# Bohemian Switzerland Sandstone towers and arches above the Elbe: the Pravčická brána, the Kamenice gorges by boat and Saxon Switzerland across the river, two hours from Prague. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/bohemian-switzerland · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Bohemian Switzerland (České Švýcarsko) is the Czech side of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains: a national park of towers, plateaus and gorges in soft rock that the river and ice carved over millions of years, on the border with Germany. Its two best-known images are the Pravčická brána, the largest natural stone arch in continental Europe, and the Kamenice gorges, which you tour by boat. Across the Elbe the same landscape continues under another name: Saxon Switzerland, with the Bastei. ## How do you get there from Prague? By train and bus, from Prague's main station to Děčín, in an hour and a half along the Elbe valley. At Děčín you take bus 434 or 438 towards Hřensko or Mezní Louka; you can also continue by train along the German bank to Schöna and cross to Hřensko on the ferry. Allow about two and a quarter hours door to door. The Elbe-Labe day ticket is valid on trains, buses and the ferry in both countries. By car it is about 140 km, around an hour and three quarters along the D8 motorway. Inside and on the edge of the park you can only park in marked, paid areas (150 to 300 CZK a day), in Hřensko and in Mezní Louka. In summer, arrive before 9:00. With a guide, Northern Hikes picks you up at your accommodation in Prague and brings you by minibus, in groups of eight with lunch included. ## What to see in a day The classic route starts from Hřensko, the border village at the lowest point in Czechia. Climb by the red trail marks, or from the Tři prameny stop, to the Pravčická brána: about 3 km and an hour's climb, with the Sokolí hnízdo (Falcon's Nest) chateau of 1881 next to the arch. Have lunch at the Sokolí hnízdo and go down to Hřensko for the Edmundova soutěska, which since 2026 is toured with a guide, entering and leaving through the village (last group at 15:00). If you have the legs and the time, first continue along the Gabrielina trail to Mezní Louka and go down to the Divoká soutěska, the other gorge by boat, and return to Hřensko on bus 441. The two gorges and the arch in a single day is a lot: with a night you do them well. ## When to go The boats run from April to early November. The Edmundova reopened on 18 June 2026 after the 2022 fire and is now visited with a guide, in groups of 25 leaving every hour: some days it sells out. In September and October there are fewer people and the forest changes colour. From November to March there are no boats and the arch site opens only Friday to Sunday, with limited services; the trails stay open, but may be icy. ## Is it worth staying overnight? Yes, if you want to take it slowly. With a night in Hřensko, Mezní Louka or Janov you reach the arch before the groups from Prague, do the gorges the next day and cross over to the Bastei. If you sleep two nights at a participating accommodation, the DÚKpass gives you free public transport in the region. ## How much does it cost? The arch costs 125 CZK; the Divoká soutěska, 200 CZK, and the Edmundova, 350 CZK per adult. The train and bus from Prague are cheap. The guided excursion from Prague, from €159 per person. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Elbe Sandstone Mountains, Film locations - Cerca: Saxon Switzerland (a 7.9 km · Germany), Litoměřice (a 38.5 km), Dresden (a 40.3 km · Germany), Terezín (a 40.9 km) ## Qué hacer - **Pravčická brána, the largest stone arch in Europe, from Hřensko** (3 h · 6 km · Good legs; the final stairs are not for pushchairs · 125 CZK adults; 50 CZK children aged 6 to 14, students and over-65s): The symbol of Bohemian Switzerland: a sandstone arch with a span of 26.5 metres, the largest natural stone arch in continental Europe, which in 2004 served as the setting for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first film in the series. Next to it, Prince Edmund Clary-Aldringen built a wooden chateau in 1881, the Sokolí hnízdo (the Falcon's Nest), which is still a restaurant. You can no longer climb on top of the arch, which has become fragile; it is viewed from the terraces