The Long Way Down Kokořínsko
Kokořínsko · CHKO Kokořínsko – Máchův kraj · Point to point · hiked 15 April 2023
A long 40.3 km push down the whole length of the Kokořínsko — from Dubá over the plateau and through the Kokořínský důl valley to Mělník.
Reaching the start is the only awkward bit of planning: Dubá is reached by bus. After that the terrain works for you — the climbing is done in the first third, and the long second half rolls gently down toward the Labe.
From Nový Berštejn on the edge of Dubá the route heads south through Panská Ves and Nedamov, over the wooded hump of Velký Beškovský vrch and along the rock-lane country past Tubož and Ráj — classic plateau walking, pine woods alternating with sandstone lanes and sleepy hamlets. Around the halfway mark it drops into the Kokořínský důl, the region’s central valley, and follows it south past Kokořín castle; note this section runs along the valley road, so expect weekend traffic rather than solitude.
At Lhotka the route climbs out of the valley for the final leg over Hradsko and its ancient hillfort plateau, then descends the vineyard country into Mělník, where the château terrace above the confluence is the finish-line view and the station is minutes beyond.
Practical info
| Start | Nový Berštejn — by bus |
|---|---|
| End | Mělník — by train, bus |
| Terrain | forest path |
| Links | Open route on Mapy.com |
| GPX | Download track |
On the way
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Dubá
A little town on the eastern edge of the Kokořínsko sandstone country that was once a leading hop region — its twin-towered hop kiln is the only one of its kind left in Bohemia.
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Kokořín
The castle of the Kokořínský důl valley — built after 1320, left a "cursed castle" ruin for centuries, and rebuilt 1911–1918 in the first comprehensive rescue of a medieval ruin in Bohemia.
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Hradsko
A hamlet on a cliff-edged plateau above the Pšovka valley, on the site of a great early-medieval stronghold — likely the Canburg besieged by Charlemagne's Franks in 805.
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Mělník
The wine town on the rock above the meeting of the Vltava and the Labe — château terrace views over the confluence and Říp, vineyards planted since Charles IV.
