Čap

A sandstone spur west of Dubá with the rock-cut traces of a 14th-century castle and the Čapská palice club nearby — one of the best open views on the Kokořínsko plateau.

Čap is a bare sandstone promontory at the end of a rocky ridge west of Dubá, and it earns its visit twice over. First the view — rare in this wooded country: an open sweep from the rock edge across the Kokořínsko plateau to the cones of the Středohoří, with Milešovka, Lovoš, Hazmburk and on clear days Říp lined up on the horizon. Second the history underfoot: a small rock castle from the early 14th century, founded by the Berka of Dubá family, survives as chambers and a cistern carved into the stone.

A few minutes along the ridge stands the Čapská palice, a six-metre club of harder sandstone left standing by erosion — the most photographed rock on this side of the plateau. The usual approach is the marked loop from the hamlet of Pavličky.