Feeling like exploring Nature in the Czech Republic? Thousands of rock towers, magical nature, and views will take your breath away. As soon as you step into the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks Nature Reserve, you will discover a completely different world. A world where the tallest tower, The Lovers, reaches 110 meters into the sky and water pours over the impressive, 16-meter high Great Waterfall. Discover both the narrowest alleyway, with a width of only 50 cm, and the picturesque lake with crystal clear water.
In this blog post I will cover all the important things:
The history of Adrspach Rocks
The park is estimated to be over 89 million years old. The Adršpach Rocks could be once the bottom of a prehistoric ocean.
Crack in land happened, in which the sea and rivers left their sediment behind all the way back during the Lower Palaeozoic Era. Over the following years, the sea withdrew on several occasions while the land was growing and eroding by the earth’s crust movements. During the Lower Mesozoic Era, the sea returned and deposited sand and calcareous clay on the seabed. And with their weight and chemical processes, the loose grains of sand merged into sandstone rock.
When the sea withdrew, the land left behind became today’s the City of Rocks. Then, the natural elements that came into play, such as frosts, running water, the wind, and the sun, formed the sandstone rocks into what we know them today.
Discover the 3.5 km (1.5 mile) hiking trail
Green markers lead the hiking trail around the City of Rocks. When embarking on this path, plan at least 3 hours. I have to say the north of the Czech Republic is much colder than Prague!!! We came to visit in May and arrived early in the morning.
I had only a sweatshirt and light pants and freezing right away after leaving the car. There are no stores anywhere nearby, and the one small gift store had a couple of scarfs only. I would say: check the weather before you plan the trip and dress accordingly in layers. As the day went by and the sun came out, the weather got so much warmer.
This hike is also no stroller friendly. Too many steps and skin paths.
The Jug and The Sugarloaf
The Jug is one of the grandest structures in the City of Rocks. This massive tower was first ascended by Josef Janeba, Miroslav Jedlička, and the pioneer of climbing Rudolf Otto Bauš in May of 1935. The unique, six-meter window creates The Jug’s “handle,” thanks to which the tower received its name. Sometimes people like to call this formation a “Delfin.” as well.
The Sugarloaf is another most peculiar structure in the City of Rocks. The standing on point would make you think of safety. The upper section is 13 meters wide, and the bottom only measures 3 meters, thus creating an overturned tenpin. From the fear of it toppling down, tourists have jammed small sticks at its base as a joke.
The Jug 
The Sugarloaf – front 
The Sugarloaf – back
Gothic Gate and Elephant Square
The Gothic Gate first made its appearance in the City of Rocks in 1839, when Ludvik Karel Nádherný had it built together with a network of hiking paths, bridges, footbridges, and stairs. This Gothic Gate now guards the former entrance to the park.
The Elephant Square is an area enclosed by rocks resembling elephants. You can find some interesting plants here, which are normally growing 200m above the sea higher. The flora growing this low is due to the microclimate of inverse ravines and cold parts of the rock town.
The Gothic Gate 
The Elephant Square
The 50 cm wide Mouse Hole
While hiking around the rocks, you can try to squeeze yourself through a 50 cm wide gap. It’s called The Mouse Hole, and it’s the narrowest alleyway in the City of Rocks. Can you make it through?
Definitely not stroller friendly while hiking around.
The Mouse Hole 
The Lovers and Lioness
One of the most interesting formations at the Adršpach Rocks is also the tallest. The Lover formation is 110 meters tall. You are about halfway done with the hike once you arrive at the Lovers. Lovers are actually two huddled rocks, one of which has a fairly large nose, and it’s hard to tell if it’s a woman or a man.
It is interesting to look around, and all those rocks have a resemblance to something. Some more and some less, but the rock, which looks like Lioness, is truly a copy of an animal and looks like an artist made it. Nature is an amazing artist. You can also spot Chimpanzie or Turtle later on your hike.
