Trip to Jedlová, Malý Stožec in the Lusatian Mountains

A nice short family trip to Malý Stožec and Jedlová hora

Starting point

Parking lot below the ruins of Tolštejn Castle.
 

Description of the hike

We stopped at the parking lot below Tolštejn and, since we had already visited it several times, we skipped it this time. We set off along a nice paved road called Tolštejnská cesta, cycle route No. 3015, towards the Tolštejnská cesta crossroads. After a few hundred meters, there is a turnoff across a meadow to a smaller phonolite rock called Malý Tolštejn, which little tourists will surely enjoy exploring. At the crossroads, we left the cycle route and set off along the yellow trail called Dlouhá míle, which partly follows the train tracks. These lead to the Jedlová railway station, and if you are lucky, you may even see a train in the fresh clearings in the forest. At the same time, there are beautiful views of the countryside.

The trail takes us to the Malý Stožec crossroads, where a short climb to the summit plateau of Malý Stožec begins. The trail is slightly more technically demanding in the upper sections. It leads through a stone field and in some places you need to take longer steps, but it is not particularly difficult or dangerous (on the way we met an old lady with trekking poles who said she climbs there every year in the spring). At the top of Malý Stožec, there is a nice, slightly sloping summit plateau with beautiful views of the Lusatian Mountains, Bohemian Switzerland, and the Bohemian Central Mountains.

On the way back, we explored the stone sea and rocks of Malý Stožec, which little explorers will certainly appreciate, but watch out for snakes. After the descent, we walked back a short distance and turned onto an unmarked forest path, which we began to climb to Jedlová. The path leads to an asphalt road, where there is a red-marked hiking trail that leads to the top of Jedlová. At the top of Jedlová, you will find a beautiful stone lookout tower and a tourist cottage with a restaurant (all kinds of refreshments, Cvikov beer). There is also a small rope park in the treetops, which ends with a longer descent on a rope. It's a nice attraction that will entertain the kids while you can relax and enjoy some refreshments. The price was 200 CZK per child.

From Jedlová, we descended through a stone field behind the lookout tower towards the northeast (there is also an unpaved road marked on the maps). In dry weather, it was quite easy for a child and a dog to walk on, but after rain, I would probably choose a different route. After a steep descent, we climbed up another unmarked forest path and headed southeast back to the red-marked trail. We then followed it back to the parking lot below Tolštejn. If you haven't been to Tolštejn yet, I recommend visiting it. Access is easy, even with a stroller. Unfortunately, you have to leave the stroller behind to get to the lookout point, but there are beautiful views. There is an admission fee to the lookout point; I don't remember exactly how much, but it was a few dozen crowns.
 

Difficulty

An absolutely undemanding trip suitable even for the youngest hikers. The route follows a pleasant wide forest path; there is a rocky climb to Stožec, but it is not difficult; the path to Jedlová is asphalt. There is a steep descent over a rocky field from Jedlová, but you can bypass it by following the marked asphalt trail. Our ten-year-old jumped down like a chamois, but we were walking in dry conditions. The trail has no dangerous sections.
It is also suitable for dogs; we have a Staffordshire bull terrier. The trail is not suitable for strollers, although an all-terrain stroller could probably handle most of the trail except for the ascent to Malý Stožec and the descent from Jedlová (but this can be bypassed on asphalt).
 

Water availability

There are no springs along the way, so bring water and snacks with you. Refreshments are available at the top of Jedlová.
 

Mountain peaks

The route leads through the Malý Stožec and Jedlová mountains. There are views of the Lužické Mountains, České Středohoří, and České Švýcarsko.
 

Danger

The trail is easily passable, with no dangerous sections. The steeper section from Jedlová can be bypassed by taking the classic trail. In summer, it is advisable to watch out for snakes in rocky areas.
 

Food

We had our own snacks, but Jedlová serves excellent Cvikov beer, which is irresistible after the climb. My daughter had a hot dog. The restaurant has plenty of tables outside the observation tower, but no waiters.
 

Attractions

Lužické Mountains Protected Landscape Area
Jedlová Hill is the remnant of a laccolith that solidified during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs (approximately 30 million years ago) deep below the surface and, thanks to its more resistant rock, was selectively eroded from the surrounding Cretaceous deposits. The rock responsible for the shape of the hill is phonolite. On the southern and southeastern slopes, there is a relatively extensive stone sea of this rock. It is a massive phonolite vein, carved out by erosion from Cretaceous sediments.
Malý Stožec, a striking rocky ridge stretching in a northeast-southwest direction, is formed by phonolite, which is characterized by a slightly inclined, thick columnar jointing. It is a massive vein, carved out by erosion from the surrounding Cretaceous sediments. The slopes of the ridge feature boulder-like sediments, stone seas, and frost-riven cliffs.