The best traffic-free bike rides around Jičín

Hrubá Skála Castle is one of the main landmarks of Český ráj. The castle towers over a group of rock spires located six kilometers southeast of the town of Turnov. The rock formations, reaching up to sixty meters high, are found above the valley of the Libuňka river, situated in the landscape between Trosky Castle and Valdštejn Castle.

The municipality of Hrubá Skála is located in Český ráj near Turnov in the Semily district of the Liberec Region. 617 inhabitants live here. It is located in the immediate vicinity of Hrubá Skála Castle, which was built on a sandstone rock massif in the second half of the 14th century.

Hruboskalsko is a nature reserve declared on April 22, 1998. With an area of 219.2 ha, it is one of the largest rock towns in the Protected Landscape Area Český ráj. The reason for protection is the extensive rock town with preserved relict pine forests. The Hruboskalsko rock town includes hundreds of rock massifs and individual towers reaching up to 60 m in height. Due to the low resistance of sandstone and the constant effect of various influences, the rocks are rich in a variety of shapes and forms (honeycombs, windows, gates).

Hruboskalsko is a nature reserve declared on April 22, 1998. With an area of 219.2 ha, it is among the largest rock towns in the Protected Landscape Area Český ráj. The reason for protection is an extensive rock town with preserved relic pine forests. The Hruboskalsko rock town includes hundreds of rock massifs and independent towers, reaching heights of up to 60 m. Due to the low resistance of sandstone and the constant effect of various influences, the rocks are rich in the most diverse shapes and forms (honeycombs, windows, gates).

Hrubá Skála is a picturesque village in the heart of Bohemian Paradise, near Turnov. The dominant feature here is Hrubá Skála Castle, built on a sandstone rock massif as early as the 14th century. The village has a rich history, first mentioned in writing in 1360, and offers an ideal starting point for discovering the beauty of the surrounding nature.

The name Český ráj originally designated the Litoměřice region (today called the Garden of Bohemia), inhabited by German-speaking population. The current definition originated in the second half of the 19th century. Spa guests visiting the Sedmihorky spa are often cited as its authors, but the first documented use comes from editor Václav Durych from 1886.

Český ráj (German Böhmisches Paradies) is the name for an area in the central Pojizeří region, which is distinguished by a high concentration of natural and historical monuments. Geographically, the region is defined by the line connecting Mladá Boleslav, Mnichovo Hradiště, Hodkovice nad Mohelkou, the peak Kopanina, Železný Brod, Semily, Nová Paka, Jičín, Kopidlno, Sobotka, and Dolní Bousov.

The castle was founded between 1260 and 1280 by the Markwartings. This family, from which several Bohemian noble families emerged, rose to prominence during the reign of King Otakar II Přemysl and owned extensive estates in the Jizera region up to the Giant Mountains. The first documented owner was Zdeněk (1280–1304), who named himself after the castle of Waldstein. He was the son of Jaroslav of Turnov (1234–1269). In addition to the castle, the Waldstein domain included several villages on both sides of the Jizera River, around Turnov, up to the Cistercian monastery of Hradiště. Even during Zdeněk's lifetime, disputes over ownership arose, which continued in subsequent generations. From 1318 onward, court proceedings between members of the Waldstein family for robbery in the associated villages are documented.