Summer in the landscape of Adršpach Rocks

Fairytale rock towns

Apart from Adršpach, there are several beautiful rock towns and table mountains in the Broumov region and in the Polish border area. The largest rock town in Teplice is accessible on foot from Adršpach via the Vlčí gorge, and to get around it on shorter days means a day trip. Another rock town can be found on the table mountain Ostaš near Police nad Metují. If you venture beyond the border, you can see the Flying Rocks at the top of the legendary Mount Bor. In the same Polish Table Mountains National Park, there is also Mala and Velika Hejšovina, a hiking trail here leads along the very top of Table Mountain with far-reaching views. If you are planning a visit to Adršpach, be sure to buy your tickets in advance through the reservation system. You will get a better price for your ticket and avoid queues. How about trying out some real guided sandstone climbing? Ask at our information centre!

Boat trip on a rock lake

Cool down on steamy summer days over the dark green surface of a rock lake located right on the Adršpach Rocks circuit. At first, wood was floated here, but at the end of the 18th century, Count Blümegen built a sluice gate at the Metuje spring, just two kilometers away. A new tourist attraction was born, which visitors christened in 1857. Just as then, today, a small boat with an ecological drive, powered by a single ferryman, will take you around the mysterious lake between the rocks. You will learn about the magic behind why this lake never freezes and you may even see a mountain piranha! (Attention: tickets are purchased on site, in Czech crowns and in cash)

Hop in the water!

Unfortunately, it is not allowed to swim in the sandpit in Adršpach, so where to go on hot summer days? Smaller, pleasant swimming pools can be found in Teplice and in Police nad Metují, in Meziměstí there is a good slide and in the "swimming pool" in Janovičky there is a sandy beach and a paddleboard or skimboard for rent. In addition, concerts and other cultural events are held here throughout the summer. If you are a fan of natural swimming, half an hour's drive from Adršpach is the beautiful sandstone lake Krzesowek in front of Krzeszów, Poland.

Animal menhirs

Křížová cesta Nature Reserve is a charming rock town on Křížový vrch, opposite the Adršpach one. It is smaller, but very few people come here. Many protected birds nest here, including the peregrine falcon. It takes its name from the Way of the Cross, which is a set of cast-iron slabs dating back to the 17th century. The route to the nature reserve Křížová cesta starts in Dolní Adršpach along the yellow trail. You can also start from the village of Zdoňov along the path past the chapel of St. John of Nepomuk and continue through the Hrnčířské údolí past the Zdoňov menhirs, an art project dedicated to the animal kingdom - each stone is dedicated to a different animal and represents a different power or element. In Zdoňov, you can stop at the renowned Kovářova kobyla restaurant, which cooks honest seasonal dishes from local ingredients and offers accommodation in local apartments.

Adršpach Castle

The two-storey Renaissance chateau with a garden, which stands on the site of a medieval fortress from the 15th century, has undergone repairs in recent years and more are in the pipeline. The original fortress was built here by the wealthy aristocratic Berk family of Dubá, whose founder Hynek of Dubá was one of the most important noblemen at the court of John of Luxembourg and owned the famous castles of Kokořín, Bezděz and Houska. The last noble owner before the castle was taken away from him by Benes Decrees in 1945 was Otmar of the Nádherný family from Borutín. Now you will find here the facilities with a café, information centre and children's corner, a fairy tale room and an escape game The Third Prince based on a fairy tale that was filmed in the Adršpach Rocks. Directly from the circuit through the rock town, from the Echo, you can walk to the castle along the "Fairy Tale" trail. There are five playful stations where you can print a stamp with a letter. If you manage to compose the word "castle", your children have free admission to the castle. The chateau is home to the first climbing museum in the Czech Republic, and you can also see an exhibition of lnařství, life in the chateau and an exhibition of fossils and various temporary exhibitions - right now, for example, a show of historical glass souvenirs with motifs of our rocks.

Under the castle on the back of a horse

That the world is most beautiful from horseback? See for yourself with us! Horseback riding is offered by local guides and we will be happy to provide you with further information in our information centre. In addition to Adršpach, there are beautiful horseback rides in the Jirásek Rocks above Teplice nad Metují, where the settlement of Skály, the highest village in the Hradec Králové Region, is located. The ruins of a Gothic castle, formerly known as Katzenstein, stand on a rocky ridge above a black lake. Below the castle lies the Bischofstein Castle, which was built in 1666 as a summer residence for the Bishop of Hradec Kralove, Karl Sobek of Bílinberk. From here you can take a nice walk to the Stork Lookout Tower, where you can see the Temple Walls in the Teplice Rock Town as if you were in the palm of your hand.

Magical Police and its museums

Police nad Metují is a small town whose main square, Masaryk Square, was declared a municipal conservation area in 1990. Drink from the Julinka spring right on the square, where locals go to drink crystal clear water from a large underground water reservoir, the so-called Police Chalk Basin. Not far from the square is an old timbered school, and there is also a unique museum in Police nad Metují, which maps the history and present of the famous Czech toy - the Merkur building set. Among other things, you will see the largest object made from this building set: the Steel City, based on the adventure book by Jules Verne. In the same building as the Merkur Museum you will find the Museum of Paper Models, which is the only one of its kind in the country. The three-hundred-square-meter exhibition features nearly two thousand exhibits made of paper, representing architecture, automobiles, airplanes, ships, military technology, science fiction and fantasy, railroads, and lots of figurines. Visitors to both museums also enjoy a children's play area, workshops for children and a relaxation area.