and viewpoints of the site. You can reach it only on foot. You set out from Hřensko along the red waymark or, more comfortably, from the Tři prameny bus stop, about 3 km from the arch: a wide path that climbs through the forest, with stairs at the end. Allow an hour's climb and a little less for the descent. The site is paid (125 CZK) and open every day from March to October; from November to March, only Friday to Sunday and with limited services. Bring water and mountain footwear: in summer it is hot on the climb. In 2022 a fire burned hundreds of hectares around; the arch was unharmed, but you will see the burned forest and how it is regrowing. - **The Divoká soutěska by boat, the wild gorge of the Kamenice** (1 h · All ages; children from age 3 pay · 200 CZK adults; 100 CZK children aged 3 to 15; dog with muzzle 50 CZK): The Kamenice river runs down to the Elbe through a canyon so narrow that in two stretches it can only be passed by boat. The Divoká soutěska, the wild gorge, is the upper one: from the Mezní můstek bridge, a path beside the water leads to the landing stage and a wooden boat, with a boatman who tells stories along the way, covers 450 metres between rock walls covered in moss. It has been open to the public since 1898. It runs from April to early November, every day. You pay at the landing stage, in cash or by card, or online. Pushchairs go free; bikes do not go up. Since 2026 the Edmundova soutěska, downstream, is visited separately, entering and leaving through Hřensko: to do both, come to the Divoká from Mezní Louka and go down afterwards to Hřensko on bus 441. - **The Edmundova soutěska by boat, guided from Hřensko** (2 h · From age 3 · 350 CZK adults; 200 CZK children aged 3 to 15; dog with muzzle 50 CZK): The gorge that Prince Edmund Clary-Aldringen opened to visitors in the nineteenth century, with paths cut into the rock, galleries and a boat stretch. After the 2022 fire it was closed for three years and reopened on 18 June 2026, with a new system: you enter and leave only from Hřensko and tour it with a guide, in groups of 25 people leaving every hour; the last at 15:00. Tickets are sold by the guides at the gate or online, but the day may sell out: arrive early or check the municipality's social media, which announce when there are none left. It costs 350 CZK per adult. It closes in heavy rain or wind. The Hřensko information centre (+420 412 528 344) will tell you how the day is going. - **Guided day trip from Prague to Bohemian Switzerland and the Bastei** (11 h · Adults and teenagers; there is a gentle 5 km version for families · From €159 per person in summer; lunch included): If you do not want to combine trains, buses and ferries, Northern Hikes picks you up at your accommodation in Prague, drives you by minibus and walks with you. The most complete trip, of 13 hours and 15 km, climbs to the Pravčická brána, goes down the Kamenice gorges by boat and crosses into Germany to see the Bastei bridge; there is a gentler one with the boats and the Bastei, and a third, the easiest, through the rocks of Tisá. Groups are of eight people, lunch is included and the guide speaks English. - **The ferry from Hřensko to Schöna and Saxon Switzerland across the Elbe** (4 h · All ages): Hřensko is on the border, at the lowest point in Czechia, and across the Elbe Germany begins. A ferry crosses in five minutes to Schöna, where the commuter train that follows the river to Bad Schandau, Kurort Rathen and Dresden stops. From Kurort Rathen you climb to the Bastei, the stone bridge between sandstone towers that is the most photographed in Saxon Switzerland. The Elbe-Labe day ticket is valid for trains, buses and the ferry on both sides. In season, steamboats also go down the Elbe from Děčín to Hřensko, Bad Schandau and Dresden. If you stay two nights at a participating accommodation, the DÚKpass gives you free Czech public transport in the region: ask your host. ## Dónde comer - **Sokolí hnízdo restaurant** (Restaurant, Hřensko, €€). Qué pedir: a simple Czech meal and a beer on the terrace, with the arch beside you. - **Hostinec Mezní Louka** (Restaurant, Mezná, €€). Qué pedir: a dish of the day with fresh produce and, in the morning, the buffet breakfast. - **Pension Soutěsky restaurant** (Restaurant, Hřensko, €€). Qué pedir: Czech cooking from the menu on the terrace, beside the river. ## By plane: Fly to Prague, or to Dresden, and take the train along the Elbe Bohemian Switzerland is about two hours from Prague, the gateway from Spain, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other cities. Dresden, across the border, is even closer, an hour by train. From neither do you need a car: train to Děčín or Bad Schandau and buses or the ferry to Hřensko. