THE BANK OF THE RIVER LABE NEAR THE VILLAGE OF HŘENSKO IN CZECHIA’S NORTH IS THE LOWEST POINT IN THE COUNTRY. PERHAPS IT IS THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE LOW-LYING RIVER BASIN AND THE TOWERING ROCK FACES AROUND IT THAT GIVES THE REGION ITS DISTINCTIVE ATMOSPHERE. LOOKOUTS ATOP STEEP HILLS GUARD OVER WILD STREAMS BLANKETED BY DARK, DEEP FORESTS. CZECH SWITZERLAND HAS A LOT TO OFFER, INCLUDING THE REGIONAL CENTRE, THE TOWN OF DĚČÍN. JOIN US TO DISCOVER NOT ONLY THE FAMOUS BUT ALSO THE FORGOTTEN CORNERS OF THE DĚČÍN REGION.
Kamenice – the small river named for the boulders through which it forges its way – enters the river Labe near Hřensko. The river has been a natural thorn in the side of the local residents since time immemorial. Some parts are accessible only by water, the banks too soggy for easy access, and from time to time the water level rises by several metres. In spite of the challenges it presents, the river has always been an important source of livelihood for the local people, for both transporting wood as well as trout and salmon fishing. At the end of Kamenice lies Hřensko, an ideal starting place for trips to some of the best known attractions of the area – Pravčická brána [natural stone bridge] and the Kamenice gorges. To explore the area, we went for a very pleasant walk and could not resist a boat trip through the gorges. There are three gorges on the untameable Kamenice – Ferdinand’s Gorge, Edmund’s (Quiet) Gorge and Wild Gorge. Ferdinand’s Gorge, the highest-lying of the three, was the first navigable gorge on the Kamenice. Today the gorge is not accessible by boat, but you can explore it at your own risk by wading through the stream. The other two gorges were made navigable in 1890 and 1898 by Count Edmund Clary-Aldringen in order to support the development of tourism in the area. The count arranged for some two hundred Italian labourers to dig tunnels and build bridges, footpaths and resting points along the gorges, thus helping to build a spectacular attraction. We recommend Mezní Louka as a starting point for your trip to the gorges, reached easily from Hřensko by bus or car. The marked trail will lead you through a beautiful forest to the edge of the river, and then along its bank through a system of tunnels, bridges and resting points to the embarkation point for trips through the Wild Gorge. ► LEFT: Entry into Edmund’s Gorge on the wild part of Kamenice near Hřensko.
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