An excursion into the sandstone rock areas near the Cz-D border at Ostrov – 13 km (extendable)

• There are several places in the far north of Bohemia where it is possible to combine trails in the extraordinary sandstone rock landscape on both sides of the Czech/Germany border. Sandy paths weave through the maze-like rock complexes and towering pillars, as scenic as any in Český ráj. The rocks on the Czech side of the border lie in the Labské piskovce Protected Landscape Area which is effectively an extension of the České Švýcarsko National Park, which straddles the border area north of Děčín and Ústí nad Labem.
• A good starting point for several walks is the small village of Ostrov, close to the famous Tiské stěny rock walls. Ostrov has a couple of camping areas and an excellent hotel /restaurant, which is worth visiting for lunch even if not staying there.
• The route described below follows the borderline for a few kilometers before dipping into Germany as far as the settlement of Ottomühle (where there are also refreshment options) before returning back to Bohemia to cross one of the classic ‘table mountains’ that the area is famous for. A stop at the Grenzplatte viewpoint is recommended as it offers one of the best views in the area.
• The suggested route is 13 km long with just over 300m of height to ascend/descend. The paths are not particularly steep. The route can be extended by up to 10 km by adding a loop from Ostrov towards (and into) the Tiské stěny rock areas. See here for a description of this extension loop.

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Directions

• Ostrov village cannot be reached directly by public transport – the nearest bus stop is in Tisá, 3 km away. There is a paid parking area along the access road towards Ostrov and parking at the hotel if planning on eating there
• Starting at the edge of the village opf Ostrov walk along the road through the village, crossing into Germany
• After 1.6 km reach a trail junction where the YELLOW marked trail crosses the border road. Turn right onto the YELLOW and follow this uphill. After passing through a biwak camp, the path climbs uphill following the border. The path is lined with C-D marked border stones
• After 1.6 km reach a stone direction marker. Here, follow the lower path, still marked YELLOW, which soon leads into a rock canzon and descends back to the valley
• On reaching the valley, turn right to follow the cycle track for 500m until reaching a crossroads where the YELLOW trail again crosses the path
• Take the right hand YELLOW marked path to reach the bottom of the sandstone rock wall. The path then follows the foot of the rockwall until it descends back to the valley after 1.5 km
• Continue on nthe vallewy road for a further 300m to reach the Ottomühle where there is a gasthof and snack bar
• Take the cycle path leading away from the gasthof, signposted Tisá and after 200m turn left onto the YELLOW marked hiking trail
• After 600m the trail meets the main RED marked trail. Continue on this trail as it climbs onto the sandstone table mountain
• After 2.5 km reach a signpost to the Grenyplatte viewpoint – take this small diversion to enjoy the great view
• Continue on the RED trsail for a further 700m until reaching a crossroads and there take the GREEN trail
• Follow the GREEN trail for 700m until reaching the Nad Ostrovem junction and there turn left to rejoin the RED trail which leads down to Ostrov village after 1.5 km