Visiting Hrubá Skála in Bohemian Paradise, Czech Republic

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Writer: Helena Bergström

Hrubá Skála, located in Bohemian Paradise in the north of the Czech Republic, was our next destination on our motorhome tour of Europe. Here you can experience fabulous rock formations, great hiking trails in the green nature and an imaginative castle hotel on a high cliff.

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Hrubá Skála in the Czech Republic

Hrubá Skála is a town in the area of the Czech Republic known as Bohemian Paradise, or Český ráj in Czech. This whole area offers lovely green deciduous trees, fantastic rock formations and great opportunities for outdoor activities.

Hrubá Skála is located approximately 7 km south-east of Turnov in northern Bohemia / Bohemia in the northern Czech Republic.

A previous visit to Hrubá Skála

We have actually visited Hrubá Skála once before. A few years ago, we joined a press trip, organised by the Czech Tourist Office, which focused on The Crystal Valley in northern Czech Republic, an area famous for Bohemian crystal, glassworks and glass art. That time we made a quick stop at Hrubá Skála, but we didn't have time to see much... That's why we wanted to come back!

Visiting Hrubá Skála

You can visit Hrubá Skála in a few different ways. One way is to stay at Camping Sedmihorky (in your own caravan or cabin) and walk from there. The walk from the campsite takes about 30 minutes and then you can stroll further in the natural area. That's what we did this time!

Another way to visit Hrubá Skála is to take your car to Hrubá Skála Castle and park somewhere near it. From there, you can walk into the natural area from a slightly higher altitude, where you can quickly find various viewpoints.

Dramatic mountain formations

The natural area of Hrubá Skála is special above all for all the dramatic rock formations found here. This type of nature is special for the north of the Czech Republic, and this is one of several places where you can experience this fascinating landscape.

The scenery is incredibly dramatic, with steep cliffs, ravines and rocky crevices. It's hard to get enough of it!

In some places you can enter narrow passages between the formations, and in other places there are steep stairs.

It is also green and lush. As the forest is made up of deciduous trees, it is really lush and colourful.

Hiking is very popular in this area, and it's not hard to see why. Some people also come here to climb, and last time we were here we saw climbers high up on the cliffs. This time we only saw the memorial created for the climbers who lost their lives.

Hrubá Skála Castle

On a hill, overlooking the dramatic landscape is a castle. The castle is located on a steep sandstone cliff originally called Skála (The Rock). It was founded in the 14th century by Hynek von Valdštejn, a member of a prominent Czech family. The castle was later taken over by other families, and by the 16th century it was one of the largest estates in Central Europe.

At the end of the 16th century the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style, after a fire in 1710 it was renovated in the Baroque style and in the middle of the 19th century it was finally given the neo-Gothic style seen today.

Today, Hrubá Skála operates as a castle hotel. The castle is part of the Czech hotel chain EA Hotels and offers hotels, hostels and conference facilities. The hotel also has a restaurant and wellness centre and, of course, the opportunity to enjoy the nature in the area.

Even if you're not staying at the castle hotel, you're welcome to peek into the courtyard, climb a tower and look into some museum rooms for a fee that currently stands at 50 czk (about 22 Swedish kronor). We chose to pay for this little pleasure and absolutely thought it was worth our 20 cent.

In addition to the small museum, we were offered a nice view, both from the castle terrace and from its high tower.

Valdštejn Castle

The area is also home to Valdštejn Castle, built in the second half of the 13th century by some counts of the Valdštejn family. In the 15th century, the castle was occupied first by Hussites and then robber barons. In 1621, the Valdštejn family bought back the abandoned castle, and in 1722 a pilgrimage church was built on top of the ruins, dedicated to St John of Nepomuk.

You can hike up to the castle, about 3 kilometres, but since we didn't do that, you'll have to settle for an area view from Camping Sedmihorky, where you'll see the castle at the top right.

Where can you stay or spend the night in a motorhome?

If you want to stay in a beautiful castle, you can of course choose to stay at Hrubá Skála Castle. If you are travelling with a motorhome, caravan or tent (or want to stay in a cottage), you can stay at Camping Sedmihorky. This is a pleasant and well-run campsite with good services, restaurants, swimming area and English-speaking staff.

See more in the neighbourhood

The whole Bohemian Paradise area is well worth discovering, including the natural areas Prachovské Skály and Besedické Skály, which also offers stunning rock formations. You can also take the opportunity to go on a canoe adventure and check out a historic castle in Malá Skála.

Not far from Hrubá Skála is the pleasant town of Liberec. In this area you will also find the Crystal Valley, with a very long tradition of glassmaking. Here you can find, for example handmade production of Christmas decorations, which is inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

If you like nature, travel west and discover Europe's largest sandstone arch Pravcicka Brana in Bohemian Switzerland or eastwards to the stunning mountain formations of Adrspach Rocks. It is also not too far to fantastic Prague!

Have you been to Hrubá Skála?

Have you been to Hrubá Skála or anywhere else in this part of the Czech Republic? Do you like this kind of nature experiences and castles?

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