A TWO-CENTRED WALKING HOLIDAY

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR nám. K. V. Raise 160, CZ - 507 81 Lázně Bělohrad, Czech Republic tel.: +420 493 792 520, +420 603 82 44 97, fax: +420 493 792 210 e-mail: hoska-tour@hoska-tour.cz, lubomir.hoska@hoska-tour.cz

A TWO-CENTRED WALKING HOLIDAY

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR

Let us invite you to the Bohemian Paradise – a picturesque region situated 90 km north of the capital Prague. The name expresses unique harmony of nature beauty of sandstone rock cities and various landscape with valuable historical sights and folk architecture. The Bohemian Paradise is included in the UNESCO list in category of geoparks.

It is an excellent opportunity how to spend your holiday discovering beautiful nature and history - you will pass through narrow corridors of rock cities, interesting rock labyrinths and splendid view-points and you will also visit the little rock castles ruins. You will go along well-marked tourist paths. The length of the 1 day route is 12 – 22 km. There is also possibility of modifying the route for bikers. The cozy hotel room and nice stuff prepared to realize your wish will be award on every day of your stay here in the Bohemian Paradise. The routes do not follow asphalt ways.

All tracks are lead along the tourist very well-marked paths. Tourist mark for hikers has an uniform size of 10 cm x 10 cm. There are used the following colours in the Czech Republic: red, blue, green and yellow. Margins are white. Attention! In case that you loose the tourist mark, you will have to go back on the place, where you saw it for the last time. You will also have to take care of disgressions. You will also see bigger marks, which are for bikers and their edges are yellow.

We are able to change the route on the client wish, e.g. incl. the train or bus ride.

All hotels have 3 stars. Rooms are comfortable with bathrooms and TV. Accommodation is provided incl. continental breakfast. All hotels also have a wireless

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOĹ KA - TOUR

Internet connection WIFI. Accommodation is provided including dinner.

In July and August there is a high season and one can assume a higher frequency of these routes. They can also be shortened or lengthened. Nevertheless we kindly recommend you to stay in contact with our travel agency, because we are prepared to help and advise. Every group will receive the topical information (possibilities of refreshment on the route, etc.).

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR PROGRAMME Day 1: Arrival at the international airport Prague – Ruzyně according to a flight schedule during the day. The airport lies about 20 km northwest of Prague.

Transfer to the Bohemian Paradise (Turnov) TURNOV - A historical town and a heritage site where the Stebenka and Libuňka rivers flow into the Jizera, the centre of the W part of the Bohemian Paradise. It was founded by the Markvartics around 1250 and for centuries it was shared between two aristocratic families who at first lived in the nearby castles (Hrubý Rohozec and Valdštein) and later in the chateaus (Hrubá Skála and Svijany). This continued with short breaks until the 17th century. The town situated on a busy commercial route was hit by many catastrophes, mainly fires that destroyed most of its historical buildings. There was a strong community of Czech Brethrens who were mercilessly persecuted during the Catholicization after the Battle of White Moutain. Many of them sought refuge in the rock caves in Kalich at Hrubá Skála. Despite its unhappy history, crafts and later industrial production developed fast in the town. The smelting works operated in the local part called Hamry from the 16th century, glass was produced in Sklenářice from the 19th century. However, mining, glass cutting and dealing in precious stones mainly from Kozákov, and partially imported, was the local tradition for a hundred years. The gems were exported to many countries in Europe including Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries. Even today, jewels are cut in Turnov and there is a high school for art production of metals, gems and the processing of jewels. Art monuments are preserved mostly in the centre of the town. The landmark of the main náměstí Českého Ráje square is an originally 1526- built early Renaissance town hall. It was rebuilt in the neo-Renaissance style in 1894 and boasts the original stone coat-of-arms of the town. The church of St. Francis of Assisi was built together with a Franciscan monastery between 1651 and 1655 on the N side of the square. It received its present Empire appearance after a fire of 1803. Its pseudo-Romanesque tower dates from 1842. The savings bank, a pseudo-Renaissance building with three towers from 1906, is also noteworthy. The Church of St. Nikolas situated W of the square was built in the Gothic style in the mid-14th century, rebuilt in the Renaissance style after a fire in 1538, and again in the Baroque style in 1722. The adjacent Baroque vicarage, originally used as a school, dates from 1708. The Church of the Virgin Mary is found on Mariánské square. The original building from the 13th

