Český ráj — translated as Bohemian Paradise — sits roughly 80 kilometres northeast of Prague in the Liberec Region. It became Czechoslovakia's first protected landscape area in 1955 and was later designated a UNESCO European and Global Geopark in 2005 and 2015 respectively. The designation reflects both the density and quality of its geological record, which spans from the Late Cretaceous through to the Quaternary.
Geological Background
The dominant lithology is Upper Cretaceous sandstone, deposited in a shallow sea that covered much of central Europe approximately 90–95 million years ago. The sedimentary sequence here belongs to the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin, one of the best-preserved Cretaceous sedimentary successions in central Europe. After sea retreat, river incision and differential weathering shaped the sandstone into the towers, labyrinths, and canyon passages visible today.
The Jičín Cretaceous Platform forms the substrate from which erosion has progressively stripped softer strata, leaving harder cemented sandstone columns standing as isolated features. The process is ongoing: frost action, root wedging, and groundwater solution continue to undercut the bases of towers and widen joints into corridors.
Rock Towns
The landscape contains three principal rock towns. Prachovské skály, approximately 5 kilometres west of Jičín, covers around 180 hectares and contains some of the highest concentrations of sandstone pinnacles in the region. Hruboskalsko, near Turnov, sits above the Jizera River valley and extends over roughly 250 hectares of interconnected rock streets and towers reaching up to 50 metres in height. Trosky castle ruins occupy two isolated basalt plugs — volcanic intrusions that post-date the Cretaceous sandstones by tens of millions of years, providing a visible record of Tertiary volcanism within an otherwise sedimentary landscape.
Rock formations in the Bohemian Paradise area. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA
Valley Corridors and Hydrology
The Jizera River runs along the western edge of the protected area and has cut a pronounced valley through alternating sandstone and shale layers. Tributaries such as the Libuňka and Žehrovka follow joint-controlled courses, creating a dendritic drainage pattern that reflects the underlying fracture geometry in the sandstone.
Floodplain terraces along the Jizera preserve Quaternary deposits — gravels, sands, and occasional peat horizons — that document the river's response to Pleistocene climate cycles. These deposits are studied for their palaeoenvironmental record as well as their groundwater storage capacity.
Access and Infrastructure
The Czech Tourist Club (KČT) maintains a marked trail network across the protected landscape. Prachovské skály has a paid entry point with a trail map; the circuit through the main rock groups takes approximately two hours at a moderate pace. Hruboskalsko can be entered from Hrubá Skála village or from the Riegrova stezka ledge path, which runs along the Jizera valley wall.
Public transport connections reach Jičín and Turnov from Prague's Florenc and Holešovice stations. Regional bus lines connect the two towns to trailheads. The Geopark Bohemian Paradise visitor centre in Jičín holds reference maps, geological profiles, and trail condition updates.
Geopark Designation
The Bohemian Paradise UNESCO Global Geopark encompasses 695 square kilometres. The geopark boundary covers not only the sandstone formations but also igneous rock outcrops, Quaternary sediments, and areas with documented palaeontological finds including marine invertebrate fossils from the Cretaceous sea. For additional documentation see the Czech Geological Survey and the Czech Geoparks network.
Related: Moravian Karst and the Macocha Abyss · Elbe Sandstone Valleys