Bohemian Switzerland Nature Reserve

Address: Bohemian Switzerland National Park (České Švýcarsko), Ústí nad Labem Region, Czech Republic (gateway town: Hřensko)

Website: https://www.ceska-svycarsko.cz/

Bohemian Switzerland (České Švýcarsko) is a sandstone landscape and national park in the Ústí nad Labem Region of northern Czech Republic, noted for dramatic rock formations and deep river gorges. The area includes the region’s signature landmark, the Pravčická brána natural sandstone arch.

Pravčická brána, with a span of about 26.5 metres and height near 16 metres, is the most visited feature and has a small chateau and viewing platforms nearby. The park also contains the Kamenice River gorges, where narrow canyons are experienced by short boat trips and river-level trails, and extensive networks of marked hiking routes through sandstone towers and plateaus.

The landscape is compact but varied, offering short day hikes between lookouts and longer walking routes that traverse the sandstone tablelands and cross into neighboring Saxon Switzerland in Germany.

The region’s sandstone was shaped over millions of years by erosion and river action; the area became popular with naturalists and tourists from the 19th century onward. It was designated as a protected area and later a national park to conserve the fragile sandstone terrain and associated habitats.

Bohemian Switzerland occupies the northwestern corner of the Czech Republic along the border with Germany, with visitor gateways at Hřensko and the nearby town of Děčín; it lies roughly north of Prague and directly adjacent to Saxon Switzerland on the German side.

• Border location: The park lies adjacent to the German Saxon Switzerland; cross-border trails and viewpoints near Hřensko and Děčín are common starting points for visits.
• Visitor note: Pravčická brána has a built visitor area with a historic chateau cafe and paid access to the arch’s immediate base; expect a short uphill walk from parking areas.

What to See#

• Pravčická brána: Pravčická brána is a natural sandstone arch and the largest such formation in the region, with a span of about 26.5 metres and a height near 16 metres, and is the park’s most iconic landmark.
• Kamenice (Edmund) Gorge: The Kamenice Gorge (Edmund and Wild Gorge) offers boat trips and narrow sandstone canyon scenery carved by the river, with established trails and wooden walkways.
• Tiské stěny (Tisá Walls): Tiské stěny (Tisá Walls) comprise a maze of sandstone towers and narrow passages popular for short hikes and scrambling close to the Czech-German border.

The park is accessed via the border town of Hřensko (Czech side) and via Bad Schandau (German side). Trains and regional buses reach these gateways from Děčín and Ústí nad Labem; from Prague or Dresden, combine train and local bus connections.

• Hike early morning trails like Pravčická brána for dramatic stone gateway views before crowds build
• The national park straddles the Czech-German border; cross-border walks around the Elbe Sandstone formations are rewarding
• Wear good shoes - trails are rocky and some viewpoints have steep drops