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR century was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century and replaced by a large church, one of the first neo-Gothic buildings in Bohemia, between 1825 and 1853. It is a large three-nave basilica with side chapels, a four-storey tower and a very large nave and was designed by J. Hausknecht, K. A. Shramm and G. Grueber. Among the city houses, the Renaissance house No. 70 built in the 16th century and renovated in the Baroque style around 1760 stands out. It is decorated with vases and sculptures of saints, its garden side boasts a pretty Rococo portal from 1761 and there are contemporary sculptures of saints on the garden wall. It is adjacent to a large building that houses the Bohemian Paradise Museum founded in 1886. It exhibits precious stones from Kozákov and abroad, articles documenting the historical development of the town and its surroundings and craft development, and the pictures gallery boasts a panoramic (8,5 x 10 m) painting designed by M. Aleš “Murdering Saxons below Hrubá Skála”. The house No. 80 with a Renaissance style with a late Gothic disposition. An old Jewish cemetery with the oldest tombstones dating from the end of the 17th century is situated under the flyover of the by-pass S from the square. A new exhibition of Jewish burial traditions and Jewish settlement in the Turnov region is open here during the summer. The Zámecká Stezka Nature Trail starts on the main square and connects the centre of the town with the Hrubý Rohozec chateau. It offers information about a number of interesting historical events as well as about Turnov and its surroundings.

Day 2: HRUBÁ SKÁLA ROCK TOWN Basic route: Turnov – Hlavatice – Valečov – Rock Town – Hrubá Skála – Sedmihorky – Angr´s trail – Valečov – Turnov, 16 km. It is a comfortable walk leading through the Rock Town. There is only a mild rise to Hlavatice – a view point – and also various terrain between the rocks on Angr´s trail, particularly staircase.

There is a possibility of lengthening the route: a) Kopic´s Farm + 2,5 km, b) Marian Lookout Point + 2 km.

There is also a possibility of shortening the route: more variants.

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE HLAVATICE – An isolated sandstone rock on the edge of Hruboskalská plošina (plateau) on the Golden Trail of the Bohemian Paradise approx. 2 km S of Turnov.

You may climb the iron steps to its peak. It is safeguarded by railings and offers a pleasant view of Ralsko, Bezděz, Ještěd Jizerské Mountains and Nera-by Turnov.

VALDŠTEJN – The ruins of a castle in the woods on the N edge of Hrubá Skála Rock Town 2,5 km SSE of Turnov. It was erected on three steep sandstone rocks connected by wooden bridges between 1260 and 1270 by Jaroslav of Hruštice, the founder of the family that later acquired its name Valdštein (Wallenstein) from the castle. The castle came to Zikmund Smiřický of Smiřice in 1540. A fire at that time destroyed all the wooden buildings leaving only a stone palace, a rear tower and fortification walls intact. The castle was first documented as ruined in 1582. The local estate came to Albrecht of Wallenstein after the confiscations that followed the Battle of White Mountain and his family kept in until 1821. A hermit Václav Holan Rovenský (16681718), the former organ player from Vyšehrad in Prague and the composer of Baroque ecclesiastical music, lived in the ruins of the front castle at the end of the 17th century. His stay attracted pilgrims and the place was enlivened. The castle was repaired in the spirit of the Baroque Romanticism in the 1720s. An octagonal central chapel of St. Jan of Nepomuk was erected in its central part, the rock blocs were connected by stone bridges and decorated with sculptures of nation patrons (1724).

The next owners, the Aehrentals who bought the castle from the Wallensteins in 1821, continued rebuilding it in the Romantic style. An inn was built between 1830 and 1840 and an Empire entrance gate was added in 1836. A niche chapel with a painting of St. John the Baptist was built on the site of the former hermitage in the same year. A stone staircase was built between 2nd and 3rd courtyards between1838 and 1841 and a pseudo-Gothic palace was erected on the 3rd courtyard at the end the 19th century. Such changes partially damaged the original disposition of the castle, but despite this the picturesque settings and romantic spirit of Valdštejn attracted more and more visitors. For example, the music composer J. B. Foerster often stayed here and this is where he wrote some of his famous compositions. Only remnants of the walls, cellars, part of the old palace, the prison and walls outside remain of the original castle.

ROCK TOWN – One of the most visited and most charming areas of the Bohemian Paradise covering approx. 120 ha is roughly defined by a triangle created by Sedmihorky – Valdštejn –Hrubá Skála an is part of the Hruboskalská plateau. A nature reserve was established here in 1998. This beautiful sandstone labyrinth consists of 400 towers and blocks looming up to 380 meters and its relative height compared with the surrouding terrain is up to 60 meters. Its main localities are Dračí skály (Dragon´s Rocks), Zámecká Rokle (Chateau Ravine), Kapelník (Conductor), Maják (Lighthouse) and Údolíčko (Small Valley). There are renowned climbing terrains (mainly in the central part of the rock town called Skalák) and attractive marked tourist trails lead through (Angrova steska, Krokodýlí cesta, and the Golden Trail of the Bohemian Paradise that skirts the edge of the plateau and forks to side trails leading to interesting viewing points). There is also the Hrubá Skála Nature Trail and archaeological (Čertova Ruka) and cultural (Hrubá skála, Valdštejn, Kopic´s Farm) monuments.

