Houska and the Gate to Hell

A 22 km Kokořínsko day from Mšeno to Houska, the castle over the gate to hell, then via Ždírec to the Korecký vrch viewpoint and down to Dubá.

Both ends of the day have public transport. You take a train or bus in to Mšeno and a bus from Dubá back towards Prague, so there are no car logistics to solve. The walking in between keeps to forest paths along the plateau. Most of the climbing is at the Mšeno end.

From Mšeno the route climbs past Romanov onto the wooded plateau and follows the rock country north to Houska. On our February visit the castle was closed, so we saw it only from the outside. Check the opening times in advance if you want to see the interior. Even closed, the white block standing straight on the rock is worth the walk.

From Houska the way continues through Ždírec to Korce and takes the short spur up Korecký vrch. From the bench on top you see Bezděz, Ralsko and Vlhošť on the horizon, and the spur costs you only a kilometre of extra walking. The final stretch drops into Dubá, ending by the road at Nový Berštejn where the buses stop.