Picture a maze of sandstone canyons, rock towers and forested valleys just north of Prague — welcome to Kokořínsko, one of Bohemia's most scenic hidden gems. Add the romantic Máchovo Lake and the fairy-tale ruins of Bezděz Castle, and you've got a region made for days of exploring.

The landscape has a canyon-like character, carved by the Pšovka and Liběchovka streams into deep gorges lined with sandstone cliffs, overhangs, tiny caves and rock windows. Further north the terrain rolls into volcanic hills, with Vlhošť (614 m) and Bezděz (606 m) visible from afar across much of Bohemia. Summer brings cool shade in the narrow ravines, autumn paints the beech and pine forests gold, and winter dusts the rocks and castle ruins with a near-magical stillness.

How to get there

• Mělník or Mšeno — starting point for Kokořínský důl valley, easy to moderate trail, roughly 2-4 hours to Kokořín Castle
• Doksy — gateway to Máchovo Lake and Bezděz Castle, moderate trail, about 2 hours

Practical information

• The area consists of two separate, non-adjoining sections — Kokořínsko and Máchův kraj
• Bezděz and Malý Bezděz hills are protected as a national nature reserve
• Wolves have returned to the region, confirmed by camera traps near Břehyně-Pecopala reserve
• A major climbing destination — the Dubá sandstone area alone counts over 1,200 rock formations

Fun fact: Houska Castle, deep in Kokořínsko, is wrapped in legend as a gateway to hell, while the abandoned rock dwellings near Lhotka reveal how people once lived carved directly into the sandstone cliffs.