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR HRUBÁ SKÁLA – The chateau above the village of the same name on the edge of a rock plateau was built in the place of a former Gothic castle called Skály (Rocks) by Hynek of Wallenstein around 1350. In order to distinguish it from Malá Skála it was later called Hrubá Skála. Only a tower, a hewed well, basements, marks in beams and traces of a wooden staircase are preserved of the original castle built on bridged sandstone rocks. The Smiřický family rebuilt the castle into a comfortable Renaissance aristocratic residence in the 2nd half of the 16th century. Following a fire in 1710 it was repaired and enlarged southwards and eastwards. After the Smiřický family Hrubá Skála went to the Wallensteins and the last of them, Frantíšek Adam, sold the whole residence to Jan Lexa of Aehrental in 1821. It stayed in the possession of this family until 1945. The chateau was reconstructed in 1804 when the landscaped park was also established. It was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style in 1859 and repaired in 1923. After 1945 it was used as a recreational centre and is currently a hotel. Its square viewing tower dominates the place. Baroque statues of St. Florian and St. Lawrence (1725) by J. Jelínek adorn the stone bridge built in place of the drawbridge. Another bridge leads into the rear of the castle. St. Joseph´s Church built in the Romantic Gothic style in 1812 is situaed at the entrance to the chateau.

It houses a valuable Baroque painting of St. Family in the art style of P. Brandl.

Statues of St. Joseph, St. Petr and St. Paul adorn the main altar. Advanced fortification of the original 14th century castle called Prachovna is nearby. A path next to the church descends rapidly to Sedmihorky through a narrow rock ravine called Myší díra (the Mouse Hole).

ADAMOVO LOŽE (Adam´s Couch) – Also known as Lovers Cave, it is a sand rock cavern at the turn off the trail from the village of Hrubá Skála to the Marianská vyhlídka viewing point. Jan Chládek jr. sculptured a Love Altar with nude lovers from the sandstone for the last owner of the Hrubá Skála chateau. A statue of Eros adorned the altar, however the soft sandstone weathered and all that is left are a tripartite Rococo pedestal, a low, wide couch with caparisons and two barely recognisable lions on the ground.

SEDMIHORKY – A former spa town, now a holiday resort in the valley of Libuňka stream on the edge of Hrubá Skála Rock Town, 4,5 km SE of Turnov, one of the starting points to the rocks. The original settlement was documented in 1702. The estate owner A. Lexa of Aehrenthal and a doctor from Turnov A. Šlechta founded the spa town in 1841. Anaemia was cured here, mainly using the water from a few nearby springs (Aloisův, Josefův, Antonínův, Amálie, Kořenského etc.), but also with fresh air and eyepleasing nature. The Orea hotel makes use of the former spa buildings. A camping site is W of a village at the edge of a small lake.

ANGROVA STEZKA (Angr´s trail) – One of the most stunning tourist trails in the Hrubá Skála area is about 4 km long and connects Valdštejn castle with Sedmihorky.

It leads to the spectacular Janova vyhlídka lookout point with views of the rock formations Černá ruka (Devil´s Hand), Sfinga (Sphinx), Mravenčí věţ ( Ant´s Tower), Taktovka (Baton), Kapelník (Conductor), Podmokelská věţ tower etc.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE TURNINGS KOPIC´s FARM – One of the most valuable monuments of Czech vernacular architecture on the marked tourist trail from Kacanovy to the crossroad on the Golden Trail near Valdštejn castle . Originally called Jiroš´s Farm, it is a mostly log-

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR built enclosed estate with a one-storey house and outside gallery, a magnificent example of the architecture typical of the Jizera region. Its present look dates from 1787. On the road outside the gate is a folk statue of St. George, possibly by J. Chládek jr. from 1806. Another folk artist J. Zemana of Tatobity replaced its original pedestal with a more massive one with a beautifully carved relief of Christ in Gethsemane, St. Petronila and Fellicula, St. Mary Magdalene and St. Anne. The bestknown owner of the farm was V. Kopic, a man of many talents, who sculpted a remarkable gallery in nearby sandstone rocks, working from the mid-1930s until his death.

MARIÁNSKÁ VYHLÍDKA (Marian Lookout Point) – Perhaps the most beautiful and best known lookout point in the Bohemian Paradise is accessible by a detour trail off the Zlatá stezka trail near Hrubá Skála. Overlooking the sandstone formations of Hrubá Skála we can see Kozákov, Trosky and the Hrubá Skála chateau. Below is a symbolic cemetery to mountaineers who died in the sandstone rocks and members of the expedition who were killed in Peru in 1970.

