We were invited to join the meeting of fans of US cars at Castle Střekov, it was quite short, so later we took a chance to visit the castle (entrance 100 CZK) and try some local specialties in the castle restaurant (lunch for 4 – 1400 CZK). Castle was built in 1316 and perched above the Elbe River, this Gothic fortress-like ruin remains one of North Bohemia’s most visited cultural monuments. Goethe declared its spectacular vistas as some of the most beautiful in Central Europe. Later on, we hiked the famous Říp Mountain – the heart of Czech history. For many Czechs, Říp is the spot where the nation’s history began: according to legend, the first Slavs, led by forefather Čech, settled here. Rising up out of the Central Bohemian flatlands at the confluence of three rivers, the mountain is comprised of the remnants of a millions-of-years-old volcano and was bare until the 19th century. Its 459-meter summit with Romanesque St. George’s Rotunda offers seemingly endless views of nearly one-third of Bohemia and the tradition says all Czechs should climb it once in their lives.
Parking location – Střekov: 50.640060N 14.051520E (🚻)