# Kokořín and its valley

A fourteenth-century castle on a sandstone crag, a valley of timber houses and mushroom-shaped rocks, about 45 km from Prague, near Mělník.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/kokorin · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Kokořín is a Gothic castle built in the fourteenth century on a sandstone crag in the middle of the forest, and the valley that bears its name. After the Thirty Years' War it was among the "cursed" castles that could no longer be repaired, served as a refuge for bandits and in the nineteenth century was a ruin that attracted Czech Romantics, starting with the poet Karel Hynek Mácha. The Czech Tourist Club made it known in 1895 and in the early twentieth century it was rebuilt. Today the old palace is visited with a guide and you can climb the tower, from which you can see the whole valley. All around is the protected area of Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj: sandstone gorges, rock towers, ponds, villages of timber houses and the Pokličky, mushroom-shaped rocks near Mšeno. It stands about 45 km north of Prague, very close to Mělník.

## How do you get there from Prague?

By car, about 45 km to the north, via Mělník, in about 50 minutes. You park in the valley, in Kokořínský Důl, at the foot of the castle, and walk up through the forest for about 20 minutes.

Without a car, take a train or bus from Prague to Mělník and from there the regional train from Mělník to Mšeno, which stops at Lhotka u Mělníka and at Mšeno, the two ends of the classic route. Between Mělník and the valley there are also buses. With public transport the natural thing is to walk: get off at Mšeno, walk to the castle and leave by Lhotka. Check the timetables in the PID Lítačka app or at idos.cz before setting out.

## What to do

The castle. Tour I is a guided visit of the old palace and then you climb the walls and the tower on your own; II is the tower only. Dogs are allowed.

The valley. The floor of the Kokořínský důl is a narrow valley between sandstone walls, with the Pšovka stream, ponds, damp meadows and timber houses. You walk it on waymarked paths.

The Pokličky. Sandstone towers with caps, the tallest 12 m, at the mouth of the valley near Mšeno. Wind and water have worn away the soft rock and left the hard layer on top.

The Mšeno to Kokořín route. The nature agency's suggestion: 16 km among rocks to the castle, the village and the valley, as far as the Lhotka train.

## When to go

From May to September, when the castle is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 to 16:00 or 17:00. In April and October it opens only on Saturdays and Sundays. From November to March, only by appointment for groups. Autumn is the best time for walking: the forest changes colour and there are fewer people than in summer. On Mondays the castle is closed.

## Is it worth staying overnight?

If you go by car, Kokořín can be seen in half a day. Stay if you want to walk, which is what the valley asks for: arrive in the afternoon, dine in the valley and set off early for the Pokličky. There are guesthouses in the valley itself and in the village of Ráj, and two historic timber houses in Hlučov.