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR Day 3: MALÁ SKÁLA AREA Basic route: Turnov – Dolánky – Drábovna – Frýdštejn – Vranov – Malá Skála – Zbirohy – Rohliny – Turnov, 22 km. The walk is lead along the fields and forests (mild terrain). There is a possibility of lengthening it. To shorten the route, clients should get on the train at Malá Skála, 12 km.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE DOLÁNKY U TURNOVA – This village in the valley of the Jizera river 2 km N of Turnov was first documented in 1543. The log-built Dlask´s farm is a typical example of the local folk architecture and is considered to be our most beautiful building of its kind. The former freeholder farm was built in 1716 and reconstructed in 1794 and 1841. In its core is an oblong two-storey building with richly decorated gables and a gallery. The ground floor consists of a large room with an open-hearth kitchen and brick stables; a dower room, closets and lumber-rooms are on the first floor. A large barn with a basement and a well is in the courtyard enclosed by a beam fence.

Rakouš´s granary dating from 1807 was brought here from Malý Rohozec in 1963. A sculpture of the Virgin Mary (1784) by Jan Chládek is outside the entrance. The farm is accessible to the public and hosts regular ethnographic festivals.

DRÁBOVNA U MALÉ SKÁLY (Soldier´s House) – A small medieval room hewed into the sandstone rock on the SW side of Kozákov hill. It was used as a watchtower. A splendid view of Trosky castle to the south.

FRÝDŠTEJN – A village at the end of Vranovský hřeben (ridge) below the Kopanina peak approx. 3 km NW of Malá Skála. Traditional wood architecture, for example a

high saddle roof on the house No. 37. The gamekeeper´s lodge is the birthplace of painter Beneš Knüpfer (1844-1910). The famous Czech poet K.H. Mácha stayed here

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR

during Easter 1835. A former glass factory was destroyed in 1890 by workers because of a new beads machine that threatened their existence. A picturesque ruin of the medieval Frýdštejn castle(1st half of the 14th century) is nearby. It was unsuccessfully besieged by the Hussites in 1425 and is documented as abandoned as early as 1565. It consisted of three parts; the north settlement with the first main gate, the inner castle and the southwest fortified area with a cylindrical well tower.

Parts of rooms, including the so-called Chapel, were hewed into the soft sandstone.

The granary was carved at the foot of the tower.

VRANOV – A geologically important narrow rocky ridge projecting from Frýdštejn to Malá Skála above the right bank of the Jizera with almost vertical steep walls on its S and E sides , and the ruin of Vranov castle and romantic Pantheon. It is a striking example of the geological formation of the vanished past. It is created by hard siliceous sandstone of the oldest upper chalk layer that was tectonically pushed up from underground and peaked vertically, thus reaching the same height as much younger and higher sandstones that created the rock town in near Drábová and opposite Kalich. Suché Skály rocks, now separated by the deep Jizera valley, used to be part of the ridge. Along the summit path from Frýdštejn are the ruins of romantic buildings from the 19th century - terraces, stairs, ruins of monuments, obelisks and a small neo Gothic gate. From a saddle in the ridge there is a magnificent view of Dubský důl, towards Bobov and Kopanina (see also Zahrádka).

SUCHÉ SKÁLY (Dry Rocks)- The national nature monument 1.5 km ESE of Malá Skála also called Kantorovy varhany or Malostránské dolomity is an imposing rock block with jagged towers created by the rise of the bottom layer of chalk sandstones and is a typical landmark of the Malá Skála area. Walkways and short ladders connect individual rocks and there is a lovely view to the W and SW from the edges.

The rock walls and towers are popular with climbers. The area is accessible along an unmarked path that turns off the blue tourist trail at Hluboček village (500 m).

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR MALÁ SKÁLA – A popular summer resort in the valley of the Jizera, one of the most picturesque parts of the whole area, is defined by the slopes of Sokol with Besedické rocks, Suché rocks and Vranovský ridge. The village comprises nine parts, the oldest, most southern Vranové was documented in 1382. Malá Skála itself lies behind the confluence of the Dubský stream to the Jizera and took its name from the nearby castle Skála (Vranov). It is a traditional painter´s destination. Works by artist J. Jíra and V. Komárek are kept in the reconstructed chateau Chapel of St. Lawrence. A former stronghold of the Wallenstein from the 16th century on the slope above the right bank of the Jizera was rebuilt into a Baroque chateau in the 17th and 18th century, reconstructed in the Classicism (1810) and Art Nouveau styles at the beginning of the 20th century . Not far is a small forest cemetery . The largest grave belongs to F. Z. Römish , the owner of the estate and founder of the Pantheon . A two-storey farm on the left bank of the Jizera called Bouček´s Farm stands out among many log-built houses. Its ground floor is vaulted while the first floor is log-built, it has a dower house and a granary. It currently houses a pub with a typical local flavor. There are a rustic tile stove and wooden benches along the walls. It also houses the Gallery of Malá Skála presenting the history of the region, paintings by J.Jíra and works by more then a hundred painters , sculptors, graphics artists and glass-blowers.

