Ridges to Porta Bohemica

A 25.9 km ridge day on the right bank of the Labe over Poradní skála, Varhošť and Holý vrch, finishing over Kalvárie above Porta Bohemica to Libochovany.

Both ends are on the Ústí–Litoměřice railway, which runs along the river the whole way, so you can always cut the day short. Keep that in mind. The ridge looks modest, but the climbing adds up to almost a thousand metres. Plan enough time.

The route leads through the city and the riverside quarter of Brná, then turns uphill. The first stop is Poradní skála, a rock ledge looking straight down into the Labe valley. The second is the Varhošť tower with its full-circle view of the Středohoří. The third is Holý vrch above Hlinná. For me it is one of the finest spots in the whole range, and I always stop there for a long time.

From Hlinná the route crosses meadows to Kamýk under its castle rock, then climbs once more onto Kalvárie, where the three crosses stand over the Porta Bohemica bend of the Labe. The descent ends at the Libochovany stop, right on the riverside line.

Practical info

On the way

• Poradní skála

  viewpoint

  A rock viewpoint at about 440 m on the wooded slope north of Varhošť. It looks straight down into the Labe valley and is reached by a short unmarked side path.

• 

  Varhošť

  lookout tower 639 m

  A 639 m summit above the right bank of the Labe with a steel lookout tower from 1973. The view is a full circle of the Středohoří, from Hazmburk to Milešovka and the Krušné hory wall.

• 

  Holý vrch u Hlinné

  viewpoint

  Steppe grassland on the bare tops above Hlinná, a nature reserve since 1949 for its pasque flowers, with an open panorama over the whole central České středohoří.

• 

  Hlinná

  village

  A small village high in the central České středohoří below Lysá hora, with a village pub that makes a natural lunch stop on the Hlinná–Kamýk ridge walks.

• 

  Kalvárie (Tři kříže)

  viewpoint 239 m

  A 239 m rock above the Porta Bohemica river gate with three crosses on its summit. It is a nature reserve of steppe flora and the classic view of the Labe entering the Středohoří.

Photos