## How much does it cost?

Tour I with the tower costs 140 CZK per adult and 80 CZK up to age 15; the family ticket, 340 CZK. The tower alone, 70 CZK. A meal in the valley comes to around 250–400 CZK. A double in a guesthouse, from about 1,820 CZK without breakfast.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Mělník (a 12.3 km), Terezín (a 31.2 km), Litoměřice (a 33.2 km), Prague (a 40.7 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Kokořín Castle, the old palace with a guide and the tower** (1 h · All ages; the tower has narrow stairs · 140 CZK adults; 100 CZK students and over 65; 80 CZK up to age 15; family 340 CZK; dog 30 CZK): Tour I enters the old palace with a guide and, at the end, lets you climb on your own to the walls and the tower, from where you can see the whole valley. The Brožík hall in the new palace is used for civil weddings. The castle opens from 9:00 to 16:00 from May to September, until 17:00 in summer, and closes on Mondays; the last tour leaves half an hour before closing. From the valley car park it is a walk of about 20 minutes uphill through the forest.
- **The viewing tower of Kokořín Castle, on your own** (30 min · Anyone who just wants the view; with small children, hold their hands · 70 CZK adults and students; 50 CZK up to age 15; dog 30 CZK): Tour II is just the climb up the tower, without a guide: the view over the Kokořínský důl, the sandstone walls and the forests of the protected area. It is the option if you arrive on foot with little time or if the children cannot manage a guided tour. It opens during castle hours.
- **The Pokličky of Mšeno, the rocks with hats** (1 h 30 · Families; sandy paths with roots): At the mouth of the Kokořín and Vojtěchov valleys, near Mšeno, erosion has left sandstone towers with a hat of harder rock on top: the largest is 12 m high and its hat is 6 m wide. From the castle you reach them along the blue trail; closer in, there is a parking area on the Mšeno road. Around them are other named rocks, such as the Giant's Head and the Frog. Climbing is not allowed: it is a protected area.
- **Walk from Mšeno to Kokořín Castle and the valley down to Lhotka** (5 h 30 · 16 km · Walkers with some fitness; with children, do just one stretch): The route suggested by the protected area's nature agency: you leave Mšeno along waymarked paths between sandstone rocks, reach Kokořín Castle, descend to the village and continue along the floor of the Kokořínský důl, between ponds and damp meadows, to the train and bus stop at Lhotka u Mělníka. It is 16 km of moderate difficulty. If you get tired, the bus stops in the village of Kokořín, with a view of the closed village palace.
- **Mělník, the wine castle above the Elbe, less than 20 km away** (3 h · Adults; with children, the square and the viewpoint): Less than 20 km to the south, Mělník is the wine town of Bohemia: the Lobkowicz castle above the confluence of the Vltava and the Elbe, with a pinot noir tasting in the cellar and a square with arcades. The Kokořín valley in the morning and a glass in Mělník in the afternoon make a full day, by car or on the regional train that links the two.

## Dónde comer
- **Hostinec U Báby Šubrový** (Restaurant, Kokořínský Důl, €€). Qué pedir: a Czech soup or roast dish with a beer, after the castle.
- **Restaurant of the Pension v Ráji** (Restaurant, Ráj (Mšeno), €€). Qué pedir: the Saturday or Sunday midday meal, halfway along the walk.

## By plane: Fly to Prague and a good hour to the valley
Kokořín is about 45 km north of Prague. You fly to Prague, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and continue by hire car from the airport, in a little under an hour, or by train and bus via Mělník to Mšeno or Lhotka u Mělníka, which is the best way to walk the valley.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Penzion U Báby Šubrový** (Small hotel): The house
The guesthouse is above the valley's old inn, in Kokořínský Důl, between sandstone walls and a walk from the castle. Downstairs, the hostinec; upstairs, the rooms and a large common room with a kitchen. There is a covered terrace with a barbecue, a fire in the garden at night and a closed courtyard for leaving bikes.
The rooms
Fourteen rooms and apartments, for around fifty people: doubles, triples and quadruples with a bunk bed, most with their own bathroom and some with a shared one; a two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen; a duplex for ten with a balcony and terrace; and a step-free apartment for three. There is no wifi: there is barely any coverage in the valley, and the house says so plainly.
Getting there
By car, about 50 minutes from Prague via Mělník. Without a car, via Mělník and the Mšeno train or the valley bus. The castle is a walk through the forest away.
- **Pension v Ráji** (Country house, desde 1820 € / night): The house
A carefully restored 1840 farmhouse in Ráj, a village of wooden houses in the middle of the Kokořín valley. It is open from March to December. It has a common room with a bar, a bike store, a volleyball court, a barbecue fire in the meadow behind, beehives and, above all, an outdoor hot-water tub, wood-fired, which is hired for 900 CZK by any group that wants it.
The rooms
Single, double, triple and one quadruple room, all with their own bathroom and fridge, for twenty people in total. A double costs 1,820 CZK on the ground floor and 1,940 on the first floor, without breakfast, which is paid separately at 150 CZK. Dogs and cats are accepted for 250 CZK a night. You cannot pay by card.
Eating and walking
The village restaurant, 60 m away, opens on Saturdays and Sundays. From the door, paths lead through the pine forests, rocks and gorges of the protected area, and the Vrátno tower is in view.
- **Hlučov, two wooden houses in the valley** (Country house, desde 2500 € / night): The house
Hlučov is two historic wooden houses in the Kokořín valley, joined by a courtyard with tables. It is the quietest spot in the valley: the restaurant they had has closed to the public so as not to break the calm, and now they only cook for guests in summer. Mobile coverage is poor.
The rooms
The Luční chalupa has three rooms with bathroom: a 30 m² room with a large bed, an 80 m² family room on two floors for six and a 45 m² attic with a view of the forest, from 2,500 CZK a night. The Lesní chalupa, a former barn, is rented whole for six, with a living room, two bedrooms and a full kitchen, from 3,500 CZK.
Worth knowing
Animals are not allowed, there is no smoking and there is a minimum age for children: ask when you book. For a meal out, the hostinec U Báby Šubrový is in the same valley.
### Servicios
- **Regional train from Mělník to Mšeno, stops at Lhotka and Mšeno**: The two gateways to the valley without a car: Lhotka u Mělníka, to the south, and Mšeno, next to the Pokličky. Mělník can be reached from Prague by train or bus.