JIZERA – A river sourced in the peat-bogs on E of the Jizerské Mountains at the border with Poland. It flows to the Labe river 170 km downstream at Stará Boleslav.

This guide covers its wildest part between Semily and Ţelezný Brod and passes through the valley. The most romantic place is the valley in Malá Skála, the river is calmer and flows through meadows below Turnov.

ZBIROHY – A ruin of a Gothic castle in the forest near the village of the same name 2 km S of Malá Skála built on a narrow buttress possibly in the 1st half of the 14th century. One of the most prominent nobles, Markvart of Vartemberk, owned the castle during the reign of Wenceslas IV. He was engaged in a dispute with Lusatian towns and assaulted their traders , which was why the king´s army besieged and conquered his castle including Zbirohy in 1390. The army of Ota of Bergov, the Hussites´ enemy, lived there during the Hussite wars, the castle was later occupied by robbers and thus besieged once more, conquered and half demolished 1442. It is documented as abandoned in 1458. All that is left of it are the high walls of the palace, ruins of a defensive square-built tower above the moat, a water tank hewed into the rock and cellars. The village of Zbirohy boasts a number of charming logbuilt cottages; some of them are built into the sandstone rocks.

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR Day 4: KLOKOČSKÉ ROCKS Basic route: Malá Skála – Chléviště – Besedice- Koberovy –Fialník – Klokočí – Rotštejn – Klokočské skály – Betlémské skály – Zdenčina skála – Turnov, 19 km.

The walk rises a little from Malá Skála and then leads along the rock labyrinth of Chléviště to Besedice. Back to Turnov following marked field and forest paths.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE CHLÉVIŠTĚ – A charming rock formation in the W slope of Sokol in the Besedické skály rocks with a number of stunning views of Ještěd, Kopanina, Frýdštejn etc.

There is a Sluj (cavern) of Václav Sadovský and some distinctive formations Ţelva (Turtle). Hroch (Rhino) and Lední medvěd (Polar Bear).

SOKOL – A distinctive forested hill (563 m) above the left bank of the Jizera, 1,5 km SE of Malá Skála, surrounded by sandstone rocks . A small rock town Chléviště is on its W slope, a rock labyrinth Kalich on the S slope and Suché skály rocks on the NW slope. A viewing platform with metal railings is on the highest rock, the view is partially obstructed by large trees.

ROTŠTEJN - A charming village SE of Rotštejn castle with houses attached to the sandstone rocks in some places. A rock niche chapel with a sculpture of ST. Jan of Nepomuk - a nice example of the folk sculpture of the 18th century and a smithy hewed into the rock are on the crossroad.

KLOKOČSKÉ ROCKS – A village set picturesquely at the foot of the Klokočské skály rocks 5,5 km NE of Turnov, first documented in 1318. Traditional wood architecture.

Klokočský průchod (passages) create an entrance to this romantic labyrinth with steep sandstone walls. A number of interesting formations (38 m high Radnice – Townhouse, 16 m Dţbán – Jug, etc.) At the S foot of the rocks is a small rock

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR Rotštejn castle (see entry).

BETLÉMSKÉ SKÁLY (Bethlehem Rocks) – Romantic sandstone rocks between the Jizera river and Klokočský stream, approx. 3 km SW of Turnov, a part of the Nature Reserve Klokočské skály (see entry). Deep canyons, smallish rock windows and and gates. Flint and jasper Stone Age tools found near the Trojnoţka and Robin formations.

ZDENČINA SKÁLA (Zdenčina Rock) – there is a nice view to the valley of the Jizera river from the plateau on the top of this rock. Approx. 10 m high sandstone rock on a buttress above the village of Betlémský Mlýn in the NW end of the Betlémské skály.

There is a magnificent view of the Jizera valley from its apex protected by railings. In the bottom section of the rock, allegedly named after an unfortunate girl Zdeňka from a nearby village, is a rock window and many cavities.

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR

Day 5: PODTROSECKÁ VALLEYS Basic route: Ktová - Trosky – Vidlák – Věţák – Libošovice – Kost – Plakánek Sobotka, 20 km. To Jičín by bus. The luggage transfer will be arranged from 9.00 a.m. to 4 p.m. First rise to the ruin castle of Trosky, then down to Podtrosecká valleys and finally mild terrain to Sobotka.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE TROSKY – A huge ruin of a castle built on two distinctive basalt rocks (488 m) the best known landmark and the symbol of the Bohemian Paradise, a national cultural and natural monument. The castle was built by Čeněk of Vartemberk on a two peaked volcano chimney between 1380 and 1390. Two towers were erected on both peaks, they were named the Virgin and the Hag. The slenderer Virgin reaches up to 57 m while the more bulky Hag is 10 m lower. The space between the tower was built into living quarters and farm buildings. The castle was protected by the steep rock as well as a triple belt of walls with some gates that controlled access to the inner areas.

