Things to do
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Dlaskův statek
Timber farmhouses with painted gables make up this preserved Jizera farmstead at Dolánky, a short walk from Turnov. Furnished rooms, a barn and outbuildings show rural home life and woodworking crafts of the region. Festival days bring carnival and Easter customs into the yard. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from April to October and again in December.
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Hrubá Skála Rock Town
Hundreds of sandstone towers rise through pine woods below the Hrubá Skála chateau, threaded by marked trails, stairways and lookouts such as Mariánská vyhlídka. A circuit from the chateau or from Sedmihorky takes two to three hours. Climbers work these towers under strict local rules, with no chalk and no metal gear in the cracks. The paths are free and open all year, with parking at Sedmihorky and the chateau.
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Kost Castle
Unusually intact for its age, this Gothic castle rises on a sandstone spur above fishponds at the head of the Plakánek valley. Entry is by guided tour only, with routes through the palace rooms, a torture chamber and a short step free route. Hours shrink to weekends in autumn, and the castle closes from November to March. A walking trail up the Plakánek valley makes the best approach.
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Prachov Rocks
Near Jičín, at the southern edge of Bohemian Paradise, this rock town packs gullies, rock stairways and seven lookouts into a large circuit of about three hours. A shorter loop from the Prachov lodge reaches the main viewpoint in under an hour. Entry is ticketed all year. Some passages are barely shoulder wide, and the steps ice over in winter.
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Trosky Castle
Twin towers on two volcanic plugs make this ruin the emblem of Bohemian Paradise, visible from much of the region. Locals call them Baba and Panna, the old woman and the maiden, and only the lower, Baba, can be climbed. Visits are self guided through the courtyards and walls. The season runs April to October, with weekend only opening at either end and full closure in winter.
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Valdštejn Castle
Statues of saints line a stone bridge leading into this rock castle, the first seat of the Wallenstein family. Inside are a chapel, halls and passages cut straight into the sandstone, with views over the Bohemian Paradise woods. A forest path from Hrubá Skála chateau takes about half an hour. It opens daily from May to September, at weekends in April and October, and closes from November.
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Zámek Hrubá Skála
Perched on a cliff at the head of the Hrubá Skála rock town, this castle turned chateau now runs as a hotel, with trails starting outside the gate. Rooms fill the old wings, and a wellness centre sits within the walls. The tower serves as a lookout over Bohemian Paradise. A restaurant terrace on the walls looks down on the valley.
