Czech Paradise

Nature

In the case of the Bohemian Paradise, we should rather talk about the hills that fall into the so-called ** Jičín Hills **. Quite often, the much more powerful ** Kozákovský ridge ** is also considered a part of the Bohemian Paradise.

In the Czech Paradise you will find a wide range of extinct Tertiary volcanoes including the most famous Trosky or Vysker. Their highest density is especially around Jicin (Zebín, Železný „Iron Hill“, Velis, Čeřovka, Dubolka and many others). Almost each of these hills has a basalt quarry, which was used mainly in road construction.

Bohemian Paradise, these are mainly sandstone rock towns, so here you will most enjoy the rock formations. But you will see not only sandstone, but also volcanic basalt – in addition to the frequent quarries on the local hills, especially on the ruins of the castle Trosky.

In the Bohemian Paradise you will find mainly so-called half-caves – which are just large sandstone overhangs. They were popular with prehistoric people. Now they are mainly used by hikers, who bivouac here here and roast burritos on the fire in the summer. The real cave is Postojna, also called America. You can't do without a flashlight here. The Bozkov Dolomite Cave is often introduced to the Bohemian Paradise, which is beautiful without debate, but falls more into the Krkonoše Mountains.

The most important river in the Bohemian Paradise is the Jizera, which with its 164 km is also the 10th longest in the Czech Republic. However, Žehrovka (26 km long) flows directly inside this area, above which rises a rock tower in the Podtrosecký valley. The third river of the Bohemian Paradise is the Libuňka, which flows in a wide valley between Hruboskalsko and Kozákov.

Rock towns: In the Bohemian Paradise there are not only Pachovské skály and Hruboskalsko, but a number of other rock towns that are worth a visit. Interesting are, for example, Klokočské skály, where you look deep below from the top of the sandstone plateau, Suché skály are again loved by climbers – they are such Czech mini Dolomites. Příhrazské skály are again known for the rock dwellings of Drábská světnička. Less important localities include the Borecké rocks and the Kalich-Chléviště rock maze. Rock towers: There are not dozens but hundreds of rock towers in the rock towns of the Bohemian Paradise. Thanks to climbers, almost everyone has a name. The most important and most beautiful towers are – in Hruboskalsko (Bandmaster, Skull and Devil's Hand)

In the Bohemian Paradise, there was a massive volcanic activity in Třetihory (approximately 16 million years ago). Opinions still differ as to whether these volcanoes were below the surface or above, in any case they have survived to this day in the form of numerous hills. Most of them have a quarry where basalt was mined. In such abandoned but freely accessible quarries you can easily see the „heart“ of the volcano. Volcanic quarries: you can find in Zebín, Veliš, Dubolka, Velká hora near Střelče. Basically outside the hills of St. Anna has every basalt hill in the Bohemian Paradise, at least a small quarry

The highest peak of the Jičín Hills is ** Sokol ** (563 m above sea level) located above Malá Skála. The highest hill, which lies right in the center of the protected area, are ** Trosky ** (488 m above sea level), which became the „logo“ of the whole Bohemian Paradise thanks to two isolated basalt volcanoes Baba and Panna. Other „high“ hills include ** Vyskeř ** (466 m above sea level) with the Stations of the Cross ** Přivýšina ** (464 m above sea level) with a small rock town at the top and a semi-overgrown view. ** Kozákov ** (744 m above sea level) is sometimes considered to be the highest point of the area, but it already falls into the Ještěd-Kozákov ridge, which borders the area in the north. In this case, it would include, for example, hills such as ** Tábor ** (678 m above sea level) with a lookout tower at the top and ** Kopanina ** (657 m above sea level), also with a lookout tower at the top. Other important mountains are usually very nice lookout points such as ** Mužský ** (463 m above sea level) volcanic peak above cherry orchards and ** Veliš ** (429 m above sea level) as an amazing view to the Jičín basin and the Giant Mountains.

Here again the beautiful ** Ruins ** dominate. The hill ** Zebín ** (399 m above sea level) juts directly from the Jičín basin with a chapel at the top and a basalt quarry is also very nice.