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Mezní Louka** (Hotel): The house A mountain hotel at Mezní Louka, a forest clearing inside Bohemian Switzerland National Park, about 6 km from Hřensko by road. It is a starting point: the Gabrielina trail leaves towards the Pravčická brána, another path goes down to the Divoká soutěska and, in front, the park buses stop. In the evening, when the cars leave, it is silent. The rooms Twenty rooms, many in the attic, with a bathroom, wifi and space for one or two extra beds; some have a balcony. Breakfast is a buffet and the hotel inn serves lunch and dinner. Getting there and parking By car, via Hřensko or via Jetřichovice. The car park in front of the hotel is free only if you book on its website; through Booking.com it is paid separately and park visitors pay 200 CZK. Without a car, buses 438 and 441 arrive from Děčín and Hřensko. - **Pension Soutěsky** (Small hotel, desde 1000 € / night): The house A half-timbered house from 1761 in Hřensko, on the bank of the Kamenice and surrounded by sandstone walls. Its motto is "closer is impossible": the entrance to the Edmundova soutěska and the red trail to the Pravčická brána start a few steps away, and you need neither car nor bus for either. The rooms Six rooms, from the small double facing the river to the attic quadruple with views of the park's rocks. All have a bathroom, wifi and kettle. They cost from 1,000 to 2,800 CZK a night with breakfast; the municipal tax is extra. Downstairs, the house restaurant has a terrace beside the river. Animals are not allowed. Getting there and parking Parking is free for guests, something worth its weight in gold in Hřensko. Without a car: train from Prague to Děčín and a bus to Hřensko, or the ferry from the German station of Schöna. Check-in is from 14:00 to 18:00: let them know if you arrive later. - **Hotel U Zeleného stromu** (Hotel): The house A three-star family hotel at Janov, a village on the hillside above Hřensko. The half-timbered house, among chestnut trees, has received guests since 1782 and is run by the third generation of the same family. From here you see the Pravčická brána and you can walk to it, and the gorges are at the foot of the hill. It has a style of its own: each room is named after a virtue and has an "energy" painting by the owner, a painter and geomancer. The rooms There is a bit of everything: small single rooms, doubles, family rooms for five and, in neighbouring buildings, a small guesthouse, a whole house and a hostel with bunks. Breakfast is a buffet. Dogs are welcome: room 1 and the annexe houses are designed for them (100 CZK per night); in the rest of the hotel they cost 500 CZK. Children under three do not pay and, if you book direct, there is a 30% discount per child. Getting there and parking By car, from Hřensko or from Děčín along the Janov road; there is parking and chargers for electric cars and bikes. Without a car, they offer to pick you up at the train if you ask. Check-in is from 16:00 to 19:00 and check-out at 9:30. ### Servicios - **Train from Prague to Děčín and the park buses**: Train from Prague's main station to Děčín in an hour and a half; from there, buses 434, 435, 438 and 441 to Hřensko, Tři prameny and Mezní Louka. ## Car-free: Train to Děčín, park bus and on foot Without a car you get around better than with one: there is no parking to look for, the park buses run every half hour in season and the classic routes start at one stop and end at another. The Elbe-Labe ticket combines train, bus and ferry. Presupuesto orientativo: 70–130 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Pension Soutěsky** (Small hotel, desde 1000 € / night): The house A half-timbered house from 1761 in Hřensko, on the bank of the Kamenice and surrounded by sandstone walls. Its motto is "closer is impossible": the entrance to the Edmundova soutěska