Stohánek is a compact but fascinating sandstone rock formation in the former Ralsko military area, hiding the remains of a rock castle and hermitage atop the Stoh rock (396 m). It is a place where history and rugged nature meet in a striking way.

This isolated, hard-to-reach sandstone block rises like a narrow table mountain, with vertical walls over twenty meters high. Staircases, niches, and rooms carved directly into the rock tell the story of its past inhabitants - medieval castle guards and 18th-century hermits. The surrounding pine-oak forest gives the area a wild, quiet character, and in autumn and winter the former military zone feels especially atmospheric and mysterious. Locals come here in summer to forage for mushrooms, blueberries, and cranberries in the woods nearby.

How to get there

• From the Mimoň area - blue trail marker, moderate difficulty due to rocky terrain
• Alternatively reachable by bike via the cycling route passing through the area

Practical information

• Protected as a natural monument since 1996, covering just 0.26 hectares
• The site is left without active management or intervention
• Numerous Cyrillic inscriptions carved by Soviet soldiers stationed here between 1968 and 1991 remain visible on the rock
• The rock is occasionally used by hikers as an overnight shelter, with a fire pit present at the site

Stohánek even found its way into Czech literature - writer Karolína Světlá featured it in her short story 'Poslední poustevnice' (The Last Hermitess). A small rock, it turns out, can carry a very big story.