Broumovsko

Sandstone at its most theatrical — the Adršpach and Teplice rock cities, the Broumovské stěny wall, and a valley of baroque Dientzenhofer churches.

The planning decision here is which sandstone gets which day: the twin rock cities of Adršpach and Teplice, where towers stand a hundred metres over the gorges and the summer visitors match, or the long crest of the Broumovské stěny — a wall of rock lookouts curving above the Broumov basin, where the same rock comes with solitude. Ostaš’s rock labyrinth makes a shorter outlying day, and the tableland of Hejšovina rises just across the Polish border to complete the set. Police nad Metují and Teplice nad Metují sit closest to the walls; Broumov holds the basin side.

The basin below is its own attraction: a necklace of baroque village churches by the Dientzenhofer father and son, built for the Broumov Benedictines, each a short detour from the trails. If Adršpach is the day’s goal, go early — its summer crowds are worthy of a national park.