The Virgin was originally accessible only from a small tower of the place, the Hag could be reached probably by wooden stairs from the inside belt of the fortification.

After the death of Čeněk of Vartemberk Trosky came to the king Wenceslas IV who gave it to the lords of Bergov. It burnt down in 1428 and by treachery it was seized by the infamous villain Kryštof Šok of Helfenburk. Therefore Trosky was besieged in 1440, but the bandits managed to defend it. It came into the possession of the Zajícs of Házmburg 1458 and a succession of owners followed, Albrecht of Wallenstein was

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR among them. During the Thirty Years War Trosky was exchanged between the emperor´s followers and the Swedes and became a complete ruin after it was gutted by the emperor´s army in 1648 and was deserted. Not until the romantic 19th century was the value and unusual setting of the castle appreciated. The owner of the estate Alois Lexa of Aehrental started to repair the ruins in 1841, but the works stopped after his death in 1843.. The reconstructions continued in the last decades of the 20th century and are still ongoing. Apart from the two towers, the walls on the palace, the fortification with gates and the settlement below the castle with a guard-house are preserved. The Virgin tower and newly opened Baba offer splendid views of the Bohemian Paradise.

PODTROSECKÁ VALLEYS – The name of the picturesque valleys of the Ţelejovský (Věţické) and Ţehrovka streams with many lakes flanked by sandstone rocks, with meadows and pinewoods. An 8 km nature trail of the same name leads through its most interesting parts. It has 13 stops and Trosky castle. ŽELEJOVSKÉ ÚDOLÍ – A picturesque valley, also called Věţické, flanked by sandstone rocks and woods approx. 2.5-3 km S of Hrubá Skála. Ţelejovský stream flows through it and there are a few lakes; Vidlák lake is popular for its restaurant and camping site. Nearby is the Rašeliniště Vidlák Natural Reserve (3.84 ha), peat swampy meadows with protected plant species. There is an info centre of the Protected Landscape Area and a car park at the 9-ha Věţické lake.

KOST – one of the Czech most beautiful castles was founded probably by Beneš of Vartemberk before 1349 and sits atop a sandstone rock in a romantic place about 3.5 km NW of Sobotka, at the meeting point of three valleys (Plakánek, Prokopské, Černý rybník). There lakes were created in the swampy valleys (still existing Bílý a Černý, and the extinct Labutí). Their dams could be broken at any time with water flooding the surroundings of the castle. The strongest part of the castle is the Bílá (White) tower with an irregular quadrangle ground plan; you can see all its four corners from a certain place below the castle. Other preserved buildings are the Starý (Old) palace, Červená (Red) tower with a room for a chaplain and the Chalpel of the Virgin Mary.

Petr of Vartemberk rebuilt Kost after 1370, a new chapel was added in 1409. The family of Zajíc of Házmburg arrived at Kost in 1414, the Šelemberks came in 1497

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR and, after 1524 the Bíbrštejns, who enlanged and rebuilt it in the Renaissance style and also built its S part and a brewery. Albrecht of Wallenstein took possession of Kost in 1632. After his murder the emperor´s army confiscated it together with his other possessions. The place burnt down due to the carelessness of count Colloredo´s servants and was no longer used for living purposes . The Lobkovics repossessed Kost, but had no desire to invest in repairs and sold the castle to Heřman Černín of Chudenice in 1637. His wife Sylvie, 30 years his junior, managed to cancel the emperor´s order to destroy Kost, because it could become a base for an enemy.

Following this the palace was transformed into a granary, the place fell into ruin, parts of it caved in and it burnt a few times, and was not repaired until after World War II. It now belongs to the Kinský family and is accessible to public. The exhibits include family collections, a Renaissance open-hearth kitchen in the Bíbrštejnský palace, historical weapons etc.

NEPŘÍVĚC – A small village near the Libešovice train station 2km NNW of Sobotka, first documented in 1255. An Originally Gothic Church of St. Cross with nave rebuilt in the Baroque style later. A polygonal stone belfry, topped by an onion-shaped dome with a shingle roof, from 1786, is an interesting example of vernacular architecture.

Thirty memorial linden trees from 1848 grow on the square.

SOBOTKA – A smallish historical town 12.5 km WNW of Jičín in a charming setting below Humprecht chateau. Some historians believe it to have been founded as early as the 2nd half of the 12th century, however the first historically verified document dates from 1318. It became a fortified town with three gates as early as the 14th century. As its citizens were followers of J. Hus the town was conquered by the Catholic army in 1430. It was stripped of its free town status and did not regain its status until 1498. Jan of Šelmberk abolished manorial labour in Sobotka in 1502.

