HIKING THE GOLDEN TRAIL OF THE BOHEMIAN PARADISE [2024]

The Golden Trail stretches nearly 120 km through the heart of Bohemian Paradise, a region in northern Czechia. This area is geologically significant and has a rich blend of natural and historical sights. Along the trail, you will find amazing rock formations with plenty of stairs, beautiful viewpoints, narrow corridors, as well as majestic castles. Below, you will find detailed information about hiking the Golden Trail of the Bohemian Paradise, recommended accommodation, and answers to any given questions. Let’s get started!

HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED TO WALK THE GOLDEN TRAIL?

The Golden Trail (Zlatá Stezka in Czech) has almost 120 km, and passes through the most beautiful attractions of Bohemian Paradise. The trail has been officially divided into 6 stages, which means 6 days of walking plus I highly recommend adding an extra day and exploring the Prachov Rocks. These impressive rock formations are located near Jičín, where the Golden Trail ends, so it would be a shame to miss out on them! The total elevation gain is not too big, so the trail can be easily walked faster. I planned my hike over 5 days, which means 5 days of walking plus I spent one more day exploring the Prachov Rocks. My exact route can be found in a separate post, The Golden Trail in Czechia: 6-day itinerary [2024]. Check it out!

The Golden Trail – map

HOW DIFFICULT IS THE GOLDEN TRAIL?

The Golden Trail, similar as Malerweg, is suitable for hikers just beginning their journey with long-distance hiking. The trail winds through nature reserves, but also passes through towns. If you follow my route from a separate post, The Golden Trail in Czechia: 6-day itinerary, you will spend only one night in a town with no grocery store nearby. This town is called Libošovice. On other days, there is no issue with restocking your food supplies, as there are plenty of bars and restaurants where you can eat something warm. Just make sure to go hiking in high season, when everything is open, and you won’t have to plan your meals in advance. In low season, some dining places and tourist attractions in the Bohemian Paradise may be closed.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO HIKE THE GOLDEN TRAIL?

The best time to walk the Golden Trail is during the high season. I did this hike in April and that turned out to be a bit too early. Czechia opens up for tourists after winter in May, and that’s when I recommend hitting the trail the earliest. In May, the majority of restaurants are open. There’s also a lower risk of encountering closed ticket offices at the castles. Most castles in the Bohemian Paradise are open from Tuesday to Sunday during May, June and September, and in July and August, they are open daily, including Mondays. The rock towns in the Bohemian Paradise are open all year-round, so this one is not an issue. September is the latest month to go hiking the Golden Trail. In October, everything shuts down again. Anyway, it’s up to you!

WHERE DOES THE GOLDEN TRAIL START AND END?

The Golden Trail begins in Mladá Boleslav and ends in previously mentioned Jičín. The trail can be completed in either direction, but I chose the standard one, which turned out perfectly. The easiest way to reach the Bohemian Paradise is by car. From Jičín, you can then return to Mladá Boleslav by bus to pick up your vehicle. How about public transport? Is it possible to get to the beginning of the trail by train or bus? Yes! But it will be rather complicated, and depends on where you live. My journey from Jičín do Katowice in Poland took six hours and three trains: Jičín – Nymburk, Nymburk – Kolín, Kolín – Olomouc, and finally, a Flixbus from Olomouc to Katowice. In this case, traveling by car is much more convenient. That’s a fact!

WHERE TO STAY OVERNIGHT?

As close to the trail as possible! Naturally none of us likes to walk extra kilometers to reach their place of stay. Interestingly enough, even though I hiked the Golden Trail in low season, I had no trouble finding accommodation. There’s a wide variety of options when it comes to overnight stays, from private guesthouses to stylish hotels. The only town, where finding places to stay might be a challenge, is Libošovice. On booking.com I managed to find only one place. However, while passing through the town, I noticed quite a lot of local signs advertising accommodations. For staying overnight in Libošovice, I think it’s wise to search via google and call. Below, there are two exceptional hotels I highly recommend staying at.

