Porta Bohemica

Porta Bohemica, the Gate of Bohemia, is the point where the Elbe leaves the open Bohemian basin and forces its way north through the Ceske stredohori volcanic range, cutting a deep valley in a large sweeping bend with vineyards on the sunny slopes and basalt hills either side. The name is old and appears in medieval sources: this was the entry to the Bohemian lands from the north, the route by which trade, armies and river traffic came. The classic view is from the marked viewpoint above Velke Zernoseky, looking down on the bend with the river, the railway on both banks and the terraced vineyards, and it is one of the standard images of the Czech landscape. The vineyards here are among the oldest in the country, planted from the medieval period and worked commercially again since the 1990s. The railway and the cycle route run along the water.

What you actually see

• The Elbe in a deep bend - cutting through the volcanic range in a wide sweep.
• Terraced vineyards - on the sunny basalt slopes above the water.
• A marked viewpoint - above Velke Zernoseky, the standard vantage.
• A medieval gateway - the historical entry to Bohemia from the north.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The viewpoint involves a climb from the village. Haze over the valley is common. The riverside is industrial in places and the railway is busy. Wine cellars keep their own hours.

Nearby

Litomerice and its old town are upstream; Usti nad Labem is downstream.