You can also visit the Policka Museum. The traditionally conceived exhibition maps the history of the town of Police nad Metují and its surroundings. The museum is located in the historical premises of a Benedictine monastery founded in the 13th century. During the tour you will see the Abbot's apartment, which was renovated in 2023, and two modern audiovisual exhibitions created by visual artist Richard Loskot

It is also worth mentioning the Artamon sports complex in nearby Bukovica with an indoor sports hall, tennis and beach volleyball courts, an adventure golf course, a restaurant and a wellness centre.

Broumov Monastery and Baroque churches

Broumov Monastery is one of the most important Baroque monuments in the Hradec Králové Region and since 1995 it has also been a National Cultural Monument. The monastery was built in the seventeenth century and has recently undergone revitalization. This involved not only the building itself, but also the almost three-hectare monastery garden. In the church of St. Vojtěch, you will be amazed by the beautiful decoration and especially by the rare copy of the Shroud of Turin (in the Shroud there is an imprint of the reclining Jesus Christ). During special tours, the monastery also reveals the secrets of its cellars, where 34 mummies are found. The monastery hosts many cultural events or lectures throughout the year, and there is a café and restaurant on the premises. History and architecture lovers will also appreciate another Baroque gem and national cultural monument: The Broumov Group of Churches. Visitors with children should definitely not miss the unique Children's Gallery Lapidarium in the monastery, which conveys the world of contemporary art in a friendly and interactive way not only to children but also to adults.

Sauna, Špičák, shooting range

Via Teplice nad Metují and Meziměstí you can reach the Javoří Mountains, a border belt of hills, the highest point of which is the Ruprechtice Peak. The hike up the little-traveled hill starts in the village of Ruprechtice, where there is a small parking lot at the very end of the village. You can choose a steeper route along the yellow trail or a gentler one along the blue cycle trail. The latter joins the blue hiking ridge below the summit. There is a lookout tower at the top of the hill, and the hike can be done at a fast pace in an hour and a half, but otherwise it's a nice, half-day hike. On the way back, you can stop in the Walzel Intermediate Centre, which was built in the former Joseph Walzel mechanical weaving mill. Here you will find the restaurant Švejk, a sauna, a salt cave, a climbing wall, an indoor shooting range or a bowling alley. In the spacious restaurant they cook honest Old Bohemian cuisine, have great beer on tap and sometimes they even organize "Řízkyjáda"!

Trutnov galleries

An exceptional experience is a visit to the modern art gallery, which was created in the building of the former power plant in Trutnov - the Centre for Contemporary Art EPO1. The huge hall, where the original windows, steel structures and two functional bridge cranes remain, is an ideal space for very large sculptures and sculptures that do not fit in other Czech galleries. The gallery's management is gradually creating a permanent collection of young Czech sculpture, and sculptures by established Czech artists also decorate the immediate surroundings of the gallery. The industrial atmosphere of the coal-fired power plant is complemented by murals by legendary Czech graffiti artists. In addition to EPO1 and the traditional Trutnov City Gallery, you will also find the Uffo Gallery in Trutnov, which is part of the multifunctional cultural centre of the same name and offers not only exhibitions, but also theatre and music experiences. A final pearl - in Trutnov, whose historical centre is a town conservation area, you can also visit the Dragon Gallery, where, in addition to temporary exhibitions of usually regional artists, you can see a "lighter note" of the legend of the slaying of the Trutnov dragon through mechanical theatre.

Historical Kladsko and the "Czech Corner"

Kladsko is a town in Lower Silesia with a rich history of over a thousand years. It was founded in the Kladsko Basin, on the Kladská Nisa River, which rises at the foot of the Králický Sněžník. You will find many historical monuments here, such as the Gothic bridge, which is said to be a miniature of the Charles Bridge in Prague. There are only six statues and it does not cross the river but over a millrace, but it is still a very picturesque place. In Kladsko you will also find a large fortress with casemates, underground passages under the Old Town, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Franciscan Church with a monastery or the Museum of the Kladsko Land. Kladsko is located in the southwestern part of Poland, in a promontory which is still called "Czech Corner" - you can speak Czech or pay in Czech crowns here more than anywhere else.

Spa in Kudowa-Zdrój

Kudowa Zdrój is a spa town with a tradition of more than six hundred years and is located next to the town of Náchod. The heart of the town is the spa park located in a historic building from 1853 at the foot of Góra Parkowa. The spa is popular mainly due to its year-round favourable climate and picturesque setting with a colonnade and a large spa park. There is a swimming pool for the public as well as a publicly accessible wellness pool with sauna, whirlpools and a water slide at the Verde Montana Hotel. There are many nice patisseries with famous Polish pastries and restaurants, such as the popular trout fryers.

Gorge in Broumovka

The ten-kilometre long and very narrow ridge of the Broumov Walls is decorated with many unique rock formations such as the Slaven Hills or the Stone Gate. The chapel of Our Lady of the Snows or the wooden mountain hut Hvězda, which is open all year round and is very accessible by car, also stands on the ridge. The walk from the hut to the so-called Rock Theatre, from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Kovář ravine, is not long and is suitable for families with small children.

We would like to introduce you to two routes leading through the most beautiful rock gorges in the area. The first one is Kovářova gorge, which leads to the ridge from the village of Hlavňov. In the lower part of the forested, sometimes steep gorge you will find the Mariánská Cave, then the trail lined with rock towers leads up to the main ridge.

The second is the Třešňová gorge, which you can reach from the village of Martínkovice on the northern side of the walls or the red hiking trail from Slavný will lead you here. The gorge is surrounded by high sandstone towers with devilish themes, such as Lucifer, Trepifajskl or Káča Máša. At the bottom of the gorge there is a cave, the so-called macarat, which often holds ice until summer. From Slavný, take the yellow trail to reach the Stone Gate and other beautiful sights.