Bohemian Paradise Day Trip — Rock Formations and Trosky Castle

An hour northeast of Prague, the landscape changes completely. The flat Bohemian plain gives way to sandstone towers, deep pine forests, and cliff-edge paths that wind through geological formations created over 60 million years ago. This is Český ráj — the Bohemian Paradise — the Czech Republic's first protected landscape area and a UNESCO Global Geopark.

At its centre, the twin-towered ruin of Trosky Castle rises from a pair of volcanic basalt plugs, visible for miles across the countryside. It is one of the most striking silhouettes in Central Europe. And unlike Prague's crowded attractions, you can explore this landscape in near solitude on a weekday.

Trosky Castle

Hrad Trosky is the icon of Bohemian Paradise. Two basalt volcanic necks — the taller Panna (Virgin, 57 metres) and the shorter Bába (Old Woman, 47 metres) — rise from the surrounding sandstone landscape, each crowned with the remains of a medieval castle. The original fortress dates to the late 14th century, built by Čeněk of Vartemberk, who exploited the natural rock pillars as readymade towers.

The castle was damaged repeatedly — during the Hussite Wars, the Thirty Years' War, and finally abandoned in the 18th century. What remains are walls, staircases and viewing platforms on both peaks. The climb to the top of Panna involves steep wooden stairs and narrow passages, but the views from the summit are the reward: 360-degree panorama across the entire Bohemian Paradise, with sandstone rock cities, forests and the distant Giant Mountains on the horizon.

Insider detail: Visit Trosky on a clear morning. The towers face roughly east-west, and morning light catches the basalt columns in a way that reveals the geological structure — hexagonal columnar jointing similar to Giant's Causeway, formed as the volcanic rock cooled 30 million years ago.

Prachovské Skály — The Rock Town

Prachovské skály (Prachov Rocks) is the most accessible of Bohemian Paradise's rock cities — a labyrinth of sandstone towers, narrow passages and elevated viewpoints connected by marked trails. The site has been a tourist destination since the 19th century, and the path infrastructure is well maintained.

Two marked circuits run through the rocks:

• Shorter circuit (about 2 km, 1 hour): passes the key viewpoints including Vyhlídka Českého ráje (Bohemian Paradise Viewpoint) with panoramic views across the rock formations.
• Longer circuit (about 4 km, 2 hours): extends to more remote formations and deeper into the forest.

The paths include iron ladders, narrow squeezes between rock walls, and steep wooden staircases. The difficulty is moderate — fit walkers of all ages manage the shorter circuit comfortably. The longer circuit requires more stamina and some comfort with heights.