An idyllic location attracting visitors to its rock formations and gentle countryside, the Bohemian Switzerland is home to many rare types of flora and fauna. Some of the best known attractions are the gorges on the River Kamenice. A romantic stroll along the river across narrow footbridges or by boat between the stone walls with steep sides can be an unforgettable experience.
Discover the circular route through the gorges of the Bohemian Switzerland
Starting from the town of Hřensko, this 15km circular route will take you around six hours to complete. The route to the Edmund Gorge, named after Prince Edmund Clary-Aldringen, leads first of all to the immense sandstone arch called the Pravčice Sandstone Gate, an obvious choice as the Czech Switzerland’s iconic image. After that climb a forest trail beneath a steep rock wall and across small suspension bridges to the lower slopes of the Malý Pravčický peak. You then to continue along Gabriela’s trail, which hugs the rock walls and offers occasional views of the area’s well known rock formations such as the Sugar Cube and the Winged Wall.
No keeping your feet dry
At the Nad Soutěskami fork we continue along a rocky ravine to the constricted valley of the Kamenice. The route along the river is lined with sandstone towers and leads you to the upper rowing boat jetty in Divoká Gorge. The only way of proceeding further is to climb into a boat. The 600 m-long boat trip through Divoká Gorge via several manmade tunnels and rocky galleries brings you to the Edmund Gorge with its artificial waterfall. From the disembarkation point it’s just a 1.5 km amble back to Hřensko.
The beauty of the gorges
Deep clefts in the sandstone rock on the River Kamenice, the Edmond and Divoká Gorges are only accessible by rowing boat. They are rock canyons with steep walls up to 150 m high, and some of the towers of rock have been given names such as the Family or the Guardsman due to their odd shapes. The unique nature and beauty of the gorges increases if you walk against the flow of the Kamenice. Also, the trip from Mezní Louka beneath the Winged Wall is also visually more impressive than in the opposite direction.
Don’t fear the ferryman
Your guides through the gorges are the ferrymen who punt the boats in exactly the same way as they did when this attraction was created. During the trip you’ll learn about the history of the gorges and their weird and wonderful inhabitants. The journey down the Edmond Gorge takes about 20 minutes, another 15 minutes for the Divoká Gorge. So take a chance and hop aboard for a boat ride into the heart of the base rock!