and the red trail to the Pravčická brána start a few steps away, and you need neither car nor bus for either. The rooms Six rooms, from the small double facing the river to the attic quadruple with views of the park's rocks. All have a bathroom, wifi and kettle. They cost from 1,000 to 2,800 CZK a night with breakfast; the municipal tax is extra. Downstairs, the house restaurant has a terrace beside the river. Animals are not allowed. Getting there and parking Parking is free for guests, something worth its weight in gold in Hřensko. Without a car: train from Prague to Děčín and a bus to Hřensko, or the ferry from the German station of Schöna. Check-in is from 14:00 to 18:00: let them know if you arrive later. - **Hotel U Zeleného stromu** (Hotel): The house A three-star family hotel at Janov, a village on the hillside above Hřensko. The half-timbered house, among chestnut trees, has received guests since 1782 and is run by the third generation of the same family. From here you see the Pravčická brána and you can walk to it, and the gorges are at the foot of the hill. It has a style of its own: each room is named after a virtue and has an "energy" painting by the owner, a painter and geomancer. The rooms There is a bit of everything: small single rooms, doubles, family rooms for five and, in neighbouring buildings, a small guesthouse, a whole house and a hostel with bunks. Breakfast is a buffet. Dogs are welcome: room 1 and the annexe houses are designed for them (100 CZK per night); in the rest of the hotel they cost 500 CZK. Children under three do not pay and, if you book direct, there is a 30% discount per child. Getting there and parking By car, from Hřensko or from Děčín along the Janov road; there is parking and chargers for electric cars and bikes. Without a car, they offer to pick you up at the train if you ask. Check-in is from 16:00 to 19:00 and check-out at 9:30. ### Servicios - **Train from Prague to Děčín and the park buses**: Train from Prague's main station to Děčín in an hour and a half; from there, buses 434, 435, 438 and 441 to Hřensko, Tři prameny and Mezní Louka. ## By car: By car on the D8 and parking early By car it is about 140 km from Prague, around an hour and three quarters along the D8 motorway towards Dresden and Děčín. The problem is parking: only in the marked car parks, paid and full early in summer. With a car you can link Hřensko, Mezní Louka and Jetřichovice in a day. Presupuesto orientativo: 80–150 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Mezní Louka** (Hotel): The house A mountain hotel at Mezní Louka, a forest clearing inside Bohemian Switzerland National Park, about 6 km from Hřensko by road. It is a starting point: the Gabrielina trail leaves towards the Pravčická brána, another path goes down to the Divoká soutěska and, in front, the park buses stop. In the evening, when the cars leave, it is silent. The rooms Twenty rooms, many in the attic, with a bathroom, wifi and space for one or two extra beds; some have a balcony. Breakfast is a buffet and the hotel inn serves lunch and dinner. Getting there and parking By car, via Hřensko or via Jetřichovice. The car park in front of the hotel is free only if you book on its website; through Booking.com it is paid separately and park visitors pay 200 CZK. Without a car, buses 438 and 441 arrive from Děčín and Hřensko. - **Hotel U Zeleného stromu** (Hotel): The house A three-star family hotel at Janov, a village on the hillside above Hřensko. The half-timbered house, among chestnut trees, has received guests since 1782 and is run by the third generation of the same family. From here you see the Pravčická brána and you can walk to it, and the gorges are at the foot of the hill. It has a style of its own: each room is named after a virtue and has an "energy" painting by the owner, a painter and geomancer. The rooms There is a bit of everything: small single rooms, doubles, family rooms for five and, in neighbouring buildings, a small guesthouse, a whole house and a hostel with bunks. Breakfast is a buffet. Dogs are welcome: room 1 and the annexe houses are designed for them (100 CZK per night); in the rest of the hotel they cost 500 CZK. Children under three do not pay and, if you book direct, there is a 30% discount per child. Getting there and parking By