The region in the northern part of the Czech Republic lavishes its amenities; we can find wild, mysterious and romantic places there. In particular, it is a country of sandstone rocks and fascinating mountainous sceneries, together with quiet places with notable monuments.

Let us stop first at the largest water area in the north of Bohemia - the Machovo Lake (280 hectares). The lake originated in 1272, as a large pond. Today it is a first-class recreation centre for water sports. The starting point of Machovo Lake is a market-town - Doksy, from where it is only 6 km to Bezděz , one of the most valuable Czech castles. One is attracted to the castle from afar, since it surpasses the surrounding countryside on a 638-m hill named Velky Bezdez. The castle is accessible from a 1.5-km far car park, where one will be rewarded with a wonderful view from a 30-m high large tower; if you manage to climb it.  

Ralsko is an interesting part of North Bohemia; it used to be an inaccessible military area for many years. The dominant feature of the area is the Ralsko hill (696 m) with the ruins of a castle. One can cycle on the medium-difficulty 18-km long cycle route. The starting point is a village called Hamr, from where one can travel southerly (there is a lake on the left-hand side), and after a short time you will reach a junction where you will turn left, and at the next crossroad turn left again to the valley. At the crossroad near a cemetery turn left again to the edge of the Kundratice spa. A narrow road then continues under the ruins of Děvín Castle around the lake, and back to Hamr.

After this sporting performance, one can visit Liberec town. The town itself and its surroundings offer enough activities to at least fill one day. Liberec is a town with a long tradition of textile production, and the most important cultural and social centre of Central Bohemia. The expansion of the town, due to the textile production, is demonstrated by opulent villas. Additionally worth visiting is the New-Renaissance town hall dating back to 1888 – 93, and one should not miss the building of the North-Bohemian Museum, where one can find, amongst others, exhibitions of European handicrafts. Nearby is a beautiful botanical garden, and another popular place to visit is a zoological garden . One can rest there, and then work out in the unique area of Babylon, rebuilt into an entertainment centre from a former factory building. Inside one can find a miniature town with stores and cafeterias, and there is a nice aqua park for sport fans.

One can complete the rest of the day with a trip to Ještěd, the highest mountain of the Jestedsko-kozakovsky spine (1012 m), and the dominant feature of North Bohemia. A small road guides one up to the peak of Jested, and one can lunch there in a scenic restaurant above which there is a 92-m long transmitter tower. It is an architecturally unique, and its designer, Karel Hubáček, was awarded the Perret Prize; the highest accolade of the International Chamber of Architects. One can also get to Ještěd via a cableway, and in winter one can find organised ski terrains and jumping bridges there.

Another important town of Central Bohemia is situated near Liberec, - Jablonec nad Nisou, a town known for its manufacture of Bohemian paste jewellery. Due to the success of this field, and the expansion of the town, a number of beautiful Secession buildings emerged there during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Today, a Museum of glass and bijouterie  in situated in one of the buildings.

If you visit the historical town of Frýdlant, one can admire a fascinating castle , built in the 13^th century. It consists of an ancient upper castle with an almost 50-m high tower named Indica, a new lower castle and a residential Castellan wing. In its interiors one can find collections of extraordinary values. On theway from Frydlant to the Jizerske Mountains, one can stop at several view points. A short detour brings one to a stone view-tower named Hvezda – Stepanka. It stands on a woody hill (958 m) and looks upon the countryside from a height of 24 meters.

Bedřichov is a tourist centre of the Jizerské Mountains. In the upper part of the village is a ski stadium, and the entire area runs through a variety of tourist, cycling and ski-routes.  

Now let us move to Lužické Mountains. Just a few blocks from the main road, is a remarkable natural phenomenon, a fabulous Panská skála (Panská Rock), which is a demonstration of column from basalt cleat. Hexagonal and five-side regular columns are up to 12 meters long, and are 20–40 cm in diameter, their combined appearance appears like an organ, and sometimes they are referred to as Organ.

This rocky formation is an invitation to a land of sandstone rocks, deep gaps and beautiful traditional architecture, the National park of Bohemian Switzerland . The starting point to the eastern part of this area is the Krasná Lípa hill.  Many tourist paths begin here, and on the square is a tourist information centre, together with a museum. The area of Hřensko on the west side has a similar role, from where you can set off for a 19.5-km long nature trail called the Nature Freindship trail, which connects the most popular and most attractive destinations of Bohemian Switzerland, and runs around the Pravčická Gate. At the end, it descends to the Gaps. One can complete your trip with a romantic sail on the Kamenice River.

A north-Bohemian town named Terezín has a tragic past. This is the place where Germans collected all Jews from Europe during World War II, and the town was converted into a concentration camp and a Jewish ghetto. In 1947 the Terezin Monument  was erected there.

Beer lovers should visit Žatec , the centre of hop growing. If you are not lucky enough to get there in September, when the traditional Zatec festivities are held in honour of ending the hop harvest, you do not have to worry. The town has maintained its antique nature up to the present day, and offers a view of many beautiful monuments dating back to the Hussitism and later periods.

Wandering across the north of Bohemia may end in the Krusne Mountains. The connecting line between them and the Bohemian Central Highlands is the oldest Czech spa - the town of Teplice . In the 19^th century, because of its elegance and reputation, Teplice was called “small Paris”, and was visited by many famous personalities.

Another significant tourist centre in the Krusne Mountains is the mountain village Moldava. In the neighbourhood of the village, is a nature trail of the glassmakers of the Krusne Mountains, on which you can also find a reconstructed glass house.

The very last stop for us in the north of Bohemia is Osek. It is an interesting town with the dominant feature of a Cistercian Monastery . The Church of the Assumption of Our Lady was, as a Romanic basilica, built in 1207 –20. In the capitular hall, dating back to the year 1240, one can witness a very valuable stone Romanic reading pulpit, included in the UNESCO List of Monuments. Nearby to Osek is an interesting sight-seeing nature trail.

Tags: Bezděz, Moldava, Museum of glass and bijouterie, National park of Bohemian Switzerland, North Bohemia, Teplice, Zoological Garden