Kokořínský důl is one of the most striking landscapes in the Czech Republic - a canyon-like valley carved from sandstone, full of rock mushrooms, windows and arches, watched over by the fairy-tale Kokořín Castle. This nature reserve is a natural gallery of rock formations found nowhere else in Europe in such pristine condition.

The valley stretches for 14 km, with the Pšovka stream flowing through its floor, bordered by extensive wetlands of international importance. Sandstone walls, narrow ravines and small rock cities create a unique atmosphere - especially in autumn, when mist rises over the water, and in winter, when frost covers the rocks. Summer brings cool shade under the forest canopy, while spring reveals rare plants including the protected leafless iris and the Killarney fern.

How to get there

• Kokořínský Důl - red trail (Mácha's Trail, route 0004), easy, the valley is also accessible by road III/25931
• Podhradí - junction of red, blue and green trails leading to Kokořín Castle and Truskavenský důl

Practical information

• Protected area - nature reserve regulations apply
• The wetlands along the Pšovka are part of an internationally protected Ramsar site
• Home to rare and protected species, such as the leafless iris and the snail Vertigo moulinsiana

The reserve's rock 'pokličky' (mushroom-shaped rocks) represent the best-documented early stages of sandstone weathering found anywhere in Europe, making Kokořínský důl a true geological rarity.