Pravčická brana: the largest natural sandstone bridge in Europe

The Pravčická brana is the largest natural sandstone bridge in Europe and lies in the Czech Republic. The nature in the area and the gate itself are stunning. In this post I share the best hiking trails to explore the area and see the Pravčická brana.

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A natural wonder

Deep in the forests of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park lies the impressive rock formation Pravčická brana. This is a massive arch and the largest natural sandstone bridge in Europe. Even though the name of the park suggests that it’s located in Switzerland, it lies in the far northwest of the Czech Republic. The Pravčická gate is a national monument and absolute highlight of the country. It’s been attracting visitors for centuries and is truly a natural wonder.

Pravčická brána lies near the town of Hřensko, which is close to the Czech-German border. Beautiful hiking trails through dense forests and rocky mountains allow you to explore the area at your own pace. You can follow a steep path upwards directly to Pravčická brána or walk a circular route to see other highlights in the area as well.

From Hřensko to Pravčická brána

Park your car in one of the many parking areas in Hřensko and then follow the red hiking trail directly to Pravčická brána. If you don’t have a map yet, get one at the local tourist office. There’s also a bus stop right along the red trail to start your hike, if you’re heading to Hřensko by bus. Be aware that the red trail from Hřensko to Pravčická brána is a steep uphill path. It’s the shortest hike to get to Pravčická brána and will take about 1 hour, but is also a bit challenging.

Circular hiking route Pravčická brana (recommended)

To avoid the steep climb to Pravčická brána from Hřensko, you might want to walk a different route. And there’s more to see in the area than just the natural gate, so it’s well worth the effort to go hiking for an entire day and explore the surroundings.

Start in Hřensko and hike through the gorges

From Hřensko, start hiking the yellow trail through the majestic Edmund gorge. You find the start of the route on the map at the arrow with “Vstup do Soutěsek/ Klammen eingang”.

It’s an easy and well-marked trail with little elevation. After approximately 20 minutes you arrive at a boat station. In order to get further into the gorge you have to take a boat for another 20 minutes.

Even though the boat ride is generally considered to be a highlight of the area, I didn’t enjoy it. The captain constantly made horrible jokes (“Do you see that rock? It looks like E.T.! And that one? King Kong, hahaha!”). And the waterfall that you sail past is fake, they literally activate it upon arrival. It’s not what I expected to say the least. However, you can’t walk that part of the gorge so you have to take the boat anyway. The beauty of the gorge makes up for it though.

At the boat exit station there’s a toilet and a restaurant. If you walk a bit further along the yellow trail you reach a crossroads. From here you have two choices:

Follow the green trail and take the bridge to the left to go to the town of Mezní Louka. A very steep uphill path takes you out of the gorge and forest. From there you just follow an asphalt road amid villages and wide open fields to Mezní Louka.
Continue following the yellow trail. After 10 minutes you get to enjoy a second boat ride and then you hike for 20 minutes through the Wild gorge. From there you take the blue trail to Mezní Louka.

I chose the first option, because I didn’t want to do another boat ride and I’d seen enough gorges for one day. It was beautiful, but I felt it was time to move on to Pravčická brana. Mezní Louka is the perfect pit stop for your journey. Get some lunch here and prepare for the second leg of your hike.

From Mezni Louka to Pravčická brána

If you’re ready, follow the red hiking trail from Mezní Louka to Pravčická brana. It’s a lovely hike through the forest. Enjoy the tall trees, huge sandstone rock formations and amazing views. The hike has some elevation, but is not too difficult. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach Pravčická brana from Mezni Louka. The first and the last part of the hike contain the steepest climbs.

When you arrive at Pravčická brana you have to pay a small entrance fee. I really recommend that you pay, otherwise you miss the best views. There is a restaurant and a toilet. The natural gate itself is spectacular, but the views might be even better. Take in the marvelous surroundings from the lookout points, before you go back to Hřensko.

From Pravčická brana back to Hřensko

Continue following the red hiking trail back to Hřensko. The first part is through forest and later on you walk on a rocky, small path before getting to the main asphalt road. It’s only downhill, so it won’t be very hard. A nice stroll to end your day. In about 45 minutes to one hour you reach Hřensko again.

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Have you already visited this highlight of the Czech Republic? Let me know in the comments! Or do you want to read more about what Europe has to offer? Read my blog posts about Europe here.