A short trip to the volcanic outcrop of Zlatý vrch in the Lužické hory: 2 km (extendable)

• The Lužické hory has many excellent walking routes and in some ways this protected landscape area offers the best combination of scenery anywhere in Bohemia: sandstone rocks, volcanic peaks, crumbling medieval castles and striking chateaux are all situated in this relatively quiet part of the country, sandwiched between the better known Jizersky mountains and the sandstone national park of České Švýcarsko.
• In one respect, Lužické hory beats all the other regions – for its remarkable formations of exposed basalt rock columns. The most popular site (and the easiest to access) is Panská skála, close to Nový Bor. After visiting Panská skála, those in search of even taller (up to 30m) columns of cooled lava, should head over to Zlaty vrch, a volcanic outcrop buried deep in the Lužické hory nature reserve. The extremely durable rock from this site was quarried in the 19th/20th centuries and apparently used to construct sea walls in the Netherlands.
• This area was also the site of an important battle in the bloody Seven Years War (1756-1763), considered by many historians to be the first global conflict. Many of the battles took place in Bohemia and Moravia between the Prussian Army under Frederick II and the Habsburg forces. The local battle took place between 18 and 21 July 1757 around Zlatý vrch and the neighboring peak of Studenec , when Austrian forces attempted to ambush the retreating Prussian army, laden with booty from its campaign across Bohemia over the previous year. The Austrians were considered the victors of this skirmish, but most of the supplies were destroyed during the battle. There is a memorial stone, commemorating fallen Prussian and Austrian soldiers, next to the Zlatý vrch crossroads sign (map point 2).
• The fastest way to reach the site is by car, taking the steep side road from the village of Líska and parking less than 1 km from the rock formation. It is an easy walk from the car park on a meadow footpath to the foot of the the hill. The scramble to the top of the hill is unmarked and is challenging. It should only be attempted in good conditions. Most will want to stay at the bottom.
• There are no refreshments on this short route, but if driving, stop by in Česká Kamenice, where there is a Hejlík recommended bakery, the Pekárna Martin and the atmospheric microbrewery Kotouč, in a Baroque building which is under reconstruction.
• For a much longer and more challenging trek, which incorporates a visit to Zlatý vrch, consider the 23 km Okolo Studence nature trail. This starts and finishes at the Horní Kamenice train station (although the route is 2 km shorter from the Mlýny station).This author has only walked part of the Studence trail to date (which is why it does not yet have a separate page). It appears to be an attractive route, probably not travelled that frequently so at risk of becoming overgrown in the high season. The route includes a visit to the popular Studence viewing tower.

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 parking area, follow the RED trail for 300m to the Zlatý vrch trail junction and from there follow the red marked diversion signs for 600m to the foot of rock formation