Pravcicka Gate

Pravcicka brana spans about twenty-six and a half metres with an opening some sixteen metres high and a span thickness down to under three metres at the thinnest point, which makes it the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe and the symbol of Bohemian Switzerland. It formed by weathering along joints in Cretaceous sandstone, and it is fragile - walking on the arch was permitted until 1982 and has been banned since, because the erosion was measurable. At its foot stands Falcon's Nest, a chateau built in 1881 by the Clary-Aldringen family as a mountain restaurant and guest house, in a Swiss timber and stone manner, now holding a restaurant and a museum of the national park. The approach is a marked trail of about an hour from Hrensko, climbing steadily. The arch appeared in the first Narnia film, which brought a wave of visitors.

History

An inn was built by the arch in 1826, and in 1881 Prince Edmund of Clary-Aldringen built the Hotel Sokolí hnízdo, the Falkennest or Falcon's Nest, with 50 beds. Heavy erosion caused by visitors led to the arch being placed out of bounds in 1982. The whole site has been privately owned since the hotel was privatised and can be visited for an entry fee during opening hours, and the long-distance path from Eisenach to Budapest runs past it (Wikipedia, Pravčická brána).

The landscape

• A 26-metre span - the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe.
• Falcon's Nest - an 1881 chateau restaurant built at the foot of it.
• A thin fragile arch - under three metres thick at its narrowest.
• Viewing terraces - the arch seen from below and from the side, not walked.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

What to expect

Walking on the arch has been banned since 1982 - it is viewed, not crossed. Entry is ticketed and the approach is an hour uphill each way. Summer weekends are extremely crowded. Winter access is limited.

Nearby

Hrensko and the Kamenice gorges are below; Mezni Louka is east.

Key facts