Semi-Private Bohemian Switzerland Day Trip with Lunch from Prague

Bastei Bridge and Saxon Switzerland, Germany

The first stop, about two hours from Prague, is the Bastei in Saxon Switzerland National Park, Germany. Here jagged sandstone pillars rise about 190 metres above the River Elbe, linked by the Bastei Bridge, a sandstone bridge of 1851 that replaced an earlier wooden one. Beside it lie the remains of Neurathen Castle, a medieval rock castle whose rooms and passages were cut into the cliffs.

From the viewing platforms you look down on the Elbe winding through forest and over a sea of rock towers stretching into the distance. Many travellers search for a Bastei Bridge day trip from Prague, and combining it with Bohemian Switzerland is the most rewarding way to see both. Bring your passport, as you cross into Germany.

Hřensko, the gateway village

Hřensko sits where the Kamenice River meets the Elbe and is the lowest point in Czechia, at about 115 metres above sea level. Its timber-framed houses squeezed between tall sandstone cliffs make it one of the most picturesque villages in Bohemia, and it is the main gateway to Bohemian Switzerland National Park.

Your group stops here for refreshments before heading into the gorges, and again later for lunch at a cosy local restaurant, chosen from the à la carte menu. It is a good place to try Czech dishes such as goulash with dumplings, roast meats or river trout, with soft drinks included in your day.

The Wild Gorge boat ride on the Kamenice

From Hřensko you take about 200 metres of steep stairs down into the Wild Gorge, Divoká soutěska, a deep and narrow canyon carved by the Kamenice River. Wooden boats have carried visitors through these gorges since the late 19th century, and a boatman guides you for about 20 minutes between moss-covered cliffs, overhanging trees and small waterfalls.

The ride is calm and quiet, full of echoes and green light, and is one of the most memorable moments of any Bohemian Switzerland tour. The boats run from April to the end of October; outside this season the tour visits the Tisá Rocks instead, a labyrinth of sandstone towers and passages often called a rock city. After the boat ride you climb the same stairs back up.

Pravčická Gate, the largest sandstone arch in Europe

The highlight of the day is Pravčická Gate, Pravčická brána, the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, with a span of about 26 metres and a height of about 16 metres. Beneath it stands the Falcon's Nest, a romantic chalet built in 1881 for visiting nobility, and from the viewing terraces around the arch you look out over forested valleys and rock towers.

Reaching it takes an intermediate walk of about 45 minutes uphill through the forest, with an easier and quicker path back down. Entry to the arch area is included. Here a professional local photographer takes photos of your group, which you receive after the tour. Many visitors ask whether Pravčická Gate is worth the walk: the view from the terraces answers that at once.

Bohemian Switzerland National Park

Bohemian Switzerland, České Švýcarsko, became the youngest national park in Czechia in 2000 and protects a landscape of sandstone towers, deep gorges, beech and pine forests and quiet valleys. Together with Saxon Switzerland across the border, it forms one of the largest sandstone areas in Europe, shaped by water and wind over millions of years.

This day trip suits active travellers who enjoy nature, hiking and photography: in total you walk about 12 km with around 300 metres of ascent. The best time to visit Bohemian Switzerland is from spring to autumn, when the gorge boats run and the forests are green or golden; winter brings snowy rock towers and fewer visitors.