Rip Mountain

Rip is a basalt hill of 456 metres standing alone above the flat Elbe lowland, which makes it visible from a long way and gives it a presence out of proportion to its height. Czech founding legend, written down by Cosmas around 1120, has Forefather Cech lead his people here, climb the hill, look out over the empty land and declare it theirs; the story is the national origin myth and every Czech child learns it. On the summit stands the rotunda of St George, a small round Romanesque church of the early twelfth century with a tower, one of the oldest buildings in the country, restored in the nineteenth century. There is a lookout, a restaurant and a view over the lowland to the volcanic hills north. The climb takes about half an hour from the car park and the hill is a national cultural monument as much as a natural one.

What you actually see

• A basalt hill alone on a plain - 456 metres, visible from a long way.
• The rotunda of St George - a small Romanesque round church of the early 1100s.
• The founding legend - where Forefather Cech is said to have claimed the land.
• A view over the lowland - to the volcanic cones of the Stredohori north.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The rotunda is small and opens on limited hours, seasonally. The summit is wooded, so the view is from designated points rather than all round. Weekends are busy with Czech families.

Nearby

Roudnice nad Labem is on the Elbe; the Stredohori cones are north.