A walk around historic Doksy, before heading to the beach: 4 km

• The town of Doksy is the normal entry point for visits to Máchovo lake in the heart of the Kokořínsko sandstone rock area. Most visitors arriving at the train station probably head for the main beach, the entrance to which is just 500m from the station platform.
• However, take a moment before heading to the beach to walk through the town to visit the striking Renaissance chateau on the southern side of town. Built by Jan of Vartenberk at the end of the 16th century, the chateau spent most of its life in the ownership of the Valdštejn family, after originally being acquired by the famous generalissimo, Albrecht of Valdštejn after the Battle of White Mountain in 1620. The Valdštejns owned the property until 1945, when it was confiscated by the State.
• Today, the chateau is run by the town of Doksy and houses an exhibition dedicated to the Valdštejn family. There is also a small English style park surrounding the property. The walk from the station to the chateau passes a picturesque 17th century half timbered building which houses a museum dedicated to the life of the famous Czech poet and traveler, Karel Hynek Mácha. Mácha frequently hiked in the Kokořínsko region and the lake is named after him.
• The walk from the station to the chateau, with a quick tour around the park, and then back to the station/beach totals around 4 km. It is an almost completely flat walk, mostly on paved walkways and is suitable for strollers. There are many refreshment options in Doksy, especially in the beach area, but the station restaurant is unusually highly rated, especially for its draft beer.

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

• From the trail junction outside the main station, take the RED trail in the direction of Doksy – nám
• After 900m the Mácha museum is on the right side in the half timbered building
• Continue a further 200m to reach the chateau entrance
• After looking around the park and visiting the chateau, return back to the station on the outbound route
• If heading to the -lake/beach, take the YELLOW trail and follow the signs to Máchovo jezero. The lake and entrance to the beach area is reached in 500m