I had a few extra vacation days, so I figured: why not spend one of them alone in Bohemian Paradise (Český ráj), with Valdštejn Castle as my goal?
Panic, Coffee, Repeat
It didn’t start well. Rain hammered my windshield the whole drive, and I was this close to turning around. Instead, I parked at the old spa in Sedmihorky, sat in my car clutching a coffee, and panicked. What am I even doing here? Should I just go home?
But then I thought: If I leave now, the whole day is wasted.
So, fine. I stayed.
Raincoat zipped, boots on, pride somewhere under the seat—I stepped out into the drizzle.
Into the Wet Woods
The first stretch was straight into the forest, about 3 kilometers uphill. Everything was dripping: trails slick with mud, branches brushing rain onto my jacket, mist coiling around the trees. It was cinematic in a damp, slightly miserable way.
And then, halfway there, the rain began to ease. The drizzle softened, the forest brightened, and suddenly the whole landscape transformed. Moss glowed, rocks gleamed, and the fog drifted gently instead of attacking me. My mood lifted with the clouds.
Soup First, Adventure Second
By the time I stumbled up to Hospoda na Valdštejně, the world looked entirely different. The rain had stopped, my boots were filthy, and my spirits were soaring.
Inside the rustic pub, I ordered a steaming bowl of sour cabbage soup and sat dripping happily at a wooden table. It felt like the perfect hiker’s reward—warm, simple, comforting. For a second, I imagined myself as a forest wanderer, popping in for soup before vanishing back into the cliffs.
Valdštejn Castle in the Mist
Right next door was Valdštejn Castle, perched dramatically on sandstone cliffs. With the rain gone, the mist lingered just enough to make the ruins feel magical.
I crossed the stone bridges, explored the courtyards, and paused at the viewpoints now opening up to reveal the valley. What had been a wall of fog earlier turned into sweeping, moody vistas. The castle wasn’t polished or touristy—it felt raw, atmospheric, alive.
The Viewpoints in the Clear
From the castle, I continued to the famous lookouts.
At Vyhlídka u Lvíčka (“Little Lion Viewpoint”), the fog was finally lifting. The valley below stretched out, still shimmering with dampness, but no longer hidden.
A little further along was Vyhlídka na Kapelu (“Choir Viewpoint”), where sandstone towers rise like church organs. With the rain gone, the rocks looked sharp and commanding, no longer softened into ghostly shapes. This time, they seemed ready to sing in the sunlight—though thankfully they didn’t.
Arboretum Bukovina & Hrubá Skála
The trail led into Arboretum Bukovina, a park of stately trees planted in neat rows. After the wild forest, it felt like stepping into nature’s library, everything in order, still glistening from the earlier rain.
Finally, I reached Hrubá Skála Castle. Bigger, grander, turreted like something from a fairy tale. And yet… compared to Valdštejn, it felt less soulful. Beautiful, yes. But the walk there—with cliffs, meadows, and freshly washed forest stretching in every direction—was the true highlight.
The Long Walk Back
From Hrubá Skála, I turned around and retraced my steps to Sedmihorky. The trail was familiar now, but in reverse it felt almost like a new landscape—clearer, brighter, less hostile.
By the time I reached my car, I was soaked, muddy, exhausted—and completely happy.
What began as a near-disaster in a parked car had turned into one of those rare days that feel like an adventure. The sun never truly came out, but I didn’t need it. Bohemian Paradise had given me its own kind of magic: moody skies, dripping forests, and a castle rising from the mist.
Trail Stats
- Start/End: Parking near Sedmihorky
- Stops: Hospoda na Valdštejně → Valdštejn Castle → Vyhlídka u Lvíčka → Vyhlídka na Kapelu → Arboretum Bukovina → Hrubá Skála → return the same way
- Distance walked: ~9.4 km (5.8 miles) round trip
- Elevation gain: ~230 m up and down again (750 ft)
- Time on trail: about 4–5 hours with breaks (castle visit, viewpoints, and soup stop)
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate — mostly good forest trails with some rocky stairs near the viewpoints
Trail Map
Here’s a simple map of the route (approximate, since it retraces the way back):
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