Cesky Raj

Cesky Raj, the Bohemian Paradise, was declared a protected landscape in 1955, the first in the country, and it is a maze of sandstone: pillars and towers weathered out of a Cretaceous seabed, standing in groups the Czechs call rock towns, with castles perched on the harder blocks above. Sandstone climbing developed here in its own tradition, with metal protection banned and knotted slings used instead, a set of rules climbers still follow. The trails between the towers are old and well marked, and the geology carries a UNESCO Global Geopark designation.

History

The Bohemian Paradise was declared a protected landscape area in 1955, the first in the country, covering 95 square kilometres at first; in 2002 it was enlarged to its present 181.17 square kilometres. A wider area of 830 square kilometres is a geopark, the only UNESCO Global Geopark in the Czech Republic (Wikipedia, Bohemian Paradise).

What's there

• Hruba Skala - the rock town with the ridge walk between the towers.
• Trosky - the twin-towered castle ruin on two basalt plugs.
• The sandstone climbing tradition - no metal protection, knotted slings only.
• Prachov Rocks - the other major rock town, at the western end.

When to go

May to October for the trails; autumn colour among the pale towers is the best of it. Weekends bring heavy Czech day-trip traffic from Prague. Sandstone is fragile when wet, so climbing stops for a day or two after rain and the paths get slippery.

Practical notes

The area is fragmented across several rock towns with the connecting trails long and the public transport thin; a car helps a lot. Popular sections have ladders and stairs and can queue at weekends. Climbing here is not for visitors used to bolts; the local ethic is strict and unforgiving. Some viewpoints are unfenced.

Nearby

Trosky and Prachov Rocks are inside the area; Liberec is an hour north.

Key facts