Andělská Hora and the viewpoint at Šemnická skála, a 9 km trip near to Karlovy Vary

• The romantic castle ruin on Andělská Hora is a very prominent landmark for those approaching the spa town of Karlovy Vary from the east. It is definitely worth stopping for a quick visit as the ruins are surprisingly extensive and the views from the walls far reaching. The castle was constructed in the 14th century by the Lords of Rýzmburk and its Gothic form was maintained until Andělská Hora was captured and destroyed by the Swedish army in 1635, during the Thirty Years War. The castle was never restored and gradually fell into its current romantic ruined state.
• There are regular bus connections from Karlovy Vary to the village of Andělská Hora, situated below the ruin, as well as a small parking area. From there it is just a 400m gentle ascent to the castle ruin.
• It is worth extending the trip with a walk through the the nearby forest to reach the summit of Šemnická skála (645m), which is topped with an unusual volcanic rock outcrop, called a jingle outcrop (apparently because it makes a noise when tapped). The rocks are worth scrambling up for the superb views to the north and east.
• The path to Šemnická skála is not difficult, but is unsuitable for a stroller. The top of the rocks are somewhat exposed so car is needed in the summit area. There is 290m of height to ascend/descend on the suggested route shown in the map below. For refreshments after the trip, there is a café just along the village street towards the main Karlovy Vary road.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• Starting in the village center at Andělská Hora, after visiting the castle ruins take the YELLOW hiking trail in the direction of Šemnická skála. The trail leads directlz to the summit after 4 km
• The return journey can be done on the same path, but a slightly faster route (avoiding a section of descent and then re-ascent) is to the follow the quiet country road directly back to the village back – as shown in the map above