*The Podhradská cesta, a fine short walk near Kokořín castle: 5 km (extendable)*

• The Podhradská cesta is probably the best short walk amongst the remarkable Kokořínsko sandstone rock formations which can easily be combined with a visit to the famous Kokořín castle. The marked nature trail is only a 3 km circuit, but it manages to include some super views as well as classic Kokořínsko sandstone scenery. It is quite an exciting path, with an adventurous step section and even a narrow gully to squeeze through.
• Kokořín castle has a fascinating history and is well worth a visit. It is usually only open for tours between April and October but can be viewed from the outside at any time of year. Originally constructed in the early 14th century, Kokořín castle 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 starting point for the walk is the Kokořín – Podhradí parking area, which has bus connections with the nearby towns of Mšeno and Mělník. It is just a 600m walk (up quite a steep hill) to the castle from the bus stop. The Podhradská cesta circuit starts on the opposite side of the valley from the castle. The total route is just over 5 km long, with 270m of height to ascend-descend. Note that there are a couple of steep sections which can be slippery at times.
• For refreshments, there are a few options in the valley below the castle (next to the parking areas). Probably the best choice is the recently refurbished Restaurant Pobuda (map point 6) which serves good food. This short route can easily be combined with either the 11 km Kokořín plateau route or the 15 km Mšeno circuit, for a full day trip.

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 Kokořín valley below the castle
• Join the BLUE trail heading in the direction of Kokořín hrad. After quite a steep climb the castle is reached in 600m. Return back to the start point after visiting the castle
• From the Kokořín – dolina trail junction (next to the Pobuda restaurant) join the GREEN trail, heading in the direction of Podhradská cesta
• After 400m of quite steep ascent, reach the start of the Podhradská cesta trail (marked with red-white nature trail markers)
• The trail can be taken either clockwise or anticlockwise, but it is suggested to tackle the route anticlockwise as this takes the most challenging section (the steps and ladder) in ascent
• After 3 km the circuit returns to the same spot. Descend back down to the valley following the GREEN trail used for the outbound journey