Lysá hora is a modest hill near Bělá pod Bezdězem that hides something you wouldn't expect at just 365 meters above sea level — an abandoned quarry that literally splits the hilltop in two. It's a fascinating stop for anyone who enjoys places where nature and industrial history collide.

The atmosphere here is unlike your typical mountain summit — it's raw, a little wild, and full of texture. The quarry walls rise up to 20 metres high, and the standout feature is a rock window carved right into the stone, a favorite spot for photographers. From various points on the hill you'll catch partial views of Bezděz, Vrátenská hora, the Housecké vrchy hills, and the Chloumecký ridge. The ground beneath the hill is also a significant water source — springs on the northern slope feed two reservoirs that once served as a swimming pool and small pond for Soviet soldiers, since the area belonged to the former Ralsko military zone. Reminders of that era — bunkers, firing positions, and other military structures — still dot the woods to the south, including a former base converted into the Jezová refugee camp.

How to reach the summit

• By car along the road from Bělá pod Bezdězem to Kuřívody, park at the junction with the forest track, then continue on foot to the top — easy walk, ending at the water reservoir
• From the reservoir, the entrance to the quarry is on the left

Practical information

• Quarry walls reach up to 20 metres — stay cautious near the edges
• The area was once part of the Ralsko military zone — bunkers and other military remnants remain scattered nearby
• A former military site to the south was converted into the Jezová refugee camp

Few hills this size pack in so much contrast — a carved rock window, quarry cliffs, and echoes of a Soviet military past make Lysá hora a genuinely offbeat destination in Central Bohemia.