*The Máchova cesta hiking trail: from Mělník to Zahrádky, via Bezděz and Doksy – a 61 km trip*

The Máchova cesta hiking trail: from Mělník to Zahrádky, via Bezděz and Doksy – a 61 km trip

The Máchova cesta is an extraordinarily scenic 61 km section of the E10 European long-distance footpath, which crosses the Czech Republic from north to south on its 3,000 km journey from Finland to Nice in the south of France.
This section of the trail was named after the romantic Czech poet, Karel Hynek Mácha, who undertook several trips in the area during the 1830’s. The poet regularly walked 50 km to 60 km each day. The original Máchova cesta ran for some 40 km from the town of Mělník to Doksy, situated on Máchovo jezero. The marked trail was later extended northwards by 20 km to reach the village of Zahrádky.
Most of the trail is located in the Kokořínsko protected landscape area (PLA), which is well known for its remarkable sandstone rock formations, picturesque folk architecture and spectacular medieval castles. There are many highlights to visit directly along the way (or with small diversions off the main trail). These include exploring the royal town of Mělník, visiting the sandstone rock formations around the Kokořínský Důl (including the famous Pokličky rocks) and spending time at the scenic castles of Kokořín, Houska, Bezděz and Jestřebí. Links are to separate shorter walks in this guide which visit these sights.
Enthusiastic walkers trying to emulate Mácha and attempting the full trail in a single day will not have time to visit most of these attractions, so it is best to split the Máchova cesta walk over at least two or three days (or come on separate trips to explore the beautiful area in more depth).
A nice, relaxed option is to split the trail into three roughly 20 km segments, starting in Mělník and overnighting on the first day in Kokořínský Důl (there are several accommodation options, including campsites and some pleasant hotels, of which Penzion Hlučov is definitely the prettiest – it also has a fine restaurant worth visiting). For the second night, a stop in Doksy is recommended (Hotel Grand Doksy is probably the most comfortable option).
In addition to the highlights mentioned above, consider spending some time at Máchovo jezero. The largest Czech pond outside South Bohemia, it was originally created in the 14th century on the orders of Emperor Charles IV. There are good beach areas at Doksy and Staré splavy (there are entrance fees and they do get very busy on summer weekends). Doksy also has a fine Renaissance chateau and a museum dedicated to Mácha, both of which are worth short visits.
The Kokořínsko region is quite hilly, so it is slightly surprising that the whole 61 km route only has around 800m of height to ascend and descend. There are many long flat sections, sometimes on quiet asphalt roads passing through quaint villages with classic 18th-19th century folk architecture, sometimes on shaded forest paths amongst the famous sandstone rocks. Generally, it is not a difficult trail, although there are a couple of short steep step sections amongst the rocks. The walk can usually be done throughout the year (although note that few of the castles are accessible in winter).
Traditionally, the walk is done heading northwards starting in Mělník, but there is no reason why it cannot be done in reverse, starting either in Zahrádky or Doksy and finishing in Mělník, where there are lots of accommodation options and good restaurants to celebrate finishing the walk. If walking the traditional way, south to north, a pleasant pub to finish in Zahrádky is Hostinec u Dlabače (map point 10), with its vine-covered terrace.
Along the way, there are several other good refreshment stops (check for opening times, as some are seasonal and it is rare to find anything open before 11am, which is worth noting if starting early in Mělník). Specific recommendations are shown in the map below at map points 3,4,5,6,8 and 10.

Note: click ‘Show on map’ above to go to a full screen version directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for online navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file

Directions

The whole route follows the RED hiking trail, which is well signposted and marked. The trail begins at Mělník chateau and finishes in front of the chateau in Zahrádky. Careful watching for the turns on the route (all are marked) is all that is required for navigation – so no detailed instructions are given here. Using the mapy.cz phone application is perhaps useful in case of taking the wrong turn!
Mělník is well connected with Prague, either by bus or train. Getting to/from Zahrádky is a bit more challenging if travelling by public transport and usually requires taking a bus to/from the larger town of Česká Lípa and connecting there.