BELLA CASA

Bella Casa is a boutique hotel with a beautiful interior and an Italian restaurant. It is located in Mnichovo Hradiště, which gives you a great option for an overnight stay after the first stage of the hike. This is a charming, cozy hotel with fabulous service, excellent decor, and yummy food. Highly recommended.

RESORT KOVÁRNA

Resort Kovárna is a one-of-a-kind place for fans of sophisticated, castle-like interiors. It is located in Frýdštejn and you will pass it on the fourth day of the hike. Each apartment is unique, quite impressive to be honest, and complemented by delicious food and excellent service. Highly recommended as well.

WHAT ROCK TOWNS TO VISIT IN THE BOHEMIAN PARADISE?

When it comes to sightseeing, the Bohemian Paradise has a lot to offer. Let’s start with rock towns. Along the way you will pass through Hrubá Skála and Besedické Skály. These two rock towns lie directly on the Golden Trail. The Prachov Rocks are a few kilometres past Jičín, so it’s better to visit them the day before or after completing the hike, preferably by car. Alternatively, you can get on a bus for part of the distance from Jičín to the Prachov Rocks. Another rock town is Klokočské Skály. It lies off the trail, it’s also worth seeing, but unfortunately, during the hike, it will be difficult due to the extra kilometers. Although, if you come here by car, well, you’ve got the answer! Entry tickets are only required for the Prachov Rocks (100 Kč for adults).

WHAT CASTLES TO VISIT IN THE BOHEMIAN PARADISE?

The Bohemian Paradise is full of castles! During the hike, there is a huge chance, you won’t have enough time to visit all of them, but let me tell you more about a few must-sees. My top 3 castles in the Bohemian Paradise are Vranov Castle, Trosky Castle, and Valečov Castle. Vranov Castle sits on a steep rock above the Izera River in Malá Skála. Entry ticket costs 70 Kč for adults. Trosky Castle is probably the most popular castle in the Bohemian Paradise. Its towers stand on top of two massive basalt rocks. Entry ticket costs 160 Kč for adults. Valecov Castle is located beyond Mnichovo Hradiště and considered one of the most stunning castles in Czechia. Entry costs 50 Kč for adults. Make sure to add those amazing castles to your itinerary.

IS THE GOLDEN TRAIL WELL-MARKED?

Navigating the Golden Trail is easy. The route is marked with red trail signs, similar to those you can find all around Europe. However, I still recommend downloading a map to your phone, so that it works offline. Most of the time trail markings are well-placed and visible, but there were few moments when I had to stop for a moment and glance at a map to make sure I’m heading in the right direction. Internet connection in the Bohemian Paradise is pretty decent, but it can be too slow and weak at times, making it hard to load the map. That’s why downloading the map beforehand is a lifesaver. For navigation, I recommend using mapy.cz app, and my exact route is in a separate post, The Golden Trail in Czechia: 6-day itinerary.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HIKE THE GOLDEN TRAIL?

I spent 377€ in total on hiking the Golden Trail, and here’s a detailed breakdown. Public transport from Katowice in Poland to Jičín and back cost me 60€. Accommodation along the trail was 160€. Although, it should have been more as I partnered with the hotels mentioned above, so this isn’t the full price. Now, let’s sum up the food expenses. Recently, I have adopted the rule of not saving on food, so if there’s an option to have a high-quality meal at a restaurant, I take it. As a result, I spent 81€ on restaurants, and 63€ on groceries. Last, but not least, the entry tickets to castles and a rock town. They cost me 13€. Most places in the Bohemian Paradise accept payment by card, but in smaller bars or dining places, cash is necessary.

That is all you need to know about hiking the Golden Trail in the Bohemian Paradise. When are you planning to do this hike? Let me know in the comments!

Hey, it’s Karolina, the author of this blog. If you find my content valuable and helpful, I would be more than grateful, if you could support my work, and buy me a coffee. I do love writing my blog, and creating content for you guys. Thank you!