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Český Ráj

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[+] Understand
- History
Get in
Fees/Permits
Get around
See
Do
[+] Buy
- Lodging
- Camping

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

Český Ráj (Bohemian Paradise) earned its name in the nineteenth century due to its picturesque location in the foothills of the Giant Mountains, and its many castles and chateaus. In 1955 it was made the first protected area in Czechoslovakia. The distinctive sandstone formations of Český Ráj were formed by volcanic activity, which also produced many of the precious stones for which the region is also famous.

[edit] Get in

The nearest cities are Turnov and Jičín. There are connected with Prague by trains and buses, they run every 2 hours. Buses are generally faster (especially to Jičín), but they are less frequent at weekend. And if you return to Prague, consider that many of the buses travels from further destinations and they are often close to full-capacity by the time they reach that town.

Although at 6km away Český Ráj is indeed in walkable distance of Turnov and Jičín, you will be walking along fairly busy roads, and in many sections there is no footpath on either side. So the better solution is to travel by train to some village at the border of Český ráj - Sedmihorky, Ktová, Mladějov v Čechách, Hrdoňovice, Jinolice and others. It takes about 2,5 hours from Prague main station, with change in Mladá Boleslav or Turnov and it costs 130-150 Kč.

It can be faster, if you combine trains and buses, check the online Czech timetable.

The trains leaves from Prague Main station (Hlavní nádraží), the buses from bus station Černý most (last station of Metro B).

[edit] Fees/Permits

Entrance to the park is free.

[edit] Get around

The park's trails are not suitable for anything except walking. There are numerous different colour-coded trails which provide hikes as short as one hour or as long as an entire day. Sections of the trail include steep stairs.

[edit][add listing] See

Sandstone rock formations. Twenty minutes of hiking along almost any of the trails from the bus stop will bring you to the stunning sandstone formations of Prachovske skaly. These can be admired from the bottom of the valley or from numerous lookouts atop the formations.