*Picturesque Kokořinsko villages and viewpoints: an 18 km circular tour from Vidim*

Picturesque Kokořinsko villages and viewpoints: an 18 km circular tour from Vidim

Despite its relative proximity to Prague and undeniable natural attractions, the hiking trails of the Kokořinsko nature reserve are often surprisingly quiet, at least in comparison to Český ráj, which has a similar landscape. The walk on this page is a great example of the diverse landscape of Kokořinsko; sleepy villages filled with picturesque 19th century houses, colorful sandstone rock formations, fabulous viewpoints and ancient rock castles – all of which can be enjoyed without the crowds, if you choose the right trail!
In this case, the right trail starts in the village of Vidim, located in the western section of the nature reserve, a short drive (or bus journey) from Liběchov, on the river Labe. Vidim has two sections, the upper village with its Baroque architecture and chateau and the lower village (Dolní Vidim) in a cool valley lined with quaint 18th and 19th century timbered houses. At the start of the walk, after descending to the lower village it is worth spending a few moments walking down the village lane to see some of the well preserved examples of folk architecture.
On this route there are a number of quiet villages with similarly picturesque architecture – there are excellent examples in Nedvězí and the Osinalice villages. The route also visits two famous viewpoints; Nedvězí hill (458m) with its amazing 360 degree panorama and the Rač viewpoint (featured as the cover photo for this walk).
Just below the Rač viewpoint is a typical sandstone rock labyrinth, which was the site of a 14th-15th century wooden castle. Only the the indentations and carvings in the sandstone remain from the relatively large medieval fortification. The remnants of a smaller rock fortress – Starý zámek – can be found just below the upper village at Vidim. This probably dates from the 13th century.
Between the various villages, viewpoints and rock castles, the trails pass through the attractive mixed Kokořinsko forests, often in valleys lined with towering sandstone cliffs and columns. The sandstone was formed when the Bohemian basin was filled with a tropical sea during the Cretaceous period, some 90 million years ago.
The route has several short ascent and descent sections over its 18 km length, none of which are particularly steep, but it is quite a strenuous walk, with 600m of height to ascend-descend. Note if walking with small children – the viewpoint at Rač has steep cliffs and no protection. There are (surprisingly) no refreshment options on the route, but there is a small village pub and store in Vidim.

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 upper village of Vidim (Horní Vidim), take the GREEN trail in the direction of Dolní Vidim, initiallz alongside the road, and then down quite a steep footpath to reach the lower village
At the Dolní Vidim trail junction, join the YELLOW trail in the direction of Nedvězí (diverting if desired to walk up the lane with the fine examples of folk architecture)
Continue on the YELLOW trail into the hills above the village, ascending and descending sandstone valleys to reach the village of Osinalice after 3.3 km
From Osinalice, stay on the YELLOW trail to climb again onto the sandstone plateau, to reach the village of Nedvězí after 1.7 km
At the Nedvězí trail junction, turn left onto the RED trail, in the direction of Nedvězí – vrchol. The summit is reached in 400m
From the hilltop, continue on the RED trail descending the hill to reach the junction of Panenský hřeben in 800m. There turn left remaining on the RED trail and continue for 1.4 km to reach the Rač trail junction
From the Rač junction continue on the RED trail for 350m to reach the viewpoint and then descend a further 300m to reach the rock labyrinth and site of the 15th century castle ( Pustý zámek)
Return back on the same path to the Rač junction and there turn right onto nthe GREEN trail in the direction of Tupadly
Continue for 4.8 km on the GREEN trail, through the picturesque village of Nové Osinalice, to reach the Království junction. Here, turn left onto the BLUE trail to return back to Vidim village in 3.6 km