Moučné pytle is a small but striking rock formation tucked into the heart of the Slavkovský les protected landscape area, where stacked granite blocks resemble piled sacks of flour - which is exactly where the quirky name comes from. It is a rewarding stop for anyone drawn to unusual geology, and since it stays fairly low-key, you can often enjoy it in near-total solitude.

The rocks crown the top of Jelení vrch (643.6 m above sea level), part of the Kozí hřbety ridge. The granite here has weathered into distinctive rounded blocks stacked into irregular towers known as frost-riven crags, with the tallest reaching about 7 metres and topped with three eroded rock basins. The surrounding forest keeps its wild character all year round - lush green in summer, richly colored in autumn, and frost-dusted in winter, when the granite towers take on an especially raw, sculptural look.

How to get there

• From Cihelny (about 1 km away) - hiking trail, easy to moderate
• From Bošířany near Horní Slavkov (about 3.2 km, northeast direction)
• From Doubí near Karlovy Vary (about 2.8 km, southern direction)

Practical information

• The site lies within the Slavkovský les protected landscape area, so standard nature protection rules apply
• It forms part of the Egeria Geopark, itself part of the Czech-Bavarian Geopark network
• Protected as a natural monument since 1997

The name Moučné pytle, meaning 'flour sacks', perfectly captures the look of these granite boulders - once you see them, it is hard to shake the image of a pile of sacks stacked up on the hillside.