BOHEMIAN SWITZERLAND NATIONAL PARK, Czech Republic, Guest Post by Tom Scheaffer

Pravcická brána, Europe’s largest sandstone rock arch, Bohemian Switzerland National Park

My brother Tom is a great traveler and last summer went to visit friends in the Czech Republic, staying at their summer house in the country north of Prague. One day they went on an excursion to Bohemian Switzerland National Park, home to incredible rock features, such as the Pravcická brána, Europe’s largest sandstone rock arch. The arch stands 52 feet (16 meters) high and 26 feet (8 meters) wide and serves as a symbol of the entire national park.
Bohemian Switzerland, also known as Czech Switzerland, is a picturesque region in the north-western Czech Republic. It lies on the Czech side of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains north of Decín on both sides of the Elbe River. It is part of a larger geological formation known as the Elbe Sandstones. The park borders Germany’s Saxon Switzerland National Park.

A winding trail leads through the gorge up to the top of the mountain

After the hike, Tom wrote me in an email:  "Today we visited these huge rock formations and the arch you see in the photos. We had to hike about two  miles up a trail where there was an old hotel/restaurant which was built in 1881.There were great views from the top."
Tom has graciously allowed me to share a few of his photos from that day. For more about the park, click HERE.

Tom and friend on the deck of the restaurant

Directly below the arch is the Falcon's Nest, a 19th-century chateau which now features a small museum about the park as well as an excellent restaurant

Inside the restaurant