The Lovers – different angle 
The Lovers – closeup 
The Lioness 
The Turtle 
The Chimpanzee
The Mayor and his wife
One of the most famous sandstone cliffs in the Adršpach Rocks, are towers looking like human figures. On the right is a Mayor, and in the middle is his wife. From the viewpoint, you will go down the steep stairs and ascend again between the Mayor and his wife. You can take many pictures from many angels, from top and from the bottom as well.
Boat ride…
The local lake was used for moving lumber over 150 years ago. The lake’s overflow creates The Great Waterfall, which is particularly magical in winter, as it freezes over every year. The first tourists start using the lake in 1857.
The boat ride is more silly part of this trip. Many Waterman hiden in the water…
Who is Waterman?
Every river , lake or pond in Czech Republic has a Waterman…
He is a small man with green hair, nicely dressed in green or red. You can spot a Waterman if you see a guy to whom water drips from the end of a coat in the back. He is an ugly old green man with frog features like a wide mouth, a membrane between his fingers, or bulging eyes, sometimes his right eye is red, water is constantly dripping from his hair, and his body is soft as mud. His speech is bushy and “twisted.”
He attracts mainly children and young girls by hanging colorful ribbons and mirrors on the shore. He drowns them in the water and then keeps their soul in a pretty mug with a lid.
Are we done yet with Rock City?
There is so much more to see, but I do not want to add everything into a blog post. So instead, I want to leave it for some pretty surprises as you take a hike in Rock City. It is definitely an amazing day trip into nature to change from beautiful castles and cities in the Czech Republic.
How to get to Adrspach Rocks
The Adrspach city is a bit far from Prague. It is right by the border with Poland in the mountains. I would recommend booking a couple of nights in Hotel in the area and make it a multiple-day trip or weekend getaway. There are a couple of places where you will enjoy them as well. You can visit a couple of towns in the area, or many Nature preserves like Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area. Dvůr Králové nad Labem have beautul zoo and safary. In this area is also Babiččino Údolí for those of us who grew up in Czech and read author “Bozena Nemcova” – Babicka (Grandma) is like traveling back to our childhood memories. If you fall in love with Rocks creations, be sure to visit Rock Prachov ( Prachovske skaly ) as well. All these locations are not really close to each other, but they are in this area.
If you do feel like staying in Adrspach and just want to go on a longer hike, you can extend Teplice Rocks, which that hike is much longer and a bit more challenging. You will find same beautiful nature with many more rock formations.
Rent a car
The easiest way to get to The Adrspach city is by rental car. Renting a car in Prague or anywhere in the Czech Republic is very easy, and thanks to the competition in the capital city, rates are quite low, even if you decide to rent a car only for the day. I have rented a car before for a whole month and still have not broken my bank account.
This is a company I do recommend for renting a car as I used this Mr. Milan in the past and always successfully. Check the website here.
The Adrspach city is two and a half hours drive from Prague. Make sure your car has a highway sticker. From 2021 the system changes into an electronic one, so ask the rental agency whether the car is allowed to drive on highways.
What you need to know before you get to Adrspach
Visit the official website for updates and information here.
Make sure you know what the weather will look like when you arrive. Rock city is far north of the Czech Republic, and the temperature difference will be significant from Prague. You can be in shorts and a shirt in Prague, but you will be quite cold up north, not freezing, but you will feel the difference. Unless you love the cold, get ready. It would be similar to North California, Oakland and behind the golden hills can be quite hot, but you get to San Francisco, and the fog makes everything much cooler.
I did not believe my dad when he told me to dress warm, and when we arrived, the first thing I was trying to find where to buy an extra jacket. There is nothing around, the small gift shop had only a light scarf, but boy, I was happy for just the scarf.
If you do travel in Tourist heavy season, make sure you check availability. The city is open nearly every single day, but there could be a limit on tickets sold. You can buy tickets online to make sure you get one. I would not risk driving almost 3 hours to find out; no more tickets are being sold. Also, if you want to enjoy a bit more peaceful time, come as early as the park opens. That way, you can start your hike before the tour busses arrive and every view gets crowded.
What else to visit near by?
