A 15 km tour of two classic Kokořinsko sandstone gorges starting at Mšeno

This varied circular walk starts in the historic town of Mšeno, and takes in some of the most important sights in the protected landscape area, including trails through several sections of extraordinary sandstone rock formations, with optional extensions to visit the archaeological site of Hradsko and the impressive medieval castle of Kokořín.
Mšeno can be reached directly by train from Prague at weekends (on the historic Kokořínský rychlík) , but there are also parking options in the town. Mšeno has an interesting recorded history, stretching back to the 14th century king Wenceslas III, but the settlement is probably Slavic (6th century AD) in origin. Several archaeological sites dating back to Paleolithic times (hunter-gatherers) have been identified in the area, and there are also important Neolithic and Bronze Age sites in the vicinity, indicating that the Mšeno plateau has been farmed for millennia.
The route also follows a section of the Máchova cesta, named after the 19th century poet Karel Hynek Mácha, who was a keen walker and in 1832 completed the trip from Mělník to Doksy, as part of a longer journey (Mácha’s day trips tended to be 50-60 km long…). The Máchova cesta is today part of the E10 European long distance footpath, which crosses the Czech Republic.
The optional diversion to Hradsko visits an important archaeological site, which is best known as a Slavic (9th century) fortress century. However, this strategic site on a plateau ringed by cliffs on three sides, has been inhabited for nearly 30,000 years (first by hunter-gatherers who used the site as a regular camp, then by Neolithic and Bronze Age farmers, of which the latter first started to fortify the site).
Kokořín castle has a fascinating history and is well worth a visit, either as a short detour on this trip or a separate visit. Originally constructed in the early 14th century, the fortress passed through the hands of several famous Czech dynasties, including the family of Albrecht of Valdštejn after the battle of Bilá Hora. Kokořin was somewhat controversially reconstructed in the early 20th century in a Romanticist style – the first medieval castle to be fully restored in the country. The castle today is owned by the Špaček family, who took possession of the castle at the end of the 19th century, and were responsible for its reconstruction.
The route passes through two of most scenic, if somewhat forbidding, sandstone gorges in the region, with towering cliffs on both sides of the path. The walk finishes by passing the unique art deco outdoor spa in Mšeno, where a cooling dip might be advisable on a hot summer’s day.
The main route is on easy terrain, mostly on forest or field tracks without any significant steep sections, although the paths can get very muddy in wet weather. The total length of the walk (without the optional extensions) is 14.8km, with 250m of height gained-lost. The two extensions (to Hradsko and Kokořin) add 1.5km to the walk length and involve somewhat steeper hill sections, adding 150m to the total height gained/lost.
Refreshments are available at various points on the Machová cesta section of the walk and in Mšeno town. In Mšeno center, there is an excellent coffee and cake shop, the Cukrárna U Živných a měšťáků and on the other side of the church a popular ice cream parlor, Zmrzlinový ráj. Both are worth visiting. In Kokořín try the refurbished Restaurant Pobuda, on the main road in the valley.

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 the walk in the town of Mšeno. There are direct trains to Mšeno from Prague at the weekend in summer on the historical train, the Kokořínský rychlík. Otherwise train connections are through Mlada Boleslav or Mělník. There are several parking options in the town centre, near or on the main square, and at the spa
Begin the walk from the main town square by taking the RED trail in the direction of the village of Sedlec, which is reached after 2km
From Sedlec, stay on the RED trail which leads through the dramatic Kočičina sandstone gorge.
After 2.4km reach the signpost of Kočičina – pod Hradskem. [Here there is an option to divert onto the YELLOW trail to visit the important archaeological fortified site hill top site of Hradsko. If taking this diversion continue over the hill top on the YELLOW trail to rejoin the main RED trail at the roadside. The diversion adds only 300m to the trip length, but does involve a steep climb up and down from the plateau]
If not taking the Hradsko diversion, continue on the RED trail to reach the village of Kokořínský Důl, passing the Hospoda u Grobiana on the left (refreshment option)
At the U Grobiána signpost (just after the pub) turn right onto the road, still following the RED trail in the direction of Kokořín – dolina. This is a part of the Máchova cesta.
Continue on the Máchova cesta for 1.5km past the Kačírek rybník to reach the signpost of Kokořín – dolina. [Here it is possible to divert to visit the castle of Kokořín, by taking the BLUE trail steeply up the road and then through the forest. The diversion adds 1.2km to the trip length. After visiting the castle return back to Kokořín – dolina]
From Kokořín – dolina (refreshments available) continue on the RED trail to the north to reach the signpost of Pokličky after 2.1km.
At the Pokličky sign, turn right onto the BLUE trail in the direction of Apatyka, and follow the path through the impressive gorge of Močidla to reach the signpost of Náckova rokle after 1.9km
At Náckova rokle turn left onto the GREEN trail in the direction of Faraon, which is reached after 600m
At Faraon, turn right onto the yellow diagonal nature trail, in the direction of Mšeno (koupaliště). After 1.5km reach the famous outdoor town spa, where it may be desirable to stop for a swim
Continue on from the spa following the yellow diagonal nature trail marks into the town centre, for the car parks and/or train station