## By car: By car via Mělník, in under an hour
By car it is about 45 km to the north, via Mělník, in a little under an hour. You park in the valley, below the castle, and walk up; with a car you can add the Pokličky of Mšeno and a tasting in Mělník on the same day.
Presupuesto orientativo: 50–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Penzion U Báby Šubrový** (Small hotel): The house
The guesthouse is above the valley's old inn, in Kokořínský Důl, between sandstone walls and a walk from the castle. Downstairs, the hostinec; upstairs, the rooms and a large common room with a kitchen. There is a covered terrace with a barbecue, a fire in the garden at night and a closed courtyard for leaving bikes.
The rooms
Fourteen rooms and apartments, for around fifty people: doubles, triples and quadruples with a bunk bed, most with their own bathroom and some with a shared one; a two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen; a duplex for ten with a balcony and terrace; and a step-free apartment for three. There is no wifi: there is barely any coverage in the valley, and the house says so plainly.
Getting there
By car, about 50 minutes from Prague via Mělník. Without a car, via Mělník and the Mšeno train or the valley bus. The castle is a walk through the forest away.
- **Pension v Ráji** (Country house, desde 1820 € / night): The house
A carefully restored 1840 farmhouse in Ráj, a village of wooden houses in the middle of the Kokořín valley. It is open from March to December. It has a common room with a bar, a bike store, a volleyball court, a barbecue fire in the meadow behind, beehives and, above all, an outdoor hot-water tub, wood-fired, which is hired for 900 CZK by any group that wants it.
The rooms
Single, double, triple and one quadruple room, all with their own bathroom and fridge, for twenty people in total. A double costs 1,820 CZK on the ground floor and 1,940 on the first floor, without breakfast, which is paid separately at 150 CZK. Dogs and cats are accepted for 250 CZK a night. You cannot pay by card.
Eating and walking
The village restaurant, 60 m away, opens on Saturdays and Sundays. From the door, paths lead through the pine forests, rocks and gorges of the protected area, and the Vrátno tower is in view.
- **Hlučov, two wooden houses in the valley** (Country house, desde 2500 € / night): The house
Hlučov is two historic wooden houses in the Kokořín valley, joined by a courtyard with tables. It is the quietest spot in the valley: the restaurant they had has closed to the public so as not to break the calm, and now they only cook for guests in summer. Mobile coverage is poor.
The rooms
The Luční chalupa has three rooms with bathroom: a 30 m² room with a large bed, an 80 m² family room on two floors for six and a 45 m² attic with a view of the forest, from 2,500 CZK a night. The Lesní chalupa, a former barn, is rented whole for six, with a living room, two bedrooms and a full kitchen, from 3,500 CZK.
Worth knowing
Animals are not allowed, there is no smoking and there is a minimum age for children: ask when you book. For a meal out, the hostinec U Báby Šubrový is in the same valley.

