Štěpánovská hora is a forested volcanic hill rising above the village of Štěpánov in the heart of the České Středohoří protected landscape area. It's the kind of place that rewards a modest climb with rocky outcrops, quiet woods, and a real sense of getting off the beaten path.

The hill forms a broad ridge stretching west to east, the remnant of an ancient lava sheet capped by a gently undulating plateau. Its steep southern and western slopes reveal rocky outcrops and small ridges shaped by frost-shattered cliffs, while a boulder field spreads across the western flank. The summit and slopes are cloaked in deciduous and mixed forest, home to downy oak, hornbeam, beech, dogwood, spruce and pine, making it especially atmospheric in autumn when the leaves turn. History buffs will appreciate the remains of a prehistoric Bronze Age hillfort surviving on the south-eastern spur of the massif.

• From the village of Štěpánov - local trail, approx. 1-1.5 hours, moderate difficulty
• From the Milešov area, about 4 km to the east - alternative approach through the surrounding hills

• The hill lies within the České Středohoří Protected Landscape Area (CHKO) - nature conservation rules apply
• A nature reserve of the same name lies on the south-western slope, protecting warmth-loving rock and steppe flora - stay on marked paths in this area

Look out for the rare, heat-loving steppe plants clinging to the rocky reserve slopes - living relics of a much warmer climate from thousands of years ago.