was about a 20 minute drive from our airbnb and made for a great stop. There is a car parking lot close to the castle and a short hike up a pathway from there. The path to the castle is lined by a thick forest of trees. Since it was Winter, the trees were barren. However, I could only imagine this place in Summer or even Fall.

Sadly, Trosky Castle is closed during the Winter months and we were not able to go into the ruins. When visiting during months of warmth, the entrance fee is $3 and opening hours are from: 9am-4pm.

This castle is still a spectacle to behold and it was interesting to walk along the grounds surrounding it.

PRACHOVSKÉ SKÁLY

Prachovské Skály, the land of giant rocks and deep valleys. This gorgeous Geo-park is like nothing you've ever seen before. Declared a Nature Preserve in 1933, Prachovské Skály offers excellent hiking trails with lookout points and a labyrinth of pathways and walk throughs between robust rocks. At ground level, you feel small when walking amongst these tall slabs of sandstone rocks with narrow gaps in between. From views above, tall thin rocks look like giant fingers reaching upwards. Stairways take you up, down, in between, underneath, and over the natural structures. This place is literally a giant playground. Being the nature freak that I am, I could not contain myself here and snapped nearly 300 pictures. You can easily fill an entire afternoon around hiking or just getting lost in this unique landscape.

How have these rocks formed?

The Geological history of Prachovské Skály is rather interesting. Long ago, this area was covered underneath the sea. Tectonic plate movement moved the Earth upwards and separated much of the mountain. Along with erosion, the water levels fell and left these unique sandstone slabs of rocks. Today, this region is one of the most famous landscapes in the Czech Republic because of the striking features the Geo-park provides.

Getting Here:

The address of Prahovské Skály is:

Vokšice 1 - zámek 506 01 Jičín

There is a large parking lot Prahovské Skály is easy to reach by car. The easily accessible road takes you to a large parking lot where several shops and restaurants are available for wander's on breaks from their hiking. However, they are closed during the Winter months. Walking around the park will cost about $3. But since the booth was not open in Winter, we did not have to pay.

From the parking lot, there is a short incline hike through tall trees. Luckily, there are signs everywhere to tell you which path to take. These are measured in distance and the path marked green is the route we took. The green path is a short 1 mile loop around the edge of the main valley and takes you up to viewpoints and down into the rocky geo-park.

From here, you will reach a set of stairs taking you into the first patch of tall rocks. The stairs are where you will find the challenge during the Wintertime. Covered in mounds of snow which has been iced over and smoothed out, you really must hold onto the railing the entire time to hoist yourself up because of how slippery the stairs are. I suggest bringing a pair of gloves with a firm grip to keep your hands from freezing when holding onto the ice cold railing. This first climb is challenging, but once you are this high up, the trail will take you around the peaked outer loop of the park.

In the end, the climb is all worth it. Because look at this view.

Once inside the park, the entire area is one big maze of trails, rock caverns, stairways, rock cavities with walkthroughs, and viewpoints. Our group had so much fun getting lost in the labyrinth of towering rocks. Because of the snow cover stairs, going down into the valley was a challenging feat. You almost have to slide down on your butt to get to the bottom because of the lack of secure footholds. We learned this technique the hard way with lots of falls, slips and trips.

Does this location look familiar to you? It looked familiar to me too. It was later pointed out to me that Česky Ráj was where a portion of the movie "Narnia" was filmed. With such a glorious landscape covered in snow and the stunning slabs of sandstone rocks equipped with stairs carved right into the mountains, how could this place not be in a film?

Evoking a feeling of wonderment and awe, I highly recommend putting this spot on your bucket list. Find secret caves to hang out in, walk through small cracks in the mountain fissures, bombard your friends with snowballs, find the perfect photography spot, or just get lost in the maze that is Prachoské Skály. Whether you visit in the Winter or the Summer, I have no doubt that Prachoské Skály with become one of you favorite memories of visiting the Czech Republic.

The slips and falls will be your favorite part.

Bozkovské Dolomite Caves

Unfortunately we did not have time to visit this location, but it was still pretty high up on my list. If you are in the area, I think this place would be worth a look.

The caves are the largest network of underground caves in the Czech Republic with 1,000 meters of caves running through the channel. The caves features beautiful stalactites and stalagmites throughout and a blue green emerald colored lake towards the end.

The caves are accessible by tours which takes place all throughout the day and runs for 45 minutes.

Opening hours vary by time of year:

January-March: Mon-Fri 8:00-3:00

April-June: Mon-Sun 8:00-4:00

July-August: Tues-Sun 9:00-5:00

Sepetmeber-December Tues-Fri 8:00-3:00

This website is a helpful resource.

Rotštejn Castle Ruins and Klokočské Skály

Hidden in the tiny village forest of Klokoči is a small castle built into the sandstone rocks. Abandonment and influence of the elements have contributed to the decay of these small castle ruins. The most dominant feature is the brick tower built right into the rock wall with an arch gate. This place is quite isolated and is pretty cool to see. Unfortunately, it is not open during Winter months because it could be dangerous to walk on these ruins in the snow. It was still interesting to see and is the start of the long trek along the Klokočské Skály geo-park. There is a kitchen build not the base of the rock fortress with windows and a door.

While we were looking around at this location, we made a little friend. A sweet little cat who seemed to hang out here, or even live here, followed us around for a while into our trek. Maybe he is the guardian of this old castle and is protecting it from intruders? Needless to say, he liked to be scratch behind the ear. Good kitty.

Klokočské Skály is the rock park surrounding the village of Klokoči. It resembles the features of Prachovske Skály with the towering slabs of sandstone rocks that reach up into the air. However, this trail does not extend down into the valley. This trail takes you along the ridge of the rock park above the valley for a gorgeous view for miles out.

There are even those treacherous slippery steps that Prachovske Park has.

This is a lovely hike and another great location to visit in Česky Ráj. The gorgeous nature that surrounds you is sure to take your breath away.

Hrad Kost (Castle)

Deep in the forest, down a long paved Winter road, sits a still functioning medieval castle by the name of Hrad Kost meaning Castle Kost. The overall appearance of this castle is striking with a large tower sitting at one end while elevated on a rocky formation at the base. The snow fall made for a cool contrast against the dark shingled rooftop. Unfortunately the day we arrived, this castle was closed for the Winter. But I can only imagine how interesting this castle could be during the Summer season. Equipped with an armory (holding rifles, pistols and guns) and a medieval Torture chamber, Hrad Kost offers tours about the castle grounds and into these areas. There is even a real wooden catapult in the courtyard.

Even though this Castle was closed for Winter, a small beverage stand run by an older Czech woman was up and running. Here I had my first Turkish coffee and most likely my last.

If you ever find yourself in the Czech republic and want to find true Bohemian paradise, then take a few days to visit Česky Ráj: a gorgeous blooming Eden full of hiking trails, castles, and naturally formed geo-parks with eccentric rocks.