## Car-free: Car-free, from train to train through the valley
Kokořín works very well on foot: train or bus to Mělník, regional train to Mšeno, the Pokličky, the castle and the valley down to Lhotka u Mělníka, where you catch the train again. It is 16 km. If you sleep in the valley, you can split it over two days.
Presupuesto orientativo: 40–90 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Penzion U Báby Šubrový** (Small hotel): The house
The guesthouse is above the valley's old inn, in Kokořínský Důl, between sandstone walls and a walk from the castle. Downstairs, the hostinec; upstairs, the rooms and a large common room with a kitchen. There is a covered terrace with a barbecue, a fire in the garden at night and a closed courtyard for leaving bikes.
The rooms
Fourteen rooms and apartments, for around fifty people: doubles, triples and quadruples with a bunk bed, most with their own bathroom and some with a shared one; a two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen; a duplex for ten with a balcony and terrace; and a step-free apartment for three. There is no wifi: there is barely any coverage in the valley, and the house says so plainly.
Getting there
By car, about 50 minutes from Prague via Mělník. Without a car, via Mělník and the Mšeno train or the valley bus. The castle is a walk through the forest away.
- **Pension v Ráji** (Country house, desde 1820 € / night): The house
A carefully restored 1840 farmhouse in Ráj, a village of wooden houses in the middle of the Kokořín valley. It is open from March to December. It has a common room with a bar, a bike store, a volleyball court, a barbecue fire in the meadow behind, beehives and, above all, an outdoor hot-water tub, wood-fired, which is hired for 900 CZK by any group that wants it.
The rooms
Single, double, triple and one quadruple room, all with their own bathroom and fridge, for twenty people in total. A double costs 1,820 CZK on the ground floor and 1,940 on the first floor, without breakfast, which is paid separately at 150 CZK. Dogs and cats are accepted for 250 CZK a night. You cannot pay by card.
Eating and walking
The village restaurant, 60 m away, opens on Saturdays and Sundays. From the door, paths lead through the pine forests, rocks and gorges of the protected area, and the Vrátno tower is in view.
### Servicios
- **Regional train from Mělník to Mšeno, stops at Lhotka and Mšeno**: The two gateways to the valley without a car: Lhotka u Mělníka, to the south, and Mšeno, next to the Pokličky. Mělník can be reached from Prague by train or bus.

## As a family: A tower, rocks with hats and a valley to run in

Kokořín is an easy outing with children if you do not insist on the whole walk: the castle is small, the guided tour is short and the tower has a view; the Pokličky look like giant stone mushrooms. Children under 6 go in free and there is a family ticket.

### What works best
The castle tower, 50 CZK up to age 15

The old palace, with the family ticket at 340 CZK

The Pokličky of Mšeno, a short walk among rocks

### Where to sleep
Penzion U Báby Šubrový, with quadruple rooms and a shared kitchen

Pension v Ráji, with a meadow, volleyball and barbecue

### Where to eat
Hostinec U Báby Šubrový, in the valley

### Worth knowing
From the car park to the castle is a 20-minute climb through the forest

The sandstone paths have roots and steps: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair

There is barely any mobile coverage in the valley

### Qué hacer as a family
- Kokořín Castle, the old palace with a guide and the tower
- The viewing tower of Kokořín Castle, on your own
- The Pokličky of Mšeno, the rocks with hats

## Consejos

### Go on a weekday
The castle and the valley car park fill up on summer Sundays.

### Wear hiking footwear
The sandstone paths have steps and roots.

### Check your signal
In the valley mobile coverage is poor: download the map first.

### Keep your dog on a lead
It enters the castle for 30 CZK.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take to get from Prague to Kokořín?
About 50 minutes by car; without a car, train or bus to Mělník and a regional train to Mšeno or Lhotka.

### What can you see at the castle?
The old palace with a guide and, on your own, the walls and the tower with a view over the valley.

### Is it open all year?
No: from May to September Tuesday to Sunday, in April and October at weekends and in winter only by appointment.

### Can you go with a dog?
Yes, to the castle for 30 CZK and along the paths of the protected area, always under control.

### What are the Pokličky?
Mushroom-shaped sandstone towers, up to 12 m, near Mšeno.

### Can you combine it with Mělník?
Yes, it is less than 20 km away: castle and wine in the morning or the afternoon.