A visit to the viewing tower on Varhošť (638m) starting in Hlinná: 9 km (extendable)
- The lookout tower on the summit of Varhošť (638m) offers a superb panoramic view of the České středohoří volcanic landscape. It is well worth the hike up the mountain! The easiest way to the top is to drive to the saddle on the eastern side of the mountain – there is a small parking area (map point 5 below). From there it is just 500m to the top (with around 100m of climbing).
- However, for those wanting a longer walk (and those travelling by public transport) there are a couple of villages which can be used as convenient starting points. The closest railway access to Varhošť is the village of Sebuzín (which is on a regional train line between Ústí nad Labem and Litoměřice). The walk from Sebuzín is described here.
- An alternative starting point for the ascent is the village of Hlinná, located just a few kilometers north of the historic town of Litoměřice, which is definitely worth visiting on this or a separate trip. Hlinná does not have particularly good public transport connections, so this is a trip best done by car. There is free parking on the edge of the village.
- The advantage of a start in Hlinná is the option to combine the ascent of Varhošť with up to three other volcanic peaks that are close to the village: Hradiště – 545m, Lysá hora – 577m and Plešivec – 510m. All three peaks are worth tackling on this or a separate trip. A standalone walk of 12 km tackles all three peaks and is described here.
- However, the single ascent of Varhošť is definitely worthwhile. There are great views on the approach and from the summit. The walk is just over 9 km long, with 350m of height to ascend/descend. There is one slightly steep section of the descent, but otherwise this is one of the easier ascents of a significant peak in the České středohoří. It should be manageable even in winter conditions as there are no exposed or very steep paths, but care will be needed in icy conditions.
- The village pub in Hlinná is worth a visit (Hospůdka Hlinná) at the end of the trip but note that it is usually only open early in the afternoon at the weekend.
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
- From the car park, walk up the road towards the village. After 100m reach the YELLOW trail (the extension route to Plešivec starts here taking a turn to the left: this adds 4.8 km to the overall route)
- (Assuming not taking the extension) continue on the YELLOW trail through the village to reach the Nad Hlinnou junction (here the optional extension to visit Hradiště peak can be taken by remain on the YELLOW trail: the extension adds 1 km to the over journey)
- From Nad Hlinnou continue the main ascent of Varhošť by taking the GREEN trail in the direction of Lbín
- After 300m leave the GREEN trail and head directly uphill on the wide (unmarked) track to the left (this path is occasionally marked with red dot in a white square markers)
- After 400m the path branches, with the left branch heading to Lysá hora peak (again unmarked, so best followed using the mapy.cz application). Otherwise continue straight on gently uphill on the meadow footpath. After 1.4 km, this footpath joins with the BLUE and RED marked trails
- Take the BLUE trail which leads after 1.4 km to the road saddle and the junction Sedlo pod Varhoštěm
- From the junction take the YELLOW trail, which leads after 500m to the summit and the viewing tower
- For the descent, take the YELLOW trail down the opposite side of the mountain to reach the Pod Varhoštěm junction after 1 km
- At the junction, join the GREEN trail, which leads directly back to Hlinná village in 3 km