The heyday of the town was during the 16th century under the Lobkovics when it received many privileges. The Thirty Years War brought decline, the town was ransacked by the Swedes in 1639 and most of its valuables were seized. Later it burnt down a few times, the worst fire in 1712 destroyed most of the houses and other fires raged through its streets in 1746 and 1825. The Gothic-Renaissance hall church of St. Mary Magdalene is the town´s most valuable monument. It was built by P. Vlach, between 1590 and 1596. Its tower was lowered in 1828, the vault of the nave fell in 1885 and was replaced by a new ferroconcrete one between 1936 and 1940. The church houses valuable furnishing and also older paintings from the 16th century.

The altarpiece is by the Baroque painter J.P. Molitor, there are Renaissance tombstones of three Lobkovic´s children from the 16th century in the presbytery. Originally the Renaissance deanery was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1710.

The town hall on the square, originally Renaissance Chybovský house from the end of the 16th century, was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1686 and in the Empire style between 1808 and 1847. It is a two-storey building with arcades and

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR a square clock tower. A former salt-house, later a theatre, is adjacent to the town house. A dozen log-built town houses have been preserved from the 18th and 19th centuries, for example the so-called Špitál No. 10, Šolc´s farm NO. 33, Turnovského houses No. 39, Jeřábkův No. 65, Gamzův No. 129 etc. The house No 4. on the square next to the town hall, the birthplace of F. Šrámek, is also remarkable. It dates from the 16th century, with the first floor added after 1840. The birth house of poet Šolc houses an exhibition hall. A sculpture called ¨a house below the crescent ¨in the park behind the town hall is by Italian architect C. Parmiggiani from 1991. It is one of the four parts that created a whole and are in different parts of the world. Among the newer architecture the building of the savings bank (spořitelna) from the 1920s stands out, built by the architect F. Janda with sculptures by R. Březa and etched windows designed by B. Benda. (Humprecht - see entry) HUMPRECHT –This Baroque chateau with an unusual ellipsoidal ground plan was erected on a distinct basalt hill above the NW edge of Sobotka and became a well-known landmark. It was built

by Humprecht Jan Černín of Chudenice between 1666 and 1668 and designed by Carlo Lurago as a free copy of the Galatská Tower in Constantinople.

The chateau burnt down in 1678. Due to a quick succession of owners the chateau fell into disrepair and was restored in the 1970s. In its centre is a 16-meter high main hall and the outside wooden balcony offers a grand view, you can see as far as the Sněţka mountain when the weather is good. The chateau presently houses an exhibition of the Sobotka Region Museum. The surrounding park was originally a deer park.

The hotel is situated near the centre of the town. It is a newly built hotel with a nice restaurant and comfortable rooms. If clients arrive during the day, there is a time to visit a picturesque renaissance town of Jičín.

Day 6:

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR PRACHOV ROCKS 1st circuit trip is lead along the green-marked path, it is 3,5 km long - 2,5 hours, you will have to turn left (even this circuit is a little bit difficult, we recommend this one).

2nd circuit trip is lead along the yellow-marked path and it is 1,5 km long - 1 hour.

Both circuits end again next to Turistická chata chalet. You will return to hotel along the motorway or blue marked path (1 km).

The ticket to a rock city is valid for 1 whole day.

Basic route: Turistická chata – Císařská chodba - Prachov – Převýšenina – Brada – Kbelnice – Jičín, 12 km.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE PRACHOV ROCKS – the most visited and best-known rock town in the Bohemian Paradise. A number of remarkable geomorphologic formations, such as bizarreshaped rock towers, pillars, columns, blocks, overhangs and cavities. Many view points. A lot of marked tourist paths with magical view points leads through the most beautiful parts of this area.

CÍSAŘSKÁ CHODBA (Emperor´s Passage) – The most romantic and largest gorge in the Prachovské skály rocks flanked by steep sandstone walls and named after the Emperor Francis I who visited the place in 1813 during his four-day visit to Jičín. A walk through is possible, with stairs in some places; a lovely view of the Modlitba rock formation. ŠIKMÁ VĚŽ – A secured rock lookout point on a sandstone block above Nová rokle ravine in the S part of Prachovské skály offering a distant view of Horní Lochov, the western part of the basin around Jičín, part of the battlefield of 1866, Ostruţno and Velišský ridge.

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR ZEBÍN – A distinctive basalt conical peak (399m) above the village of Sedličky, 600m W of Valdice, a typical landmark of the Jičín region. Its SW slope of St. Mary Magdalene from around 1700 with a painting of the saint on its top, the climb is difficult. From the chapel there is a splendid panoramic view, including the whole of the Jičín basin, the Bradlec, Kumburk, Mlazovický, Chlum, Tábor, Kozákov and Veliš hills and the city of Jičín. Zebín is also a protected natural reserve with rare thermophilic vegetation. An isolated and very ancient Church of all Saints stands in a cemetery on the south slope. It received its present Baroque appearance around 1700 and houses two paintings with Passion themes from 1614, unique Czech art pieces from the Mannerism period. A wooden polygonal belfry stands on the slope behind the church.

