Circular routes to Varhošť (638m) summit starting at Sebuzín on the river Labe: 10 km – 12 km

• 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 route show below starts at the train station. If driving there are usually parking spots along the side roads.
• The suggested ascent route ascends the (steeper) west flank of the mountain and descends on the (easier) east flank to the saddle, giving a total circuit of around 12 km, with 480m of ascent to ascend/descend. On the ascent the route passes an excellent rocky viewpoint called Krkavčí skála. The return journey passes through the pretty hamlet of Čeřeniště, before descending to the Labe valley along the Rytina stream (note this latter trail can be a bit overgrown in the middle of the summer). An alternative descent returns back down the western flank and then follows the green hiking trail back to Sebuzín. This route is 2 km shorter, but the one shown below is overall a more varied route.
• The only tricky section of the route is a steep section up to the Krkavčí skála rocks – which is best taken in ascent. For refreshments, try the village pub found along the side road leading to the station – Hospůdka Lucie – it should be open from early afternoon in the summer season. If driving in the area, consider a stop in the nearby the historic town of Litoměřice, where there are several interesting cafés and restaurants.

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 station, follow the side road for 800m to reach the center of the village. There join the YELLOW hiking trail
• Follow the YELLOW trail through the village for 500m until the trail bends left along a side road next to an old storage/ganary building. At this point, continue straight on, joining the public road after 400m
• Continue along the road uphill for 300m until reaching the point where the YELLOW hiking braches to the left. Take this turn
• Follow the YELLOW trail increasingly steeply uphill until reaching the Krkavčí skála rocks after 1.4 km
• From the rocks, continue on the YELLOW trail to reach the summit and viewing tower after 1.6 km
• After climbing the tower, continue on the YELLOW trail over the summit, to descend on the eastern flank to reach the saddle after 500m
• At the saddle, turn left along the small road, still following the YELLOW trail markers
• After 1.5 km reach the Čeřeniště – obec trail junction and here turn left onto the BLUE trail in the direction of Sebuzín
• Return back to Sebuzín after 4 km