A varied tour of the volcanic viewpoints near Porta Bohemica – 14km

• A few kilometers to the west of the historic town of Litoměřice, the river Labe (Elbe in German) carves a deep canyon in the hilly landscape. This marks the beginning of the river’s journey into the dramatic volcanic countryside of České středohoří. The canyon is called Porta Bohemica and it is lined with vineyards that have produced grapes since at least the early Middle Ages.
• On the peaks of the surrounding hills, prehistoric and medieval fortresses were created to guard the trade routes along the river. It is a fascinating environment for walkers, with hikes that combine stretches along the Labe, with ascents of the dramatic volcanic hills, offering extraordinary views of this majestic landscape.
• This walk starts directly on the Labe, near the vineyards of Velké Žernoseky, just a few kilometers to the west of the historic town of Litoměřice. The village has a small late Baroque chateau, built on the foundations of an earlier castle that was destroyed during the 30 Years War by pillaging Swedish forces. The chateau today houses a winery that still uses the 13th century cellars excavated by the Cistercian monks. The winery is open for sales and tastings during weekdays and also offers accommodation.
• From Velké Žernoseky, the route passes through the village of Malíč and a series of orchards before reaching the village of Kamýk, with its prominent 14th century castle ruins standing on a volcanic rock outcrop. There are excellent views from the terrace below the ruined tower (which is in accessible).
• From Kamýk, the trail continues to the remarkable hill of Plešivec (510m), with its fields of frost shattered volcanic rock – that are traversed on the way to the summit. The unique geology of the fields of rocks creates ice pits that can keep snow frozen on the hillside until early summer.
• The return route passes around the important prehistoric hillfort of Hrádek, just before reaching theThree Crosses viewpoint over the Labe. Hrádek appears to have been occupied since the Neolithic period, with important Iron Age and Slavic fortifications. The ramparts and deep ditches are clearly visible today. Hrádek is a potential location for the legendary castle of Canburg, which is the earliest historically mentioned Bohemian fortress – it was (unsuccessfully) besieged by forces belonging the the Emperor Charlemagne at the beginning of the the 9th century AD.
• After descending from the viewpoint, the final section of the route follows the cycle path beside the picturesque Labe river back to Velké Žernoseky, where there are various refreshment options, including the popular riverside snack bar of U Přívozu and in the village the attractive pub Hospůdka pod kaštany. The total route is 14 km, with 440m of ascent-descent. Some of the slopes, particularly on Plešivec and descending from Hrádek are quite steep, so care is required.

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

• Start in the village of Velké Žernoseky. There are regular buses from Litoměřice and for drivers there are usually parking spaces along the main street
• Take the BLUE trail in the direction of Kamýk. The village is reached after 3.7 km
• In Kamýk continue on the BLUE trail up the hill for 400m and then take the diversion to the right to climb up to and circle around Kamýk castle tower
• Continue uphill on the BLUE trail for 700m to reach the trail junction of Pod Plešivcem. Here, stay on the BLUE trail as it ascends, increasingly steeply, to the summit of Plešivec, which is reached after 400m, after crossing the fields of boulders
• From the summit, descend on the far side staying on the BLUE trail for 450m until reaching a crossroads. Turn right at the crossroads onto the nature trail (also a cycle path)
• Stay on this trail as it circles the hill through the deciduous forest to reach the YELLOW hiking trail after 1 km. Turn right onto the YELLOW trail
• After 1 km , the YELLOW trail meets the BLUE trail (which was used on the outbound route). Turn left onto the BLUE trail and return to Kamýk village in 1.1 km
• In Kamýk, join the GREEN trail in the direction of Kalvárie. The trail reaches the edge of the hillfort after 2.3 km
• Traverse around the hillfort, initially on the GREEN trail, leaving this trail to join the YELLOW trail as it descends the fields to the Kalvárie junction
• At Kalvárie take the 100m diversion to the Three Crosses viewpoint and then return to the Kalvárie sign
• Descend steeply from Kalvárie to the Labe riverbank on the GREEN trail, which is reached after 400m
• At the river, turn left onto the cycle path and return back to Velké Žernoseky, which is reached after 1.3 km