Off the Waymarks to Úštěk

A 30.7 km point-to-point hike from Stružnice to Úštěk over Ortles and Ronov hills, largely on unmarked forest paths.

This route is for the second or third visit to the eastern České středohoří — once the marked classics are done and you want quieter ground. Most of the day runs on unmarked forest paths and field lanes, so expect to navigate by map or app rather than trail blazes, and expect to meet almost no one.

From Stružnice station the way crosses the Ploučnice to Jezvé and climbs south over Ortles (364 m), the first of a chain of wooded hills the route threads without ever touching a marked trail. Past the hamlets of Taneček and Rané the country opens up, and old timber-framed farmhouses start appearing in the villages — this corner of Bohemia kept a lot of its rural architecture. The best of it is in Kravaře, reached just before half-way; the village also has the route’s one reliable refreshment stop, the U Doušů pub, and the Vísecká rychta museum if you want a longer break.

The climb of the day follows: Ronov, a steep basalt cone with a castle ruin on top. From there the route drops to Blíževedly — passing the small Hřídelík ruin at the village edge — and continues south through Ostré, below its twin-peaked Calvary hill, before the final stretch into Úštěk. The old town is worth the remaining time before your train; the station has connections back towards Prague.