Easy walks along the Viničná cesta in the UNESCO listed Jizerské hory beech forests: 5 km to 16 km

• On the north side of the Jizerské hory (Jizera mountains) a large area of original prehistoric beech woods has been preserved. In 2021 the Jizerské hory forests were inscribed in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage list, joining primeval beech forests in 12 other Central European countries. This is the first Czech natural monument to be included in the UNESCO list.
• The beech trees grow on the steep sided northern slopes, which are also notable for their granite rock outcrops and ‘seas’ of frost shattered granite boulders. It is very atmospheric and colorful scenery, particularly in autumn time and quite different from the gentler spruce dominated terrain of the southern and central sections of the Jizerské hory. It is brilliant walking country (and often frequented by mushroom hunters).
• One of the most popular trails starts at the low pass of Oldřichovské sedlo, situated a few kilometers north of Liberec. There are bus connections to the sedlo, and a large (paid) parking area, which can get very busy at weekends. At the pass is the well known Hausmanka U Kozy pub, famously serving oven roasted pork knee and chicken dishes.
• The easy route from Oldřichovské sedlo follows a forest road (which is also a cycle path) heading towards Hejnice. The route is called the Viničná cesta (vineyard way) not because it is lined with vines (it is not!) but apparently because the north-facing heavily forested path manages to keep a reasonably stable temperature year round, in the same way as a wine cellar does. The track runs for 8 km to the Ferdinandov trail junction and are a number of information boards (in Czech only) along the route.
• The route is navigable with a stroller and walks of any length can be undertaken as the return is on the same path. The first four or five kilometers are the most scenic, with towering granite rock formations and boulder fields embedded in the dense beech forests. Also hidden amongst the trees are a number of abandoned military bunkers, created in the 1930’s to protect the border.

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 Oldřichovské sedlo, follow the BLUE hiking trail along the forest road for 1.8 km until (just below a large miliary bunker) the route forks.The BLUE trail continues as a forest footpath, while the forest road continues as a cycle trail. Continue on the forest road (cycle path)
• The trail is completed after a further 6.3 km at the Ferdinandov junction, but most walkers will turn back before reaching the junction. There is a tourist bench/shelter situated 4.2 km from the start, which might be a good target destination