Bohemian Switzerland: sandstone arches and river gorges

Route description

Leave Prague north on route 9 to Mělník, about 40 km, where the château terrace looks over the meeting of the Vltava and the Elbe and the hillsides are planted with vines. From there follow the Elbe valley north through Litoměřice and Ústí nad Labem, or take the D8 motorway, which needs a Czech e-vignette, towards the German border.

Before dropping into Děčín, turn off to Tisá for the Tisá Rocks, a maze of sandstone towers with short loops that suit children. Děčín itself has a large château above the river and is the practical base for supplies. Route 62 then follows the Elbe gorge for 12 km to Hřensko, the lowest point in Czechia, squeezed between cliffs at the river’s edge.

Bohemian Switzerland National Park starts right behind Hřensko. Drive a few kilometres up the Kamenice valley to the Tři prameny car park and walk up to Pravčická brána, about an hour each way. The Kamenice gorges start at the edge of Hřensko. Since the 2022 fire, Edmund’s Gorge is open only for guided groups with daily limits, entered and left from Hřensko in a shorter summer-to-autumn season, while boats run in the Wild Gorge upstream from spring to autumn.

Parking in Hřensko is tight and paid, and the narrow valley road is not a place for long motorhomes at busy times; leave larger vehicles in the car parks by the Elbe. Parts of the park burned in 2022 and some trails may still be rerouted, so check the park website first. Spring and early autumn are quieter than summer weekends, when German day-trippers fill the lots.