Teplice Rocks
Teplice nad Metuji – Teplice Rocks hike will take you through a wild rock labyrinth. Monumental beauty literally takes your breath away. You will walk under the massive Temple walls, walk through narrow gorges of the Anen Valley, look into the underground labyrinth of Poseidon, visit cute nooks and spectacular views. If you are lucky in good weather, you can spot climbers.
This hike is about 2-3 hours and is about 6 KM (about 3 miles) long.
Stork lookout tower
Stork Lookout Tower – (Rozhledna Čáp) the tower was built in September 2014, and you can see the nearby rock town and the more distant mountain peaks. Due to the difficult terrain, the individual parts of the lookout tower were transported and assembled by helicopter. Two viewing platforms allow a view of all corners of the world with good visibility.
Dvůr Králové nad Labem – ZOO
Dvůr Králové ZOO has more than 60 years of history. This zoo changed significantly throughout the years. Originally a small zoo (6.5 acres) grew to one of the largest zoos (180 acres) in the Czech Republic. The Zoo prides itself on being one of the most important breeders of African animals globally, breeding rhinos, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, and other antelope species. At the same time, it is one of the most beautiful places in Europe, which certainly attracts many tourists. In summer, it offers an African safari, through which visitors can ride on specially adapted safari buses among freely moving animals.
Safari Park Resort
What about spending 2 or more nights on a Safari which is not in Africa but right in the middle of Europe? You can choose between Lodge, clamping, camping, or bungalow right in the middle of Zoo. You will have free entry to the zoo while you stay, and you can choose from many activities to do during your stay. Having breakfast with Hippo, feeding giraffes, or spending time with rhinos…You can do it all. The downside of the resort is the booking time! It would be best if you started looking in November when they open booking for the upcoming season. (May-Sep) You can find more info here.
Rocks Prachov
Rocks Prachov (Prachovske Skaly) – not enough of big rock formations? I have another beautiful place to hike and explore. It is called Bohemian Paradise. You can choose from three different hikes here.
Yellow hike is less than a mile long (1.5 Km ) long and is called a Short Journey, here you can 1 ascent and 2 lookout points. It leads through the magnificent Emperor’s Pass and it is perfect for kids.
Green Hike is about 1.5 miles (3.5Km) long and it will take you about 2 hours. You will hit all the important landmarks and amazing views of Czech Paradise.
The stroller journey. Relatively stroller friendly with couple of rocky places but doable. You can comfortably go through to marked lookouts. From Křižkovský Lookout (Křížkovského vyhlídka) – follow the red markers to Pecha’s Lookout (vyhlídka Pechova). Just be aware that there is a rocky path just before the lookouts, but the rest is fine..
There you have it!
More than Adrspach Rocks are an incredible places to visit. There are many more places in the Czech Republic, and it is impossible to fit all in one day. Hopefully, you will pick the best spots for you and enjoy it the same way we do when we travel home to the Czech republic.
Enjoy the city and whole country!!!!
Easy day trips in Czech Republic
Are you planning a trip to the Czech Republic? Are you a bit overwhelmed about what place to visit and see? I know there is so much to see and not just in Prague! The whole country is full of beautiful Gems. So here are a couple of my blog posts to help you plan some day trips.
- The perfect day trip – Prague – In this blog post, you can plan an entire day trip to visit Prague Castle and Lesser Town. I put places together to help you stay in one area and not lose time traveling from place to place.
- Romantic day trip to Prague – On this Day Trip, I follow the previous post but move to the Old town square and areas around.
- Lovely day trip – Kutna Hora – Kutna Hora is a favorite place for tourists to visit. You should definitely put it on your bucket list.
- Hluboka nad Vltavou – If you would like to travel in time into a beautiful chateau and Castles, you definitely, should visit Hluboka and Vltavou.
- Konopiste Chateau – Only one hour away from Prague by car. You will be amazed by the collections this Castle has on display. Beautiful Chateau used in the past for hunting, and the surrounding gardens are beautiful as well.
Until next time…!
DOBROU CHUT!
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