*An ascent of Ralsko peak (696m) to the castle ruin, starting in Mimoň: 9 km to 13 km*

• Ralsko is a distinctive volcanic peak situated a few kilometers northeast of the town of Mimoň. It is topped by a well-preserved medieval castle ruin which dates from the 14th century (but may have been founded at least a century earlier). The castle was built by the Vartemburk noble family, one of the most powerful medieval houses in North Bohemia until the 15th century.
• The castle was abandoned at the beginning of the 16th century and quickly fell into disrepair. Today the ruined tower is a well-known landmark and the ascent of the relatively steep basalt mountain is one of the most popular in the Liberec area.
• The climb is particularly attractive as the ascent route passes through dramatic sandstone scenery on the lower southern slopes, before reaching the classic basalt boulder fields and volcanic rock walls on the higher slopes. Traversing the mountain to descend on the northern side, the trail passes through rare primeval beech forests.
• If driving, there is a small parking area at the foot of the mountain above the village of Vranov, but this rapidly fills at peak times. The circular route from there is 9 km. If travelling by public transport, or simply preferring a slightly longer walk, starting in the town of Mimoň (which is on a regional train line and has extensve public parking) is a good option.
• The route from Mimoň centre towards Ralsko peak passes through a long historic tree alley, planted in 1898 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I’s reign. The circular route starting from Mimoň is around 13 km long, with 460m of height to ascend/descend. The approach paths to the mountain are mostly asphalt paths, but when on the mountain the paths on the southern side are relatively steep. The descent route on the northern side is easier.
• There are several refreshment options in Mimoň town, but for good ice cream try Cukrána Dana (map point 13) on the main square.

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 at Mimoň train station, join the RED hiking trail heading towards the main square, which is reached after 800m
• From the main square, continue on the RED trail towards Vranov
• The cillage of Vranov is reached after around 2 km and the climb up Ralsko peak starts from there, still following the RED trail
• Shortly after starting the ascent there is a 200m diversion to the Juliina vyhlídka (viewpoint) – this is worth doing for the excellent site on top of the sandstone cliffs
• After visiting the viewpoint continue on the main RED trail for 1.5 km to reach the Sedlo pod Ralskem junction. The final approach to the summit starts here (erroneously signposted as 100m away – it is actually closer to 500m)
• at the summit the best views are at the end of the ridge, which is partly secured with metal railings – secure footing required if attempting this final section
• After visiting the summit return back down to the Sedlo pod Ralskem junction and turn left to continue on the main RED trail on the north side of the mountain
• Continue downhill on the RED trail for 2.1 km until the trail turns sharply right at a T junction. Take the left branch of the T junction onto the wide forest track, leaving the RED trail at this point
• After 400m this trail reaches the public road. Turn left onto the road and continue for 600m to reach the Srní Potok junction
• At Srní Potok, join the BLUE trail which follows the road for 500m and then turn right onto the asphalt cycle path that heads into the forest (signposted Mimoň 2 km)
• The cycle path returns directly to Mimoň centre in 2.7 km