Finally we are back online and ready to share fresh travel report with you. This time we made a trip to castles Kokorin and Bezdez (Kokořín and Bezděz) which are not far away from Prague. Kokorin Castle is just 63 km away and then you have 28 km more to Bezdez Castle. All this might be a great route for one-day weekend trip, so lets’ take a look.
Don’t forget to watch video-report below in order to see more things.
Hrad Kokořín
We are going to start from the first point on our map. This castle or “hrad” is quite famous for its simple look. Main tower is 38m high and whole place looks fine if you judge by its condition. It is worth noting that this castle was in list of so-called “damned castles” which were forbidden to use by Ferdinand II. Another interesting fact – castle was built in 1320. It looks impressive even today and don’t be fooled by relatively small dimensions.
It is possible to drive by car there, but I recommend to drop you vehicle on the special parking and walk towards the castle. Road is paved and goes through beautiful forest which looks gorgeous in autumn. Note that castle entrance is on the opposite side from the tower. It is usually closed in autumn months, but for me it was fine to have a walk around such old building.
One more thing to mention – lakes on the way to that castle. Drive early in the morning and you might be greeted by calm scenery which is worth getting up early. 🙂 Now let’s drive 28 km to Bezdez.
Hrad Bezděz
This place is different from the first castle because it is situated on a relatively high (606m) hill. Such location makes it pop out of the landscape and it looks beautiful in any time of the year. Funny note – this castle is visible almost from any point when you flying small aircraft over Czech Republic. Building process started in 1278 and lasted several years. This place is also famous for it being “prison” for Czech king Vaclav II and his mother.
Road to castle is also quite an adventure. First you enter small village which lies below the castle and then walk into the forest. I recommend to wear special shoes so that you will be able to endure big stones on the road. Definitely be careful if you happen to walk there in rainy or wet weather. Such surface slips even in dry weather, so what can I say about wet conditions… 😀
I recommend to watch video-report because there you will be able to see special “tank” which was used to accumulate water in the castle. Of course, it was rainwater, but for me it is first time I see such thing inside. This castle is notably bigger than Kokorin, so it might be an interesting contrast to see them both at the same day. We came during COVID times, so all cafes and restaurants were closed, but I hope you can enjoy them in the future. Keep in mind several tourist roads which might be interesting to take if you come here by train.
When to Go?
I would say these two spots can be visited throughout whole year. Each season will bring its own interesting accents, but beware of snow and rainy weather in Bezdez. These boulders will be tricky to climb, so I wouldn’t try it in wet conditions.
I hope you enjoyed our small trip, feel free to write your opinion in the comments section below! See you next time 🙂
