All activities / Trekking / Hiking / Bohemian Switzerland
Trekking / Hiking in Bohemian Switzerland
A sandstone national park in northwestern Bohemia where the Elbe crosses from Germany, a landscape of pillars, gorges and deep forest. Its emblem is the Pravcicka Gate, the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, and it adjoins Saxon Switzerland across the border.
Why here
Bohemian Switzerland is the sandstone wilderness of the northwest, a national park of pillars, ravines and deep forest where the Elbe crosses from Germany. Its emblem is the Pravcicka Gate, the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, a slender rock span high above the trees that featured in the film The Chronicles of Narnia. Below it the Kamenice river runs through the Edmund and Wild Gorges, where flat-bottomed boats are poled between mossy walls, and trails link viewpoints, table mountains and the twin park on the German side, Saxon Switzerland. A 2022 wildfire closed parts of the park and access around the Gate has changed since, so a local guide who knows the current trails and rules is useful. For a day or two of hiking among some of Europe's strangest rock scenery, this is the Czech classic.
Best months
The main hiking season is April to October, with autumn colour a highlight and the gorge boats running in the warmer months. Some routes and the immediate Pravcicka Gate area were affected by the 2022 fire and later restoration, so check current access before setting out. Trails involve steps, ladders and uneven sandstone, and can be slippery when wet.
Getting there & around
The park is about 90 minutes to two hours north of Prague near Decin and the German border, reachable by train and bus to Hrensko and the gateway villages. Guided day trips run from Prague with door-to-door transport, or you can base in Hrensko, Mezni Louka or Decin. The Pravcicka Gate sits on the Hrensko side, with the gorge boats and the village of Mezna nearby.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
Bohemia Adventures
OutfitterBohemia Adventures is a family-owned operator based near Prague running guided day hikes into Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland. Its bestselling trip links the Pravcicka Gate, the Bastei bridge across the German border and a boat ride through the Kamenice gorge on a walk of around ten to twelve kilometres, in small groups capped at eight with named local guides and hotel pickup. The company concentrates on the two national parks and the sandstone highlights straddling the Czech-German frontier.
Northern Hikes
OutfitterNorthern Hikes has guided walkers through Bohemian Switzerland since 2014, running small-group day hikes from Prague with local, licensed guides. Trips take in the Pravcicka Gate, the Kamenice gorge boats and viewpoints across the national park and neighbouring Saxon Switzerland, capped at eight guests with door-to-door transport from Prague and a local lunch. The guides adjust routes to current park access, and the company is top-ranked for outdoor day trips in the region.