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Trosky – a dominating feature of the Czech Paradise
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Prachov Rocks
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Jičín Square
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Jičín – Church of St. Ignác
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Kost Castle
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Loucna Hora
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Turnov Square
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Turnov - Church of the Virgin Mary
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Czech Paradise
Czech Paradise is situated in picturesque countryside between the towns of Turnov and Jičín. It is made up of gems such as the Prachov Rocks, Hruboskala, Trosky, Sobotka, Mnichovo Hradišťe and part of the Mlada Boleslav region.
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It was given its name in the 1870s by visitors to the spa in Sedmihorky near Turnov, who regarded it as indisputably the most beautiful are in Bohemia.
It does not cover a very large area, but it is rich in nature, as well as wonderful sights: romantic rocks, picturesque valleys, folk architecture, castles and chateaux, churches, rare minerals, botanic curiosities, etc.
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The whole area is crisscrossed by well-marked paths and is serviced by numerous road and rail links; together with renovated hotels and restaurants, it’s no wonder Czech Paradise is so popular in any season of the year.
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Tips for trips
Prachov Rocks
- the gateway to the Czech Paradise – the best known sandstone rock town in Bohemia, situated between 350 – 450 metres above sea level. As the rocks are a typical example of sandstone rock towns, they were declared a natural state reservation in 1933. Apart from its natural marvels, it is rich in prehistoric and later artefacts such as archaeological finds, ancient graves, remains of ramparts, tumuli, etc.
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The massive sandstone formations were created at the bottom of a chalk sea in the Mesozoic era. After the sea had retreated, these formations were saved from the waters with volcanic basalt peaks of Svinčice, Velká Hůra a Přivýšina.
The influence of rain, heat, cold and the wind gradually led to the formation of a great variety of shapes and forms in the soft sandstone. Due to their accessibility, the Prachov Rocks became popular with hikers as well as rock climbers, drawn by the fantastic climbing opportunities.
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Because of the damage and destruction wrought in the past by throngs of visitors and sporting events, venturing off the numerous marked walking paths is strictly forbidden.
Tourists began visiting Prachov rocks in 1879, when Vojta Náprstek and his friends organised a trip there from Prague. Rock climbing began here in 1904, and in 1924 The Czech Alpinist Club was formed in Jičín.
The rocks boast 217 rock towers, with a variety of difficulties (I. the easiest to X. the hardest).
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The town of Jičín
The district town, with its 17.000 inhabitants and classified as an historic urban reservation, is the eastern gateway to the Czech paradise and primarily the Prachov rocks. It has a rich history and present. Its heyday was under the reign of Albrecht of Valdštejn, who had built a new chateau and began ambitious modifications to the surrounding countryside. He established an extensive game park with the Libosad gardens and loggia, which are reached from town along a 4-row lime tree avenue 1.7 km long. The panorama from Jičín to the south is comprised of Veliš, St. Anna, Brada, Čeřovka, Zebín, Tábor, Železný, Bradlec and Kumburk. Despite its modest size, beauty points, memorials and curiosities abound in this area.
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The Gothic Kost Castle
About 4 km northeast of Sobotka, established at the turn of the 14th and 15th Centuries by one branch of the Markvartice family. On the guided tour, visitors can see the Renaissance black kitchen and an exhibition of weapons. At present, the castle is owned by the Kinský family.
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Mladějov in Bohemia
A village with a 14th century Gothic church, reconstructed in the Baroque style in 1786 and with a wooden belfry.
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Loučná Hora
An interesting wooden church
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Rovensko pod Troskami
A small town established in 1407 near the hamlet of Týn. The church of St. Vaclav was founded in the mid 14th Century and a nave was added in the second half of the 16th Century. Inside the church there is a Renaissance gallery and font from 1575. In the wooden belfry, originally built in 1636, there are three so-called rebel bells, which are hung upside down. They originate from the 17th Century and are operated by foot.
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Turnov
The town was established in the mid 13th Century on a promontory of the Jizera River by Jaroslav and Havel of the Markvartice family. It developed into an important centre of trading and crafts. Turnov was famous all over the world for its polishing of precious stones and unique production of jewellery using Czech garnet. In 1884 a specialist jewellery school, the only one of its type in Europe, was established. The preserved Renaissance town hall from 1526 has been renovated several times. The Gothic church of St. Mikuláš from the 14th Century was later modified in the Renaissance style, and in 1722 in the Baroque style. The dominating feature of the town is the neo-Gothic church of the Virgin Mary from the 19th Century with its unfinished spire. The church of St. Francis of Assisi from the 17th Century was destroyed by fire several times and was last rebuilt at the beginning of the 19th Century. The town theatre from 1872 - 1874 is a scaled down version of the Prozatímny Theatre in Prague. In the district Museum of the Czech Paradise, there are extensive displays of precious stones, jewellery, geology, archaeology, history and ethnography as well as a unique panoramic painting by Mikoláš Aleš entitled "Defeat of the Saxons under Hrubá Skála". Other popular tourist attractions are the Hrubý Rohozec chateau, Valdštejn Castle and the Dlaskův farmstead in Dolánky. Administration of the CHKO Czech Paradise.
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