JIČÍN – A charming town on the Cidlina river at the starting point to Prachovské Skály, the town heritage site. Originally founded around 1300 on the place of the present day Staré Místo, on a regular ground plan around an oblong square with an almost chessboard like network of streets. It was protected by fortified bastions and circled by a moat accessible through tree gates and two ports. Jičín was a royal property until 1316 and went to the Vartemberks together with Veliš castle in 1337. After 1438 its owners included the Wallensteins, Jiří of Poděbrady, the Trčkas of Lípa and from 1697 the Smiřickýs of Smiřice. The town experienced a remarkable period following the Battle of White mountain when Albrecht of Wallenstein seized it and decided to make it the seat of his ´´Duchy of Frýdlant´´, and so he set about rebuilding it. He built a chateu in place of the houses of the dispossessed and founded a suburb for the former citizens called Nové město. The wooden storeys were replaced by stone constructions and the surrounding countryside was altered too. Albrecht founded a Carthusian monastery in Valdice and half way to it from Jičín he landscaped a large game park with a garden and an opulent garde villa Libosad. The town flourished, crafts thrived and the then trendy Baroque style was implemented. After Albrecht died his possessions were confiscated and shared among the emperor´s favourites. The Jičín estate went to the count Teuffenbach, later to the Šternberk and, in 1710, to the Trautmansdorfs.

The chateau and part of the estate were purchased by the town in 1935.

Representatives of Austria, Russia and Germany led by the emperor Franz I. met at Jičín chateau in 1813 to sign the so-called Holy Alliance, a military alliance formed to conquer Napoleon. It was in preparation for the Battle of Leipzig, the end of Napoleon´s ambition to rule Europe. The Prussian army defeated the Austrians near Jičín on 29. 6. 1866 with the battle ending in the streets of the town. This battle was a prelude to the more serious skirmish at Hradec Králové where the Austrians were slaughtered. Jičín suffered large fires, however, excellent, mainly Baroque monuments are preserved. The town´s dominant landmark it the 52 m high Valdická

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR gate, a huge cubic tower built between 1568 and 1570 and rebuilt a few times. It received its present Pseudo-Gothic gallery and pyramidal roof in 1840. There are 156 steps up to the top and the gallery offers a magnificent view. The gate was a part of the fortification from the 16th century from which ruins of walls and bastion to the W and N are preserved. There is a Marian Pole (1702) on the spacious Valdštejnské náměstí (square, 13.170 m2) with a base 1795 decorated with angeles. The Empire well dates from 1836 and the ´´Amfitrive´´ fountain decorated by J. Sucharda from 1835. The arcaded S side of the square is lined by the huge Jičín chateau. Its base, a former house of Mikuláš Trčka of Lípa from the beginning of the 16th century, was rebuilt into a four-wing chateau with buildings set around an arcaded courtyard at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. It burnt down and was badly damaged by a gunpowder explosion in 1620. It was Albrecht of Wallenstein who initiated new building works, buying houses standing on the place between the old building and the gate, thus he could enlarge the chateau eastwards. Andrea Spezza supervised the works between 1625 and 1628, with G. B. Pieroni continuing after his death until 1634 when Niccolo Sebregondi took over. The original Smiřický´s building is preserved in the W wing of the chateau. A few further reconstructions of the chateau resulted in the present day two-storey group of buildings set around their arcaded courtyards. The chateau is open to the public, there is a museum and a gallery in the former stables. Among others, the interior houses the Empire Conference Salon of Three Emperors and paintings by I. Raab. A vaulted staircase connects the chateau with St. James Church only a fragment of the planned bishopric cathedral. It was built from 1627 until the death of Wallenstein in 1634. It was probably designed by G. B. Pieroni and its present late Baroque look is from 1770 with the neo-Classicism façade added between 1865 and 1867.The paintings are by I. Raab, J. Kramolík and others, the dome was painted by J. Hiebl. A figure decorated tomb of a young girl from 1631 is interesting. W of the square is the church of St. Ignatius built in the Gothic style in the mid-14th century and renovated during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. A silver tabernacle (1737) is on the Altar of Our Lady with an icon of the Virgin Mary Rušánská. The Jesuits arrived to Jičín in 1622, took over the church

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497

TRAVEL AGENCY HOŠKA - TOUR

and it was them who dedicated it to St. Ignatius of Loyola. Near the church they founded a gymnasium designed by A. Spezza (1627-28), a college (1628-32), a new seminary (1684-92), a pharmacy, a hospital and a house for the clerics. The hospital and cemetery Church of the Virgin Mary de Sale, designed by A. Spezza or N. Sebregondi, was founded in Nové Město in1629 and rebuilt in the Baroque style between 1661 and 1663. Its facade tower is from 1718 and the nave houses a valuable cycle of paintings by I. Raab.

Day 7: Departure from Jičín to Prague.

PHONE NUMBER +420 603 824 497