Tucked into the forests of the Bohemian Paradise, the Apolena rock city is a stunning sandstone labyrinth of 27 towers and massive rock faces shaped by millions of years of erosion. It is one of those rare places where the landscape itself tells an ancient geological story — and it does so in spectacular fashion.

The reserve owes its dramatic character to the eruption of the nearby Trosky volcano around 17 million years ago, which cracked the sandstone plateau and set off the slow sculpting process that created the formations visible today. Look out for the remarkable honeycomb weathering patterns on the rock surfaces. Covering 18.3 hectares, the reserve sits within the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area and is part of the UNESCO Global Geopark network. In every season the atmosphere shifts — misty autumn mornings give the sandstone towers an almost otherworldly feel, while summer reveals a lush green forest setting.

• Troskovice (parking near the Svitačka campsite) — no marked trail leads into the reserve; the surroundings are accessible on foot, easy walking to the reserve boundary

• The reserve has been officially closed to the public since 2010 — entering the rock city area is not permitted.
• Rock climbing has been banned since 2006 due to the extreme softness of the local sandstone, the softest in the entire Bohemian Paradise region.
• Bird species nesting in the rock faces include the common kestrel, jackdaw, and Eurasian eagle-owl.
• The Sklepy cave within the reserve is a key winter roost for the lesser horseshoe bat, protected under Natura 2000.

The sandstone here is so soft and fragile that even historical climbers found it almost impossible to use safely — a reminder that some wild places are best admired from a respectful distance.