Strážný vrch (468 m a.s.l.) is a small, dome-shaped hill tucked into the volcanic hill country of northern Bohemia, close to the village of Chlum. It's a quiet, off-the-beaten-path destination that rewards visitors with an interesting geological story and peaceful woodland walking.

The hill formed as a neovolcanic vent on a small body of sodalitite with subvolcanic basaltoid breccia, which pushes up through Upper Cretaceous quartz sandstones exposed on its slopes. Steep sections are in places covered with flat volcanic scree, and the whole hill is cloaked mostly in deciduous forest - lovely in autumn colours and pleasantly shaded in summer. Strážný vrch sits in a tight cluster of three hills: Suchý vrch (428 m) rises to the east, while the taller Maršovický vrch (499 m), partly altered by quarrying, stands just to the west.

How to reach the summit

• Chlum (drive here) - walk up the slope of Maršovický vrch to the saddle between the two hills, then climb to the top - easy to moderate
• Parking along road I/38 - follow the red trail (Staré Splavy - Jestřebí) or the green trail (from Staré Splavy)

Practical information

• The nearest place to reach by car is the village of Chlum
• The summit lies within Chlum's cadastral territory, about 1.5 km east-northeast of the village

An interesting detail is that the three neighbouring hills - Strážný vrch, Suchý vrch and Maršovický vrch - are all remnants of the same volcanic activity, making this a small but genuine geological trio worth exploring.