car, from Hřensko or from Děčín along the Janov road; there is parking and chargers for electric cars and bikes. Without a car, they offer to pick you up at the train if you ask. Check-in is from 16:00 to 19:00 and check-out at 9:30. ### Servicios - **Car parks at Hřensko and Mezní Louka**: You can only park in the marked car parks at Hřensko and Mezní Louka, paid by the day; parking elsewhere is forbidden. ## As a family: Boats between rocks, a giant arch and a river that crosses into Germany The gorge boats are what children like best: a boatman, towering rock walls and green water. The climb to the Pravčická brána is manageable for children who walk, with a reward at the end. And crossing the Elbe on the ferry to be in Germany in five minutes seems an adventure to them. ### What works best Divoká soutěska by boat, 100 CZK for ages 3 to 15 Edmundova soutěska, with a guide, from age 3 Pravčická brána, an hour's climb, children aged 6 to 14 50 CZK Ferry to Schöna, a five-minute boat ride ### Where to sleep Hotel U Zeleného stromu, with family rooms and a discount for children Pension Soutěsky, with an attic quadruple Hotel Mezní Louka, with extra beds ### Where to eat Sokolí hnízdo, next to the arch Pension Soutěsky restaurant, with a terrace by the river ### Keep in mind The final stairs at the arch are not for pushchairs: bring a baby carrier The boats are seasonal, from spring to early November The Edmundova sells out some days: arrive early ### Qué hacer as a family - Pravčická brána, the largest stone arch in Europe, from Hřensko - The Divoká soutěska by boat, the wild gorge of the Kamenice - The Edmundova soutěska by boat, guided from Hřensko - Guided day trip from Prague to Bohemian Switzerland and the Bastei - The ferry from Hřensko to Schöna and Saxon Switzerland across the Elbe ## With teenagers: Narnia, gorges and a day's route between two countries For teenagers, Bohemian Switzerland is a real route: climbing to the Pravčická brána, where Narnia was filmed, going down the gorges by boat and, if they have the stamina, crossing to the Bastei, in Germany. It is a long day, with buses, boats and a ferry, which can be done without a car. ### What works best Pravčická brána, the Narnia arch Both gorges by boat, one after the other The Bastei, across the Elbe Guided excursion from Prague, if they prefer a group ### Where to sleep Pension Soutěsky, to set out on foot Hotel Mezní Louka, inside the park ### Where to eat Hostinec Mezní Louka, halfway along the route Sokolí hnízdo, at the top ### Keep in mind The full route is many hours: bring water and food In summer it is hot on the climb to the arch ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Pravčická brána, the largest stone arch in Europe, from Hřensko - The Divoká soutěska by boat, the wild gorge of the Kamenice - The Edmundova soutěska by boat, guided from Hřensko - Guided day trip from Prague to Bohemian Switzerland and the Bastei - The ferry from Hřensko to Schöna and Saxon Switzerland across the Elbe ## Consejos ### Start with the arch Climb first thing; at midday in summer there is a queue on the stairs. ### Carry cash and a card On the boats you can pay either way, but there are no cash machines in the forest. ### Come back by bus The 441 links Mezní Louka, Tři prameny and Hřensko: there is no need to retrace your route. ### Check the Edmundova before leaving The municipality announces on social media when tickets sell out. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take to get from Prague to Bohemian Switzerland? About two and a quarter hours by train and bus, via Děčín; an hour and three quarters by car. ### Can you climb on top of the Pravčická brána? No: the arch has become fragile and is viewed from the terraces of the site. ### When do the boats run? From April to early November. In 2026 the season has already ended; it returns in 2027. ### Do I need to book the Edmundova soutěska? The boat is not booked, but tickets are sold online and at the gate, and some days they sell out. ### Can you go with a dog? Yes: on a lead on the trails and muzzled on the boats, where it pays 50 CZK. ### What is the difference from Saxon Switzerland? It is the same sandstone massif, split by the border. From Hřensko you cross the Elbe in five minutes and by train you reach the Bastei.