Starý Berštejn

A 15th-century castle ruin of the lords of Dubá on the basalt cone of Berkovský vrch (481 m) — a landmark visible across the Dubá country.

Starý Berštejn crowns Berkovský vrch, a basalt cone above Vrchovany near Dubá, and its walls show far across the rolling country between the Kokořínsko and the Mácha lakes. Jindřich Hlaváč of Dubá built the castle shortly after 1400, when the sprawling Berka family was dividing its lands; it did not stay important for long, and by the early modern era it was already a ruin. A cultural monument since 1965, the hill rewards the short steep climb with wide views — though the site has recently passed into private hands, so check access before counting on the summit.